Built between 1937 and 1941, the Pré-Giroud military fort in Vallorbe defended the Col de Jougne mountain pass from any foreign invasion and helped to guard the French-Swiss border in World War II.

In 1945 this artillery fort, which was carved out of the rocks, accommodated 200 men. It consists of 6 blockhouses linked with underground galleries with stocks of ammunition, a machine room and one barracks.

Three independent buildings are visible outside. They were surrounded by a double row of barbed wire, minefields and anti-tank protections.

Acquired by a private foundation inn 1988, Pré-Giroud can now be visited. It gives visitors an idea of the military’s conditions of life and their confinement, but also of the fort’s armament: cannons, missile launchers, arquebus and machine guns from bygone days.

The esplanade of the fort situated above Vallorbe commands fine views of Col de Jougne. The strategic importance of the site becomes immediately obvious.