Fort de Bourlémont The Fort de Bourlémont , or Fort Choiseul , was built between1878 and 1881 . The fort was built as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications , which were conceived in response to the increasing power and range of artillery . The Fort de Bourlémont was part of the defenses of the Charmes Gap ( " Trouée de Charmes " ) , in the town of Mont - lès - Neufchâteau , west of Neufchâteau . Description . The diamond - shaped fort was entered over a drawbridge through an off - center gate complex , directly adjacent to one of the caponier s that defend the fort ' s ditch . The for has a double caponier at the diamond ' s apex , with single caponiers , including the entrance caponier , and opposite corners . The artillery batteries are disposed in a rough circle surrounding the central barracks . The firing positions are shielded by earth mounds , while the entire surface of the fort incorporates earth protection against shellfire . The fort is unique in possessing , from its construction , a dedicated infirmary . Built of earth - shielded masonry , the fort could resist attacks by black powder - filled artillery shells . With the development of high explosive - filled shells , the so - called " crise des obus torpilles " ( " crisis of the torpedo [ explosive ] shells " ) , the fort was obsolete without further reinforcement with concrete . The Fort de Bourlémont never received such an upgrade . The fort , planned to play a major role in the defense of the area is a " fort d ' arrêt " ( " stop point " or " stopping fort " ) designed to close the Charmes Gap between the defensive curtains of Epinal - Belfort and Toul - Verdun . Its artillery fire was planned to cover : The fort was also planned to interdict enemy troops seeking to gain access to the Paris basin . The fort was designed to operate for three months with complete autonomy . Artillery faces in all directions . There is no lightly defended " rear " to the fort . The barracks are placed in sunken " streets " in the center , which , while effective against the artillery of the time , was insufficient for protection against high - explosive shells . As a " fort d ' arrêt " , the fort ' s role was to provide a strategic rallying point where an invading enemy , funneled by the Epinal - Belfort and Toul - Verdun defensive curtains , could be decisively engaged and defeated by a field army on prepared terrain of France ' s choosing . The fort covers , including the ditches . The fort includes 84 rooms and shelters in 91 locations . The fort was planned for : History . The preferred site was chosen in 1877 by a committee that included General Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières , and was expropriated from landowners that included the Prince Hénin . Construction began in 1878 , with an approximate budget of 2 million francs - d ' or . Construction was by Petit et Marey of Neufchâteau . Stone was quarried locally at Fréville and Rapailles , conveyed to the construction site by a railway line whose vestiges remain visible . An 1880 project to install a Mougin casemate never came to fruition . The fort was away from the fighting during the First World War . During the Second World War the Germans used the fort as a depot . An explosion caused numerous German casualties . The Germans stripped the fort of armament and metals between 1941 and 1944 . In 1996 Mont - lès - Neufchâteau bought the fort . The fort has been managed by the Association des Amis du Fort de Bourlémont ( AAFB ) since 1997 , which provides tours of the site . The site has been cleared , with the fort largely intact , although missing a portion of a wall and a caponier .