Fort de Peigney
A transitional fort of the 19th century
Where is it?
The fort of Peigney is near the village of Peigney in the departement of Haute-Marne in the south of the Champagne region.
It is about 2 kilometres from the walled town of Langres and near to the camping site and the reservoir of La Liez, on the road D52.
The Fort de Peigney is one of eight detached forts which were built to protect the city of Langres in north-eastern France. The other forts are la Bonnelle, Cognelot, Montlandon, Plesnoy, la Pointe de Diamant, Saint-Menge, et Dampierre.
It was later incorporated into the defense system developed by the General Séré de Rivières in the late 19th century to protect France against a German invasion.
The forts of this period were of a simpler polygonal form than the large star fortresses developed by the military engineer Vauban in the 17th century. With improvements in artillery, cities had become too vulnerable to long range canons. The solution was to build a series of small forts in a ring around the city to be defended. The fort of Peigney is an example of this type of fortification. It was one of the last forts built before the introduction of new techniques of fortification by the general Séré de Rivières.
Visits
The fort is closed for visits until the Summer 2027.
Calendar of events, 2026
- Sunday 17th May : Vide grenier (Car boot sale)
- Sunday 28th June : Salon «Terroir et artisanat local» (Annual market of local crafts)
Fort de Peigney © 2015 - 2026