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Moulin le Cygne
Verdun, its forts of Vaux and Douaumont and the Red Zone, the Voie Sacrée, the Argonne, the Butte de Montfaucon and the
Kaiser Tunnel, the Côtes de Meuse and their strategic relief: all these sites revive understanding of the horror of this place, which will always remain a land of heroes.
Was the sacrifice in the Tranchée des Baïonnettes, symbolised also by the sheer scale of the Ossuary of Douaumont, in vain?
No, Europe's experience here led to its maturity. Clear evidence of this are the World Peace Centre at Verdun, the memorials
(Varennes-en-Argonne, Montfaucon, Montsec, Verdun, Vauquois...) erected to the memory of soldier comrades who
came to fight for freedom, and the museums and fortresses, which will always be such a moving experience to visit.
From far back in time, history has left its powerful stamp on the Meuse, land of memories. From North to South, from East to
West, the historical and cultural heritage bears witness to this, charged with emotion and provoking reflection.
A destiny that was to reach its dramatic apogee in the Great War.
Historical sites:
The Battlefields of 1914-1918
ROMAGNE 14-18Description:Millions of men left home to fight for the fatherland. On the home front the women did the best that they could to keep their communities going. Millions of victims, humans as well as animals, lost their lives. Hundreds of square miles of countryside were destroyed and complete villages erased, never to be rebuilt. The war that went beyond the limits of endurance for both man and animal. But the day-to-day life of soldiers was not just about warfare. They passed much of their time behind the front line. In the encampments and the occupied villages, daily life went on. There was drinking and eating, music making and even art. There was time for personal hygiene, letters to home and for visiting friends in the field hospital. Here you will find the life of the ordinary soldier displayed over 260 square meters: For the men and the animals who, for four years, did the 'impossible'. Romagne '14-'18 shows in a touching way the different personal aspects. A personal story is hidden behind each object, the silent witnesses. In this way the passion of Jean-Paul de Vries developed from a private collection to be this extensive permanent exhibition.
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The Battlefields of Verdun
FORT DE DOUAUMONTDescription:The most heavily armed of all the forts,with the strongest system of defence. Tour of the 3 levels of galleries and pillboxes, observation platforms and gun turrets (machine-guns and 75 mm and 155 mm field guns). Command post, barrack room, ruined chapel and graveyard, magazine. Douaumont gives an insight into the layout of a fort, life in a fort and the Séré de Rivières system of defence.
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OSSUAIRE DE DOUAUMONTDescription: The Ossuary contains the remains of 130,000 unknown soldiers, laid to rest with their comrades for all eternity. Audiovisual presentation "The Heroism of Soldiers in Verdun" (20 mins.) Viewing every halfhour. Tour of the tower and its museum. The Ossuary and necropolis are two of the French memorials to the First World War. The Ossuary gives a comprehensive overview of the Battle of Verdun.
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Annual closure from January to February school holidays. Open daily: |
MEMORIAL DE VERDUNDescription:The Memorial, a Museum dedicated to the Great War, contains an extensive collection on two floors (heavy equipment, vehicles, planes, uniforms etc.), laid out around a striking reconstruction of a battlefield. This sanctuary, a memorial to history, keeps the memory of the conflict alive and bears witness to the commitment and suffering of soldiers from France, Germany, countries overseas and Allied troops who fought from 1914 to 1918 in this key sector on the Western Front. As a study and documentation centre, the Memorial also has an educational department responsible for the preparation and organisation of a range of learning projects (joint history/literature classes etc.). At the Memorial, there is still a strong sense of the presence of the "Poilus de Verdun" (French infantry).
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Annual closure mid-December to end of January. Open: |
MUSEE DE PLEIN AIRDescription:Open-air museum consisting of a 14.5 km sign-posted tour of the places involved in the Battle of Verdun (no guided tours). The presence of France's First World War infantrymen (known as "poilus") is still almost tangible here.
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MUSEE DE LA VOIE SACREEDescription:Headquarters of the Battle of Verdun,visits to the offices of the generals Pétain, Nivelle, Guillaumat, Hirschauer. US plaque commemorating General Pershing's headquarters in 1944. Permanent photographic exhibition. Museum being renovated.
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FORT DE VAUXDescription:A symbol of French heroism. Discover the epic story of Commandant Raynal and his last carrier pigeon. Tour of the interior: Bourges pillbox, 75mm field guns, dovecote, telephone exchange. Shows how a fort was organised, and gives a better understanding of the everyday life of the combatants.
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CITADELLE SOUTERRAINEDescription:The lower citadel played a vital logisti-cal role in the Battle of Verdun. Today, visitors board a small train for a tour designed to give an insight into life in the citadel that was such a major feature of the Battle of Verdun. There are 15 tableaux showing what French infantrymen had to go through the trenches, the infirmary, the bakery, HQ, the choice of the Unknown Soldier etc.
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CENTRE MONDIAL DE LA PAIX, DES LIBERTES ET DES DROITSDE L'HOMMEDescription:"14-18 in 3D" exhibition: a major exhibition organised for the first time and based on stereoscopic plates from the First World War. The exhibition gives visitors an unusual, and very moving, view of the conflict. No admission fee for any temporary exhi- bitions; seminars, conferences, concerts, films, documentation centre, Peace classes etc.
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The Battlefields of Argonne
KAISER TUNNEL Site de la Haute ChevauchéeDescription:A German underground fortificationdating from the First World War (located at La Haute Chevauchée). |
CIMETIERE MILITAIREMEUSE ARGONNE - American CimeteryDescription:With its 14,246 crosses, the Romagne Memorial is the largest graveyard in Europe. The Sammies who fell during the battle to liberate Argonne rest in peace here. Its layout and architecture make this an essential part of any tour aiming to show what Americans mean when they say, "We shall never forget".
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BUTTE DE VAUQUOISDescription:Major site of mine warfare in Argonne.This is the best example of underground passages used as "living quarters". The work done to enhance and maintain this site makes it one of the major places to visit in Meuse. The guided tours, which are of particularly high quality, give an excellent insight into the fighting that occurred here. Tour lasts 2 hrs. Guided tours available for groups all year. More information: Association Les Amis de Vauquois55270 VAUQUOIS - Tél. : 00 33 (0)3 29 80 73 15 - Fax : 00 33 (0)3 29 88 46 49 http://perso.wanadoo.fr/vauquois.guerre.14.18/ e-mail : amis.vauquois@wanadoo.fr Opening dates and times: 1st Sunday of the month,from 9.30 a.m. to noon for individual visitors. Also open on 1st and 8th May and on "Heritage Days" in september. |
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