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| Verdun | ||
| region | Grand Est | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 17.161 (2018) | |
| height | 262 m | |
| Tourist info | 33 (0)3 29 84 14 18 http://www.de.verdun-tourisme.com | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Verdun is a city in the department Meuse in Lorraine and was important for the history of Europe several times.
background
In 843 the [[w: Treaty of Verdun] mountain] decided to divide the Carolingian Frankish Empire, from which today's France and the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation emerged. The Battle for Verdun with around 700,000 dead stands for the hell of the First World War.
getting there
By plane
By train
At the 1 Verdun train station Occasionally (attention - there are really not many) regional trains go to Metz.
By bus
- FlixBus offers one trip a day from Paris or Strasbourg. The stop, although it is called Verdun, is actually right at exit 30 of the motorway, i.e. in the middle of nowhere and 15 km from the actual city.
- A TER Grand Est bus connects Verdun train station with Châlons-en-Champagne several times a day.
In the street
Verdun is about 10 kilometers north of the important French autoroute A4 (Autoroute de l’Est, Ostautobahn) from Strasbourg via Metz and Reims to Paris; this route is from Germany Saarbrücken easiest to reach (20 kilometers to the Freyming-Merlebach junction).
By boat
- Location is on the Maaskanal and can be reached by pleasure craft.
By bicycle
mobility
- Walking in the city center and on the banks of the Meuse is easy and pleasant (largely pedestrian zone). The transition from the lower to the upper part of the city (via the victory stairs) can be difficult if you have mobility problems.
- Car traffic is not a real problem, except in the largely traffic-calmed inner city. A large parking lot in the immediate vicinity of the tourist office and the city center allows easy parking. However, parking in the upper part of town can be more difficult (and paid).
- With Verdun's attractions all very close together, cycling in the city itself may not be necessary. The bicycle can be an alternative to the car for visiting the battlefields, but given the difference in altitude (200 m between the city and the Douaumont fortress), good shape or the use of a bicycle with electric assistance is recommended. It is also possible (and pleasant) to cycle along the banks of the Meuse via the Meuse Valley Cycle Path.
Tourist Attractions
Map of Verdun
City of Verdun
- 1 Verdun Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Verdun), place Monseigneur-Ginisty.
- 2 Hotel de La Princerie, 16, rue de la Belle-Vierge.
- 3 Gate towers Chaussée (porte chaussée), rue Chaussée.
- 5 Verdun underground citadel (citadelle souterraine de Verdun), place de la Roche.
- 6 Monument to the soldiers of Verdun (monument à la Victoire et aux Soldats de Verdun), place de la Liberation.Avenue de la Victoire - monument with a monumental staircase surmounted by the statue of a warrior leaning on his sword and looking east. At the top of the stairs, in a crypt, are the registers of the soldiers who received the Verdun medal.
- 7 Memorial to the deceased residents of Verdun (Monument aux enfants de Verdun morts pour la France).Avenue du Général Mangin - 1928 memorial to those who died in the First World War in Verdun. It has five soldiers who represent the various weapons: an infantryman, a pioneer engineer, an artilleryman, a horseman and a territorial. The names of the residents of Verdun who died in later conflicts have been added.
- 8 Faubourg-Pavé National Cemetery (nécropole nationale de Faubourg-Pavé)
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Theater of war 1st world war
Trench warfare
- 9 Red zone (zone rouge).is a central part of the main combat area in World War I and is located on a ridge around eight kilometers northeast of the city center of Verdun. It is a hilly landscape completely scarred by shell impacts and impassable and was the scene of the trench and trench warfare in the material battles of the First World War. Whole villages fell victim to the fighting at the time, nine villages were not rebuilt. The "Red Zone" does not get its name from the blood of the fallen soldiers, but from the red pencil with which the borders were drawn on the map in 1919. There are a total of 78 war cemeteries around Verdun, 42 of which are French, 34 German and two American.
- Due to the ammunition remains still in the ground, the site cannot be cultivated even today. The remains of ammunition on the surface were cleared after 1918 mainly by German prisoners of war. In 1919 the area was then declared a "Red Zone" (Zone Rouge) and placed under protection and reforested from 1925 onwards. The trees on site are all the same age. It is strictly forbidden to pick up the numerous objects of war that are still present in the area, such as remains of ammunition or bones, and to take them with you; the French police checked.
- Between the two world wars, there was initially battlefield tourism, then the area was stylized as a symbol of the French victory over Germany. This can be seen against the background of the defeat of 1871 against Germany in what was then a nationalist France.
- During the Second World War, the former battlefield was occupied by the Germans and used as a restricted military area and military training area. Parts of the fortifications were dismantled and used to strengthen the Atlantic Wall.
- After the Second World War, the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Verdun was celebrated at the instigation of President Charles de Gaulle in 1966 as a purely French celebration and with the exclusion of the Germans. Subsequently, however, the "Red Zone" developed into an international memorial for peace between peoples.
Directions Red zone ("Zone Rouge" signposted) from the north of Verdun to the central car park directly at the Douaumont ossuary.
The for Visitor released and areas opened up by paths now serve as a recreational area. Above all, however, they are an "open-air museum" that serves to commemorate the fallen soldiers and is designed by various French organizations. The "National Society in Memory of the Battle of Verdun" is in charge. The central commemoration will take place on a Sunday around June 23rd.
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Douaumont military cemetery and ossuary
- 10 Douaumont ossuary (ossuary of Douaumont), Sous Thiaumont.
- The 147 meter long ossuary (Ossuaire de Douaumont) with the striking high bell tower was built on the initiative of the Bishop of Verdun, Msgr. Ginisty. It was opened on August 7, 1932 by the then French President Albert Lebrun. The architecture symbolizes a sword rammed into the ground with its entire blade up to the crossguard.
- Originally, the Douaumont ossuary was only intended for the unidentifiable remains of French soldiers. The bones of the German soldiers were to be buried separately in mass graves. However, since numerous corpses and parts of corpses were completely torn to shreds and could no longer be kept apart during recovery, the bones of the fallen from both nations were buried together in the ossuary. They are visible from the outside through glass windows. The number of dead is estimated at 130,000. 15,000 identified dead lie in the French military cemetery in front of the ossuary.
- The ossuary is freely accessible during the day.
- On September 22nd, 1984, the ossuary was the backdrop for the meeting between President Mitterrand and Chancellor Kohl: both stood hand in hand in front of the ossuary. The gesture is considered a symbolic climax of the Franco-German reconciliation and went through the international media.
Fort Doaumont observation tank
- 11 Fort Douaumont (fort de Douaumont)
- The underground bunker was built from 1885 onwards. It was expanded to become the most heavily fortified facility in the Verdun defensive ring and was involved in the fighting from 1916 onwards. The position was taken by the Germans for the first time on February 25, 1916, but could not be held as the center of an artillery battle and under massive fire from the French, the statistics now name 400,000 grenades and attacks with flamethrowers, and finally fell on October 24 almost without a fight back to the French.
- Three floors are released for inspection in the bunker system. You can see casemates, watchtowers with positions for machine guns and cannons and other parts of the defense system. In a former ammunition casemate, 679 German soldiers, who were killed in an explosion on May 8, 1916, are buried through a brick wall on site.
- Open during the day from 10 a.m., adult admission: € 4
Fort Vaux
- 12 Fort Vaux (fort de Douaumont).The fort is about 2.5 kilometers east of Fort Douaumont.
- It was built between 1881 and 1884 as the north-eastern cornerstone of the fortifications around Verdun, initially still in rubble masonry. Until 1912 it was then expanded and reinforced with reinforced concrete.
- With the start of the German offensive on Verdun, the fort was shelled from February 21, 1916. Despite a major attack on May 7, 1916 with massive shelling and huge losses, the Germans only got to the surface of the fort. The French had to wait until June 7, 1916 due to lack of water, the cistern had been destroyed by the fire and the one inside surrender to now unbearable conditions.
- The French then shot at the fort and the Germans had to evacuate it on October 31, 1916. The fort can be visited inside today.
- 13 Forêt Domaniale du Mort-Homme (dead man, Double Hill Dead Man).A creepy place to remember an area where very bloodied battles took place during World War I. There is now a memorial on the summit. Furthermore, the rest of the German Gallwitz war tunnel is located on the northern slope.
- 14 Monument of the hill of Vauquois (Monument aux combattants et aux morts de Vauquois).Vauquois became known for its 290 meter high mountain of the same name, which was bitterly fought over by a mine war during the First World War. Mount Vauquois was a strategic location: it allows a view of Verdun and Sainte-Menehould. From here the artillery fire could be directed against enemy positions. It was therefore contested.
- 15 Trenches Tranchée de la Soif. Very well preserved WW1 trenches near the village of Saint Mihiel that you can walk through. The location is completely away from the tourist crowds from Verdun, but still has a small parking lot (max. 6 vehicles). A visit should not be missed when in Verdun.
activities
- Guided tour of the battlefield by bus. Visit to the various battlefields (Douaumont Ossuary, Douaumont Fort, Bayonet Trenches and Fleury in front of Douaumont) with a guide from the Tourist Office.Price: 30 €.
- Maastal Tour cycle path. A developed bike path follows the Maas and therefore offers a nice bike ride like a walk to Vacherauville and its church. Access to the bike path next to Japiot Park.
- 1 Of the flame à la lumière Festival (From the flames to the light festival).Every summer there is a great sound and light show on the theme of the First World War.
- 2 Festival Musiques et Terrasses (Music and terrace festival). Free concerts on Saturdays in summer at London Quay.
- 3 Le grand festival (The big festival). 3 days of free shows (music, theater, dance, contemporary art) towards the end of July.
shop
- 1 La dragée de Verdun. Verdun is the birthplace of the dragee, which was founded in 1220 by a pharmacist from Verdun. The Dragée Braquier factory is still in town. A shop in the city center where the Braquier dragees are sold.
- 2 Magasin d'usine des Dragées Braquier. Factory shop from the Dragée Braquier house. Free visit to the factory.
kitchen
Most of the restaurants are on London Quayside.
- 1 Croc. Fast food with plenty of seating and table service. is right next to the Chaussée gate. Panini, salads, Americans are offered as well as some Polish specialties.
- 2 Le club. Bar-brasserie with creative dishes and at a quite reasonable price. Very good desserts. Service maybe a little slow.
- 3 L'Inconnu. Inexpensive sandwiches, salads, tapas and fries with table service and a large terrace.
nightlife
- 1 Le Windsor. English pub.
- 2 The Sherlock Pub. English pub a little further on the outskirts (near the citadel of Verdun).
accommodation
In general, large chain budget hotels are located on Avenue de Metz, a 10-minute drive from the center. The more upscale hotels, on the other hand, are located in the historic center of the city and especially near the Porte Saint-Paul.
- 1 Les Jardins du Mess. City center hotel on the banks of the Meuse in the former officers' mess in Verdun.
- 3 Hotel De Montaulbain à Verdun
health
Verdun has several hospitals
Practical advice
- 1 Tourist information (Maison du Tourisme de Verdun), Place de la Nation - BP 60232 - 55106 Verdun Cedex. Tel.: 33 (0)329 84 14 18.
trips
- Bar-le-Duc, small departmental capital on the river Ornain, with the upper town well worth seeing, can be reached via the Voie Sacrée.
- Metz - worth seeing city on the Moselle
- 16 Lorraine Natural Park
- Luxembourg
literature
- Verdun: Military-historical travel and tour planner. Horst Rohde (Author)
Web links
- https://www.verdun.fr - Verdun official website
- Film about the battles of Verdun
