The Dragon's Cave

The Caverne du Dragon is an old quarry that was bitterly disputed between the Germans and the French during the Chemin des Dames offensive in 1917

You can only get to the Dragon's Cave by car. There is a parking lot right in front of the entrance. The visits are obligatory in groups and there are departures every half hour during the busy period. The price is 8 euros. The guided tour lasts about 1h30. As in all quarries, it is not warm inside and the humidity level is high. Be careful, the restaurant on the spot is just a snack and you will have to take the car to find a restaurant.

The official website of the Caverne du Dragon

Interest:

very good (1 user)

Difficulty:

Duration: 2 h.

Departure point (Google Maps)

The entrance to the Dragon's Cave

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The entrance to the Dragon's Cave — A building has been built at the entrance of the Dragon's Cave. There is a small bar to wait before the guided tour (departure every 30 minutes or so during peak periods).

Le Chemin des Dames

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Le Chemin des Dames — You can have a nice view on the valley below. During the offensive of the Chemin des Dames the Germans were installed in the Caverne du Dragon and the French went on the offensive to try to dislodge them.

German registrations

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German registrations — There is not much left of the life in the cave, some German inscriptions can still be seen on the walls.

La Caverne

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La Caverne — The cave is an old stone quarry that was used as early as the Middle Ages. The ceiling is sometimes quite low. For the combatants of the First World War the cave offered a valuable refuge during the artillery bombardments.

The guided tour

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The guided tour — The guided tour is very complete, you will know everything about the history of the Dragon Cave and its occupants. If it weren't for the commentary, the tour could be short because the cave is not very big. Fortunately, the floor is flat, so sometimes you can't even see where you're standing.

The soldiers who fell during the fighting

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The soldiers who fell during the fighting — The lights represent the soldiers who died during the battles. The soldiers fought under extremely difficult conditions, facing not only the enemy but also the rigors of life in the cave.

The life of German soldiers

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The life of German soldiers — The cave was occupied most of the time by the Germans during the war. We can see some objects of everyday life testifying to their passage. Apparently the Germans ate oysters!

A trench

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A trench — At the entrance of the cave a trench has been reconstructed.

Rockfall

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Rockfall — Parts of the Cavern collapsed during the fighting and French soldiers were buried alive. It is not known exactly how many bodies are still in the Cave.

🚶‍ Practical information 🌳

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