Fort des Quatre Seigneurs, Military fortification in Herbeys, France
Fort des Quatre Seigneurs is a fortification built at 920 meters elevation in the foothills of Chaîne de Belledonne, overlooking Grenoble from a high strategic position. The structure features stone walls and bastions integrated into the mountainside, with casemates and gun positions arranged along its perimeter.
Built between 1875 and 1879, the fort was designed to prevent enemy forces from reaching Grenoble through routes from Uriage and the Pinet-d'Uriage plateau. It formed part of a defensive strategy that shaped the region's military landscape during the late 19th century.
The fort was named in 1887 after Jean Baptiste Annibal Aubert-Dubayet, a deputy and general from the French Revolution era. Visitors can sense this historical connection when walking through the structure today.
The fort can be reached from three main starting points: Galochère, Eybens, and Uriage les Bains, with each route involving a climb of roughly 600 to 700 meters over about ten kilometers. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and bring plenty of water, as the terrain is steep and shade is limited on most stretches.
During decontamination work carried out between 2012 and 2017, workers uncovered more than three million ammunition cartridges from World War I stored within the fort. This massive discovery reveals how extensively the site was used for military storage during the conflict.
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