Underground passages of Philippeville

In 1656, Vauban, a military engineer under Louis XIV, made all the changes to the Philippeville Fortress. He developed its defences and emphasised the site’s star shape. Part of the underground network still remains from these works. Precisely ten kilometres, of which 400 metres can be visited. There are galleries located 10 or even 15 metres deep which are two metres wide. Entirely built by hand from the region’s stone, they have rounded ceilings. In practice, they connected the guard posts outside the main building in the Philippeville stronghold. Before the guided tour (around 1km), visitors will see a film that relates the story of the region, the city and the underground galleries.