Journée du Poilu

The "Journées du Poilu" at Fort Seclin are part of these happy initiatives where history and pedagogy dress in entertainment to better permeate the public. On the lawns of the fort, in brick alleys surmounted by turrets, dozens of uniformed soldiers stand guard, parade, organize camps and especially go to meet the public to explain what made the daily lives of soldiers, what was their equipment, what they had in mind ...

In all, they are a hundred enthusiasts welcomed for a weekend by a family who has linked his destiny to that of the fort: the Bonifaces. Demonstrations of gunfire (a cannon of 75 perfectly original capable of firing shells 5 km), guided tours of the fort, war craft workshops (ferronerie, tannery ...).

Tours of the fort museum are also organized in small groups... A true lesson of history to size human who extends his arms today still.

The Fort de Seclin, also known as Fort Duhoux, is located near the commune of Seclin, France, about 9.5 kilometres south of Lille. Built from 1873 to 1875, it is part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications that France built following the defeat of the Franco-Prussian War. It was never modernized to cope with improvements in artillery technology in the late 19th century. It has been preserved and is interpreted by a local preservation association for the public.