In Wolfisheim, Fort Kléber brings together a tangible history of construction with a present-day connection to nature and leisure. The Bruche Canal, historic buildings and trails with clearly identified starting points add to the area’s appeal. This gives you a choice of different themes for planning your trip: the history of the fortifications, a route between Wolfisheim and Eckbolsheim, or time in the park enjoying sports and wildlife watching.
Fort Kléber: the history of the fort and the park
Fort Kléber was built between 1872 and 1875 under the name Fort Bismarck. After the 1870 war, it became part of the defensive belt intended to protect Strasbourg. Today, Fort Kléber is one of four structures open to the public along the Piste des Forts. This named site thus brings together a 19th-century phase of construction, a military function and present-day public access.
Parc Fort Kléber was created in 2010 on a former military site that was converted into a nature park. The southern courtyard has a fitness trail and exercise equipment for outdoor workouts. If you prefer to combine your visit with physical activity rather than the history of the fort, this is a distinct option: the facilities in the southern courtyard are geared towards outdoor sports, while the trails and wildlife watching showcase the park’s natural side.
The landscaped, undulating trails in Parc Fort Kléber offer opportunities to spot squirrels, pheasants and mallards. This combination of trails and named animal species gives the park a character distinct from that of the historic fort. You can therefore tailor your visit to your interests: the history of the fort and its role sit alongside wildlife watching and outdoor exercise.
The Bruche Canal and historic buildings
The Bruche Canal is a 20-kilometre waterway with eleven locks, also known as the Vauban Canal. It opened in 1682. Originally, it was used to transport sandstone from the quarries of Soultz-les-Bains and Wolxheim to Strasbourg. Its length, number of locks and transport purpose give the canal its own historical significance: it is not merely a name in the route’s title, but also represents a former goods route into the city.
Saint-Pierre Church offers another point of historical interest. Two buildings with this name should be distinguished: the route begins on Rue du Général Leclerc, in front of the Catholic Church of Saint-Pierre. The tower of the Protestant Church of Saint-Pierre, by contrast, was built as early as 1492. This distinguishes the route’s starting point from a separate building with an earlier construction date.
A route with a stated duration and starting point
The “Du Fort Kléber au Canal de la Bruche” route runs between Wolfisheim and Eckbolsheim and takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. It starts on Rue du Général Leclerc in Wolfisheim, in front of the Catholic Church of Saint-Pierre. This gives you a clearly defined option for planning, with a stated duration and a specific starting point. The route linking the fort and canal is therefore different from a visit focused on the individual areas of Parc Fort Kléber.
Bois Romain Park offers a different focus, with several play areas for all age groups. Together with the fitness trail and wildlife watching at Parc Fort Kléber, this broadens the options to include different kinds of activities.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Salmbach, Gœrsdorf, Adamswiller, Entzheim, Muttersholz, Grandfontaine, Scherwiller, Holtzheim.
Back to the main travel guide: Bas-Rhin.
