FORT DE LA GRANDE HAYE

Near the Vosges canal, the Grande Haye fort is one of the 17 fortifications of the Épinal stronghold and was built between 1882 and 1884. It was part of the defence line erected by General Séré de Rivières that was stretching from Dunkirk to Nice to protect the border after the 1870 war.
This fort, built in ashlar when it was constructed, is one of the rare works from this period to have been modernised with concrete without being armoured. It had an open-air armament that controlled a sector from the Virine hill to the Thaon ravine and protected its neighbours, the forts of Dogneville, Bois l'Abbé and Uxegney. This fortification helped to protect the border for over 40 years, until the end of the Great War. Used as a munition depot during the interwar period, it was then occupied by the Germans during the Second World War before being used by the 170th Infantry Regiment and then by the 1st Regiment of infantrymen as a training ground.
Owned by the town of Golbey, the fort is being restored since 2015 by the volunteers of Fortiff'Séré - the Séré de Rivières association. This restoration work, which initial work has enabled the structure to be completely cleared, has attracted the attention of the Fondation du Patrimoine.

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