Come and discover a fascinating world in the heart of the mountains, in a strange atmosphere: a fortress hidden beneath the Alps. Modernized and adapted to a possible nuclear conflict, the fort was in use until 1998!
Built in 1940 and 1943, modernized and adapted to a possible nuclear conflict during the Cold War, the fort was used by the Swiss army until 1998. Over 600 metres of tunnels cut into the mountain. Completely invisible from the outside, the fort could house 300 men.
Visits, organized at 5:30pm, during the winter of 2024-2025 are as follows:
- December: Thursday 26, Friday 27
- January: Thursday 2, Friday 3, Saturday 11, Saturday 18, Saturday 25
- February: Saturday 1, Saturday 8, Saturday 15, Saturday 22
- March: Saturday 1, Friday 7, Saturday 15, Saturday 22, Saturday 29
- April: Saturday 5, Saturday 12, Friday 18, Wednesday 23, Friday 25
- May: Saturday 3
Click here to book!
Meet 15 minutes before the tour, in front of the fort entrance.
Private tours for groups: open from 11 a.m. on request at least 5 days before the desired date and subject to guide availability: mcthierryd@gmail.com, +41 (0) 78 691 15 21
Prices
Adults: CHF 15.00
Students : CHF 12.00
Children (6 to 12 years): CHF 10.00
Family : CHF 30.00
Group (minimum 10 people) : CHF 120
Included in PASS Saint-Bernard
Remarks
Temperature in the Fort between 10 and 12°C. Bring warm clothes and shoes.
Dogs not allowed.
The Fort can be hired for special events: meetings, company dinners, weddings, etc.
Video
More details
Carved into the southern ridge of the Catogne, the Champex fort, A 46, is located at an altitude of 1450m, close to the resort and the lake of Champex. It towers 500m above the Orsières basin at its foot. With its 600-metre-long network of galleries, the structure is like a small underground settlement, totally isolated from the outside world and capable of living in complete self-sufficiency, should the need arise.
Classified as “secret” until 1999, it was built during the Second World War (October 1941 to December 1942) to provide fire support for infantry troops defending the axis of the Great St Bernard Pass from Italy. Constantly modernised and adapted for nuclear warfare, it is an absolutely fascinating and incredible underground world. Completely invisible from the outside, the fort is dug right into the heart of the mountain.
The champex fort contains 2 batteries of 10.5 cm and 7. 5 cm cannon batteries, each with a PCT (fire calculation station), a battery control centre, two ammunition magazines (shells and charges), two observation posts linked to the batteries, a telephone communications centre, a barracks with a kitchen and refectory, as well as an officers’ mess, 3 dormitories to house the troops and rooms for the non-commissioned officers, a dormitory for the company officers and those from other units (Cp dir feu, EM du Gr art)
two individual rooms (Cdt cp and Cdt gr), two engine rooms (filters, engines and electricity generators) and a water tank fed by an underground spring. For its external defence, it has infantry forts (fortress machine guns, 8.1 cm fortress mine launchers) located downstream (Château Roc, Manoday, Biolley, see chapter on Hauts).
In addition, the Champex fort had a Group PCT, with an artillery centre, to coordinate fire in the St-Bernard region that could come from the Champex, Commeire, Follatères and Dailly works. The Champex fort was cp fort 1/22, forming with the Commeire fort (then Napoleon, LM 12 cm, twin-tube), cp fort II/22 and cp dir feu, Gr fort 22, incorporated into Rgt forteresse 19 then 1.
Explore its labyrinth of corridors. Discover the strange atmosphere of this little “secret town” buried below Lake Champex! Enter the mysterious world of a Swiss “Cold War” fortress! The reality matches the myth.