Oppidum du Fossé des Pandours, Celtic oppidum near Saverne, France

The Oppidum du Fossé des Pandours is a Celtic fortified settlement covering 170 hectares on a promontory above the Saverne Pass, with three summits: Barbarakopf, Baerenkupfel and Koepfel. Its main rampart was a 600-metre-long, 10-metre-high earthwork called the Fossé des Pandours, doubled by a perimeter wall of about 7 kilometres. A worn dirt path now runs up the centre between raised banks of bare soil.

The settlement emerged during the late Iron Age as a significant Celtic center and remained inhabited until Roman conquest transformed the region. After Roman occupation, the site's role and purpose shifted substantially.

The name Fossé des Pandours dates from the 18th century and recalls the Pandours, mercenaries of Baron von Trenck serving Maria Theresa, who occupied Saverne in 1744 during the War of the Austrian Succession. The site lies on the territory of Saverne and Ottersthal, and a Gallo-Roman necropolis was found west of the oppidum.

Visitors can explore the vast terrain on foot following marked trails that lead through different sections of the settlement. Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable conditions for walking across the hillsides and viewing the defensive structures.

The site's name dates from the 18th century and refers to the Pandours, mercenaries of Baron von Trenck serving Maria Theresa, who occupied Saverne in 1744 during the War of the Austrian Succession. The rampart itself is a 600-metre-long, 10-metre-high earthwork, backed by a perimeter wall of about 7 km.