Abandoned places

When the northern French coal mines were nationalized after the Second World War under the Houillères du bassin du Nord et du Pas-de-Calais, rationality and efficiency were the order of the day, including in the mining towns.

In 1938, the Organization Todt, the construction company of the German Third Reich, began constructing the West Wall (or Siegfried Line), a German defence line from the Netherlands to the Swiss border.

At the end of the First World War, an observation tower was built on top of Tête de Raves in the French Vosges.

In 1926, the French Ministry of Defense unveiled plans to fortify the country's eastern borders against possible surprise attacks, such as during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.

The French Vosges is full of deserted ski slopes due to the lack of snow. Fifteen ski areas have been closed in recent years, yet they have left some traces.

Tête des Faux is a 1208-meter-high mountain in the French Vosges, and its large stature also explains the strategic role it played during the First World War.