Fort Istimpei

"Fort Istimpei is one of the 21 forts built on the Greek-Bulgarian border for Prime Minister Metaxas. The forts were built from 1936 to 1940 on the ""Metaxas Line"" to fortify Greece against attacks from the north. Built after studies of the Maginot line in France, Greece's defensive line was over 40 kilometers long. Fort Istimpei is located 250 meters from the Greek-Bulgarian border and 16 kilometers from Neo Petritsi, at an altitude of 1,339 meters. On April 6, 1941 the German army began attacking the forts from Bulgarian territory. The next day, after the Germans managed to throw asphyxiating gases into the tunnels, 350 soldiers and 13 officers from Fort Istimpei surrendered. During the Battle of the Forts, as it came to be known, 30 men were killed and 70 injured at Fort Istimpei. Today the fort is not open to the public, due to lack of army staff."