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Fortification

The Eperlecques Blockhouse

Éperlecques, Opal Coast

About this place

Located on the edge of the Eperlecques Forest, this 22-meter-long blockhouse was originally intended for the launch of V2 rockets designed to destroy London during World War II. Between 1943 and 1944, more than 35,000 prisoners helped build the blockhouse, but during the 1943 bombings by the British “flying fortresses,” the project was repurposed, and the structure became a plant for producing liquid oxygen, intended to power the engines of a new generation of rockets.

You’ll enter the blockhouse—designated a historic monument in 1985—through a 2-meter-thick reinforced door. The vastness of the halls and the jagged structures create an eerie atmosphere.

During the tour, you’ll see terrifying “secret weapons” of the Third Reich and notice the thickness of the walls (5 meters). The upper slab, 7 meters thick, was raised using a system of jacks that lifted the roof as construction progressed, allowing the project to be completed while protecting the prisoners from bombing raids.

The guided tour of this site and an audio tour (featuring documents, commentary, sound effects, etc.) presented inside the fortress will allow you to relive, with great emotion, the history of the structure, the technology behind the V2 rockets, and the construction techniques used for the bunker... all while allowing for a leisurely stroll through its parks.

The site offers audio tracks and audio guides in 8 different languages, a visual guide in sign language, and is accessible to wheelchair users accompanied by an assistant.

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Fortification

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Fortification

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Fortification

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Fortification

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