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The Armistice clearing in the forest of Compiègne

The Clairière de l'Armistice is located in the forest of Compiègne at 1h30 from Paris. A visit for history and nature lovers.

To get to the Clairière de l'Armistice you need a car. There is no particular difficulty for the visit, the place is well signposted and there is a large parking lot right next to it. The Clairière de l'Armistice has a very special place in the history of France because it is in this clearing that the armistice of the 14-18 war and the less glorious one of June 22, 1940 were signed. Hitler demanded that the 1940 armistice be signed in the same place as the 1918 armistice in order to repair the affront done to Germany. You can take advantage of this visit to admire the castle of Pierrefonds which is located a few kilometers away.

Interest: ratinggood (1 user)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 2 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

Le parking

It is located right next to the clearing.

The clearing of the armistice

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The clearing of the armistice
During the Great War the French had built a railroad to bring guns into the middle of the forest. In 1918 the front was only a few kilometers away.

The clearing

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The clearing
During the war there were only trees in this part of the forest. The artillery had to be hidden from the German air force. After the war it was decided to create a monument to commemorate the armistice. The initial project was to create a large square resembling the Place de l'étoile in Paris with a Triumphal Arch. The monument was not erected because the funds were lacking, only the clearing was cleared.

Char Renault FT

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Char Renault FT
There are some cannons and this tank right at the entrance of the museum.

The central from

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The central from
The Triumphal Arch that was to be erected never saw the light of day. In the middle of the clearing a large slab with an inscription was placed. The slab was dismantled and sent to Germany in 1940 and reinstalled in its place in 1946.

The museum

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The museum
The entrance of the museum is paying (8 euros), the museum is small, it contains only some rooms. The visit is nevertheless interesting. The museum contains a replica of the wagon where the armistice of 1918 and 1940 was signed. The historical wagon was taken to Germany in 1940 to show it to the Germans. It was destroyed during a bombing raid.

La salle principale

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La salle principale
There are many stereoscopic (3D) photos of the Great War.

The weapons

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The weapons
You can see weapons of the two world wars: Lebel rifles, Hotchkiss machine gun, sten...

The forest

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The forest
You can take advantage of the visit to walk in the forest of Compiègne.

A pond

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A pond
The Compiègne Forest is a veritable jewel of greenery. With its 14,000 hectares, it offers a vast area for discovery and walks in the midst of unspoilt nature.

🚶‍ Practical information 🌳

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