The fort Douaumont is around 400 meters long and covers three hectares.  It was designed to be manned by about 800 men.

In the fall of 1914, only 57 French soldiers defended the fort. On February 25, 1916, a heavy German bombardment drove the small number of French defenders away from their positions.  A small group of 10 German pioneers made their way into the ditch.

French troops in the nearby town of Douaumont believed them to be a returning French patrol and did not fire on them.  Sgt Kunze made his way into the northeast casemate.  (I believe the second from the left in the panorama.)  Fearful of an ambush, his men followed only later.

Then another group under a lieutenant entered the fort.  The two groups advanced underground through the tunnels, taking the garrison prisoner.  The only casualty was a scraped knee.  What was considered the strongest fort in the world had been captured by a small group of Germans in an amazing feat. German schoolchildren were given a day off and all the country was celebrating.

Machine Gun Turret and Armored Observation Post

Millions of munitions were fired over the course of the 2 battles of Verdun.   Although much of the fort’s interior can be visited, some sections are unstable from the massive bombardment the place was subjected to.

They say that there are probably many thousands of unexploded shells in the area. 80,000 dead soldiers are estimated to remain unburied in the fields surrounding Verdun.

I had to ask about this contraption. The guide said, “Lavabo” (laundry).

In the course of 100 years, the dripping water created these stalagmites.

The bunk beds are still there