francedigitale

Visit of the main monuments of the Great War in Verdun

The visit includes the most important monuments of the battle of Verdun (the forts, the Ossuary of Douaumont)

The First World War is slowly falling into oblivion even with the centenary commemorations. However, a visit to Verdun is still very interesting, there are few places like this where you can still feel the breath of the battle. The nature still keeps the scar of the terrifying fights which took place during the year 1916.

As a reminder, the battle of Verdun did not determine a winner. After several months of fighting, the protagonists returned to their former positions.

The underground citadel of Verdun is the closest monument to the city center. The visit, more sanitized, is less interesting than that of the other forts, it is necessary to be wary the days of affluence the wait can be important because the small trains which are used for the visit have a limited number of places.

Do not hesitate to spend a weekend on the site of this battle. It is necessary to have a car to visit the various places of the battle. It is better to consider a trip over two days because the visits are numerous.

Information on the centenary of the battle of Verdun

Interest: ratingvery good (1 user)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 10 h.

Practical information

Practical information

The corridors of Douaumont fort

❤50

The corridors of Douaumont fort
There are two main forts to visit: Douaumont and Vaux. Douaumont is larger than Vaux but both forts are similar (entrance fee: 4 euros). The capture of Douaumont by the Germans in 1916 happened quite quickly, as the French no longer believed in the importance of the forts. The recapture of the fort was much more bloody for the French.

The fort of Vaux

❤25

The fort of Vaux
Vaux Fort was the scene of intense battles. The fort resisted German attacks for a week (2-6 June 1916) before surrendering.

The interior of the Vaux fort

❤25

The interior of the Vaux fort
At the end of the attack, hand-to-hand fighting took place inside the fort. All this took place in a deafening din. The French fought to the bitter end but with no water and no hope of supplies they had to surrender to the enemy.

The Verdun Memorial Museum

❤59

The Verdun Memorial Museum
The museum is interesting, it presents the four years of the conflict. Many military materials are exposed. The entrance fee is 11 euros.

Douaumont Ossuary

❤42

Douaumont Ossuary
The battle of Verdun was very deadly. In the ossuary are gathered the remains of many German and French soldiers. You can visit the interior of the ossuary.

The exterior of the Douaumont fort

❤24

The exterior of the Douaumont fort
The fort contains many graves. The soldiers who died inside were never evacuated. 679 German soldiers are buried here, they died as a result of an ammunition explosion inside the fort.

The Bayonet Trench

❤38

The Bayonet Trench
The Bayonet Trench is an imposing monument commemorating the memory of soldiers buried by shellfire. The bayonets are still visible to indicate the location of the bodies. True story ?

Une casemate

❤38

Une casemate
Just take a walk in the forest around Verdun and you will be confronted with history. You can easily see the old trenches.

The victory monument

❤27

The victory monument
The victory monument is located in the city centre. The crypt inside can be visited.

The underground citadel

❤60

The underground citadel
The underground citadel was built in the 17th century and was used as a supply centre during the Battle of Verdun. The visit is done on board a small train and the main scenes of the life inside are commented.

Panels

❤27

Panels
The site is touristy and there are signs along the road explaining the different monuments to visit.
Departure point (Google Maps)

Other walks

The visit of the cellars of champagne in Reims

The visit of the cellars of champagne in Reims

rating good

At 96.06 Km

A walk in Reims

A walk in Reims

rating very good

At 97.33 Km

The Observatory of the path of the ladies and the Abbey of Vauclair

The Observatory of the path of the ladies and the Abbey of Vauclair

rating good

At 119.71 Km

The cave of the Dragon

The cave of the Dragon

rating very good

At 121.85 Km