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The Chemin des Dames observatory and the Vauclair abbey

A hike in Champagne to discover the vestiges of the First World War and the terrible battle of the Chemin des Dames.

The observatory and the abbey of Vauclair are distant of 10 kilometers (20 kms round trip), the two sites are connected by a forest path. This path is called "chemin du facteur" (letter carrier's path) because it was the path taken by the letter carrier before the war. The path is not very practicable in rainy weather and in summer there are many reports of mosquitoes. Moreover, it is quite difficult to distinguish the traces of the fighting along the path. It is possible to go to both sites by car without doing the hike. Everything is free, there is no entrance fee. The observatory is really worth a look, it allows you to see a large part of the Chemin des Dames in a single glance.

Interest: good (1 user)
Difficulty:
Duration: 1 h.
Practical information

The parking lot of the Chemin des Dames observatory

The parking lot is located right next to the observatory. Several panels describe the history of the village of Craonne which was completely destroyed during the war, it is even difficult to find traces of it.
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Ascent to the observatory

The climb is short but rough. The whole plateau is still in the red zone, i.e. it is not possible to cultivate the fields or even to live there because of the numerous military debris that are still in the ground.
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View of the observatory

A lot of information along the way up about how the battle unfolded. The view at the top is worth a look even if the vegetation has covered all traces of the battle.
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The observatory

What a monument! Is there another observatory of this type in France? It is immense. You must not be afraid of heights. When you come down from the observatory you can go to the belvedere which offers another point of view on the valley (see map). You can also join the "chemin du facteur".
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The cemetery

Going back down the road you can see the old cemetery of Craonne. Not all the graves date from before the war, some people wanted to be buried here after the end of the war.
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The letter carrier's path

We can continue on the path of the letter carrier to join the abbey of Vauclair (10 kms), there are some vestiges of the great war along the route, they are nevertheless difficult to see. Be careful, the path can be muddy in rainy periods.
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The abbey of Vauclair

You can go to the abbey of Vauclair by car, there is a parking lot right next to it. You can even have a picnic. The entrance is free.
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The wall sections

The abbey was built from the 12th century by Cistercian monks
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The remains of the abbey

In 1789, it was sold as a national asset and was no longer occupied by the monks. It was then sold and converted into a farm.
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Chemin de promenade

In 1917, the abbey was destroyed by French artillery, leaving only ruins behind. For fifty years, it fell into obscurity, overgrown with vegetation, before being cleared and rediscovered.
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The pond around the abbey

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