Fort de Villey-le-Sec, Military fortification museum in Villey-le-Sec, France

Fort de Villey-le-Sec is a Séré de Rivières fortification whose 40,000 m² enceinte encloses the village itself, the only such walled village on this frontier line. Its réduit, a square 180 m on each side, holds a working Mougin turret with two 155 mm guns, one of only two still operational. The south battery keeps its original 1870s stonework, entered by a retractable side-rolling bridge; the north battery retains a Pilter drawbridge and a double caponnière. The grey stone wall in the photograph is topped by a grassed earth mound.

Design work on Fort de Villey-le-Sec began on 5 December 1873 and construction on 26 July 1875, carried out by the Morel firm over four years with hundreds of workers; it was the most expensive fort in the region. The 1874 declaration of public utility planned it, with the forts of Écrouves, Domgermain and Saint-Michel, to close the south-eastern approach to Toul. Built around the existing village rather than displacing it, it was modernised in 1888 and from 1903 to 1914.

This fortification was built as part of a broader defensive network meant to protect the region after a major military defeat. The preserved structures today show how important this location was for the nation's security strategy.

The fort is open to visitors during specific times of the year, mainly in the warmer months when tours are offered. It is best to check in advance which areas are accessible and what tour or viewing options are available for your visit.

The réduit's Mougin turret holds two 155 mm guns returned from Fort Barbonnet in the Alps; with Barbonnet's own turret it is one of only two working 155 mm turrets. The north battery's artillery has also been restored to working order.