The history of the Fortress

You may have had the chance to discover the fortress in Châtel-sur-Moselle through a tour. This unique fortified edifice in Lorraine was rediscovered almost half a century ago by a group of history and heritage enthusiasts. Prior to this, 300 years ago, it had been destroyed and buried under the orders of King Louis XIV of France. At that time, Lorraine was still an independent state. Five centuries of the history of the fortification vanished under French oppression, rubbles from the demolition and earth filling. This is how history is written, explains our guide René Elter, who is also an archeologist.

The genesis of a modern fortified system

We followed René, who lead us out of the basement of the convent towards the bottom of the fortress. There, we remained aw-struck while looking at the 7 to 10-meter high wall standing before our eyes. After walking around the monumental barbican, we found ourselves facing the artillery protection wall. René gave us details on the interest of this wall, which was a kind of consolidated rampart, built in the 15^th century to protect the 13^th century castle from the devastating effect of the powerful artillery that was developing in Europe. He added that what we had before our eyes was the genesis of the modern fortified system. While at the same time, the fortress had become part of Burgundy for less than a century. We walked through an archway to reach the back of the artillery gallery. Then, from there, we passed a labyrinthine series of staircases and underground corridors to reach the magnificent guard room and the gallery of archers. A door opened and we found ourselves facing the remains of the dungeon. Our journey continued with a visit to the vaulted rooms in the cellars of the arsenal and it ended at  the northern part of the double wall, punctuated by two rows of artillery towers bordered by a wide moat. Wow! It had been a 90-minute tour, a discovery and a trip back in time. We will send the children there.

Raw material, equipment and skills

That Sunday morning in October, we were about ten apprentice brewers to meet Reynald in the former dairy in Xertigny. Make no mistake, the beverage we were about to prepare did not require milk but cereals. The premises which were once used for cheese incubation have been rehabilitated. There we were, at the heart of an authentic craft brewery.

We were welcomed in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The agenda of the day was presented to us. We started the initiation with theoretical advice which would allow us to understand the practical aspect of brewing, namely the elaboration of the recipe of our tasty drink.

Hops, many cereals, fermenters, milk tanks, cold rooms, labellers, we were in the process of getting more and more familiar with all the ingredients and tools we needed to make our recipe. Through his explanations, Reynald was passing on his passion for old-fashioned brewing. The beer that we were about to make would be unfiltered and not pasteurized; it was just brewed with noble, raw materials of quality.

A time for discovery

We were invited for a tasting after some of the members of the cooperative joined us for lunch, which we had booked earlier. All of them are driven by a passion which they pass on with care, so that their skills can be shared with everybody. There is no competition in the world of brewers, they are complementary.

Our workshop finished at the end of the afternoon. We warmly thanked our trainer for the day, and he fixed another meeting in 4 weeks’ time for the bottling of our own production. It had been a day full of encounters, sharing moments and discoveries, amid a team of enthusiastic brewers.

A little bit of history

We came upon the fortifications Séré de Rivière more than ten years ago around Épinal and this is where the most beautiful, remarkable forts can be found. When coming to Épinal, you need to discover the history of this old stronghold which belonged to the most modern military towns in France on the eve of the Great War. The area consisted of seventeen forts and nearly a hundred small fortifications equipped with more than six hundred pieces of artillery.

Today, only three sites can be visited in the area, with a distance of not more than three kilometres between each one. You must go to Uxegney and Golbey, in the north of Épinal. This is where you will satisfy your wish to learn about the forts, which embody rightly the stronghold system implemented by General Séré de Rivières after the war in 1870.

A modern-day fort

Finally, you can end your tour of the forts by going back on the road passing the fort in Bois l’Abbé; then keep going along the military railway that drives you straight to the fort in Uxegney. This last fort, which has been entirely modernized, is opened in the summer. You can learn about the technologies of the 20^th century. There, you can leapfrog from the oil lamp to electricity and from cannons in the open air to ironclad turrets. The visit to the kitchen and the electric factory completes the discovery of this extraordinary heritage.

These three works are now being restored by associations whose members are passionate volunteers. They take great pleasure in welcoming and introducing this part of the history of France to you.