Switzerland's Underground Border Fortress

Описание: vlog 182

March 2025

Festung Heldsberg in St. Margrethen, Switzerland. This fort was constructed quite quickly at the start of the second World War. It's primary mission was to prevent the Axis from crossing the Rhine as well as keep them off Lake Constance (Bodensee). On exhibit are four 75mm main cannon as well as multiple machine guns and observation posts. There is a machine room, sick bay and operation room, officers quarters, enlisted barracks, kitchen, and several other rooms to experience. Up to 200 soldiers could be stationed here at any given time. The fort operated until 1992 and was turned into a museum in 1993.

One interesting note about this fort is that several of the above ground emplacements are designed to look like civilian buildings. We hiked over to one of the machine gun positions above ground to check it out at the end of the video.

The workers and volunteers were fantastic and answered any questions we had, even if it was a mix of English and terrible (on our part) German! Thank you!

We highly recommend a visit to this fort. If you have any interest in history at all and happen to be near lake Constance, check it out!

Thanks for watching.

0:00 Entrance to the fort disguised as a civilian building
1:00 Entrance guard watch post with machine gun emplacement
1:34 Machine room with generators and electrical panels
2:26 Electrical test equipment
2:55 Firefighting equipment
3:25 Main intersection of the fort tunnels
4:32 Store room
4:53 Operation prep room
5:06 Operation room
5:30 Sick bay
6:08 communications exhibit
6:43 Birb
6:58 Cleaning locker
7:20 Military equipment exhibit
8:01 Map room
8:24 Telephone booth
8:41 Telephone exchange board
9:00 Officer mess
9:11 Officer quarters
9:29 Commander quarters
10:10 Enlisted squad bay
10:47 Kitchen
11:05 Pantry
11:30 Water reservoir
12:25 Sinks and rifles
12:45 dust filter
13:18 Door barricades and grenade chute
14:04 Air-lock chamber
14:40 Alternative exit and entrance
15:21 Machine gun position sleep room
15:56 Machine gun
16:56 grenade chute
18:05 75mm cannon exhibit
19:18 Weapons and ammunition exhibit
20:46 Escape tunnel
21:28 75mm cannon
22:43 Observation telescope
23:38 Second weapons exhibit
24:15 Swiss army knives
25:15 Stairs to lower fort only open by guided tour appointment
25:38 Morgue
26:45 Ammunition loading bench
26:52 Exterior above ground emplacements
28:08 Beautiful Switzerland
28:36 Emplacement disguised as a civilian building
29:08 Thanks for watching