The tour of Fort de Giromagny

Park in the car park on Rue des Prés Heydes, 90200 Giromagny. It is located opposite the gendarmerie.

(S/E) Walk up Rue des Prés Heydes and, at the three-way junction, turn left onto Rue Sous la Côte. You will reach a right-angled junction.

(1) Turn right onto Rue d’Auxelles, keep left at the fork just after, then veer right, ignoring a wide path on the left. Then take a small sunken path on the left. Follow the Red Ring markings carefully.
Continue across the meadow.

(2) At the T-junction, turn left onto the wide path leading up to the fort. From this junction, you can see, in the distance, the Mesolithic site of La Grosse Roche. You can reach it by taking a 30-metre detour. Signs mark the way.

(3) After 500m, the path descends slightly. At the start of the descent, leave the path and follow the dirt track to the left, going round the fort.

(4) At the swing gate, go down the path on the left. At the right-hand bend about thirty metres further on, take the sunken path on the left, go down it and continue across the meadow.

(5) At the end of a wide right-hand bend, turn left and carry straight on, ignoring a path branching off to the right. Follow the path as it curves to the left before joining a road.

(6) At the end of the track, head down the tarmac road to reach the first crossroads.

(1) Turn right, then right again to return to the starting car park (S/E).

Visorando was informed by Mr Chevalley, a volunteer member of Balisage90, based on brochures published by the Belfort Territorial Department.

The walk is marked with a Red Ring.

The mining industry
Giromagny experienced a boom from the 14th century onwards thanks to the mining industry. The exploitation of its mineral resources (silver, copper) fuelled its development. With the former Rosemont mines, Giromagny became a unique industrial hub in the region by the 16th century and had a population of 1,500, whilst Belfort had only a third of that number. The Giromagny presbytery even nearly became the French School of Mines during the Revolution. Mining activity gradually and definitively came to an end in the 19th century.

The Mesolithic site
During the Mesolithic period, climate change contributed to changes in hunters’ behaviour; humans had to adapt and became archers. They carved flint to use for their arrows. Fragments have been found at the Mesolithic site of ‘La Grosse Roche’ in Giromagny.

Fort Dorsner
Following the French defeat of 1871, it was decided to protect the Belfort Gap using General Séré de Rivières’ defensive system. Fourteen new forts were built, including the one at Giromagny in 1875, known as Fort Dorsner. Its location near the border gave it a very important role; it was tasked with monitoring the road descending from the Ballon d’Alsace and leading to Belfort. Its armament made this fort the most powerful in the region, as in 1879 it was equipped with an unusual defence system comprising two Mougin turrets, the first of their kind in France. Visits are possible in summer.