Ouvrage Cap Martin, Military museum and bunker in Menton, France.
Ouvrage Cap Martin is an underground military installation hidden beneath a hillside, connected to the surface through three steel observation domes. A network of passages and chambers extends deep into the rock, containing workspaces, storage areas, and technical facilities that once supported the fortress operations.
This fortress was built in the early 1930s as part of a French defensive network along the Italian border. It saw combat when Italy entered the war and attacked the Riviera coast.
This fortification served as a critical defensive post for the French Riviera and its spaces still reflect the presence of those who worked here. Visitors can walk through rooms where soldiers lived and worked, gaining a direct sense of their daily routines in this underground world.
The installation remains cool and damp throughout the year, so warm clothing and sturdy shoes are recommended. The stairs and narrow passages require good balance and footwear, and visitors should allow time to move slowly through the complex.
The fortress used naval terminology in its operations, calling corridors 'gangways' to reflect its submarine-like nature in the confined underground setting. This linguistic choice helped soldiers mentally adjust to the tight spaces they would work in daily.
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