This part of the sprawling Maginot bunker system is a great destination for engineering and history enthusiasts alike. If you would like a day-trip that includes shopping, then this is the one for you! Located a short drive from Germany in the Alsace region of France, you can hit up the Style Outlets in Zweibruecken in Germany, then on to Simserhof, the site of a well-preserved and maintained pre-World War 2 bunker complex. Complete with a guided tour, it is recommended to make a reservation if you need your tour in English. Marvel at the engineering feat that almost broke the bank of France in the interwar period. Everything was considered when building the Maginot Line: defensibility, survivability and liveability. The example at Simserhof is one of many built along the entire shared border of France and Germany. Too bad the French did not consider building along the border with Belgium because that is exactly what made the Maginot Line vulnerable. The German army rendered the system useless by exploiting that shortcoming in strategic thinking. Inadequacies aside, Simserhof is an engineering marvel to behold by all, regardless of historical inclination. Start the tour by taking an electric tram through the bowels of the complex where museum curators created quite the spectacle with films, lights and effects to show what it was like to live in the bunker during its short fight at the beginning of World War 2. After this, a tour guide will take you to the upper part of the bunker, built at the top of a hill, where you will be shown all the measures built to keep invaders out: moats, drawbridges and hidden gun ports. Spend the next few hours touring the long hallways, galleries, functional rooms and all the systems to keep the facility livable. The preservation of history is on full display at Simserhof with the work and funds put into the facility over the years clearly evident. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and is more than happy to oblige any questions about the facility and its history. Finish your tour in their extensive gift shop and grab your refrigerator magnet as proof that you visited this impressive place and dazzle your family and friends with your first-hand knowledge gained from experiencing this jewel of history buried deep in random wooded ravine in Alsace!

It is really cold in the bunker. It is recommended to wear a jacket, even in the summer.