blockhaus at eperlecques

LynneS572

The sheer scale of the blockhouse, it took 35,000 conscripted labourers or prisoners to build it, is incredible enough but the chilling history of its design and purpose is so saddening. Thank goodness it was never fully completed. Presented in a sensitive and thoughtful way, it is a tribute to all those who were forced to work there and to the men who died to destroy it. Check opening times on line as it differs from month to month.

iakarsh

I stood there , stunned , looking @ the massive bunker. One will be thrilled to see the massive bunker, the architecture marvel. It stands in the green woods , like a giant fort. Though the site has a narration in different language @ different places explaining the facts and the history associated with it , it is the massive structure that enthrals. The building , its purpose, the planning , the missile assembly site , the launch pad indeed showcase how best the German Engineering can be. The visit has a entry fee , a collection of WW-II military machinery. Can buy some mementoes.

Ann-Lie

The bunker itself is impressive. The museum and how it works is less impressive.The narrated voices in four languages (english, french, German and Dutch) give you some information but not really enough. Since you always have to wait untill the narration is done in another language before you can choose your mother tongue, this can be quite enoying.The portable audio guides would be a far much better solution.Allthough you get an understanding about what was the purpose of Nazi Germany with this place you don't really get to see, or a lot of information about in which bad conditions the workers had to operate.Next to this, the story doesn't tell that there was never launched one V2 missile from this spot.If you visit this place together with La Coupole you get a good understanding about the V2 and V1 war in Europe.The bunker itself is impressive, inside the bunker, when you return to the outside, right before the gate, you can see an 3D animation about what was supposed to happen there...

nick_nadine

This is a monstrosity of a place built by the Nazis in order to launch the V2s on London. Using slave labour from Poland and Belgium and working them until they dropped they built this huge block of concrete in which the V2s were to be assembled and launched. It was hardly used because we dropped an enormous bomb on the edifice which although it didn't destroy it caused the building to become unstable. Reading the story and seeing the building even in quite a state of disrepair is well worth a morning or afternoon's visit.

jan191062

Had a visit on Sat 18 Oct, as we were in the area and have often thought when in France to visit as my husband and I are WW1 and WW2 enthusiasts we picked up the leaflet in our hotel and upon arrival found it was not the place we thought La Couple which we had researched, however decided to go in anyway, thinking it would be not so good however were we in for a shock, the winding path to the blockhouse is very interesting, once you get to the top of the path the you turn a corner the blockhouse is mind blowing, absolutely astonishing in size, we could not believe it, this large structure 103 feet in height was before us. Amazes me that it was not seen by allied aircraft flying overhead on their way to Germany. This place is a must for anyone interested in WW2. There is a small gift and coffee shop. Entrance is 9 euro

JAnon99

Well worth your time, this is a fascinating place to visit. It gives a great insight into the V-Weapons story and the twisted genius of the German scientists who developed the weapons.Having visited Mimoyecques, La Coupole and Dora-Mittelbau this year this fitted a few more pieces into the sad jigsaw of this part of European history.Take a couple of hours and walk round this place thinking about the human and scientific history involved and you will reap the rewards.There's a lovely walk around the Eden 62 nature reserve - La Forêt d'Eperlecques - right next door too.

llamacalmer

While staying overnight in Calais we had a drive out to Eperlecques to visit the Blockhaus. It's a very well set out site, with a well guided route around it with various displays and points of interest along the way. The blockhaus itself is massive. There's plenty of free parking and a small shop, and it's 10 euros for adults. Allow about 1 1/2 hrs to see it all.

VancouverLL

We had decided to visit this attraction as it was on our way to Vimy Ridge and environs and the decision to make the side trip to do so turned out to be a good one. Although all we had to go on was a brochure we had come across and did not really know what to expect, this attraction caught the interests of all persons in our party of three. The overall experience was good; the self-guided tour is very well organized, there are multiple displays and points of interest along the route of the walking tour. Once we actually approached the blockhouse itself, we were just amazed at the physical size of the structure and were all just a little stunned at what this place could have become had it not become the site of an allied bombing raid.

Indiewheel

I really wanted to see this and it was brilliant. It is only when you visit this site that you see just how close the allies came to losing the 2nd world war. This base was only a few weeks away from launching the V3's which would have annihilated the UK. It's like something out of a James Bond movie set. You can still see the hole where the US Bigboy wiped out its rocket launching facility. A must for historians.

grumps147

Brilliant piece of recent industrial scale evidence of the lengths men will go to when power overcomes basic human relations.

biggles168

Very interesting ww2 interactive displays with a mind blowing first view of the blockhaus through the forest walk

MaestroD

Another site that is both a tour and a memorial. Very well done. Some of it you may find hard to see. However it shows how incredible mankind can be, both in their ingenuity and their forbearance. Obviously it shows how evil and cruel people can be. There is a lot to see and take in and for many will probably ensure we further investigate this place and La Coupole etc. Good audio too.

KevinJ0

We only found out about it by talking to people on a motorhome site when we were visiting a D-day museum. It is a mind blowing experience, which when we walked round the path and came out of the trees to see the WW2 V2 bomb making factory building, it was unreal! It is a very good site with a number of audio's describing who built it and the process of the V1 and V2 evolution there is also a number of hardware to look at along the route around the site. It made me think that if it had been completed what might have happened. Don't miss it!

Bitza09

We weren't sure what to expect and decided at the last minute to visit, we weren't disappointed. The size of the bunker was spectacular. You can walk around at your leisure and listen to the audio descriptors in a number of different languages. The scale of the bunker is unbelievable and it hadn't even been completed before the allies bombed it! What mustn't be forgotten was that this facility was built with forced slave labour and you can experience a little of what they suffered by standing in one of the cattle trucks used to transport prisoners to the facility. Close your eyes whilst listening to the audio sound effects, frightening.If you are in the area it is definitely worth the time to go and visit, much better than La Coupole.

Pete_Epsom

We had no idea what to expect as the description in the flyer we picked up didn't really do it justice…this is a very disturbing place but one that everyone should visit to understand what weapons of mass destruction are all about. Its like a cross between the lunatic climax to an old James Bond film and Thunderbirds - except it is for real. The start of the tour makes it seem like a "typical" WWII location and you can't see what all the fuss is about until you get into the enormous facility itself. Absolutely don't miss the animation as you enter the blockhouse - it shows exactly what would have happened if it hadn't been bombed by the Allies before production of the V2s could start. The destructive power of these rockets was immense - England was very lucky that only a limited number were fired before the end of the war.