Verdun, town of peace
Verdun today is a town of peace. Its Victory Monument, its Children of Verdun memorial and the long staircase up to Notre-Dame Cathedral recall the weight of a world history. People stroll along the quays, pass under the Porte Chaussée and take time to choose Verdun sugared almonds together, invented here in the thirteenth century. A walk that makes you want to speak of the future.
Battlefields and memory
North-east of the town, the Verdun battlefields form a preserved lunar landscape. The Douaumont Ossuary, a vast white ship above the cemetery, Fort de Vaux and Fort de Douaumont bear witness to a terrible battle. The modern Verdun Memorial museum sets out what was at stake. Visiting these places together is deeply moving, but also brings people closer in a way few places manage.
Citadel, Meuse and villages
Beneath Verdun, the Underground Citadel can be toured on an automated gondola that recreates the life of poilus in 1917. Around the town, the Meuse riverbanks, Lake Madine and the villages of the Montmédy country offer gentler escapes. On Lyad, Meuse members share their favourite outings; it is up to you to find someone to walk along the river or picnic facing the citadel.
Date ideas
- Verdun
- Douaumont Ossuary
- Verdun Memorial
- Fort de Vaux
- Underground Citadel
- Verdun sugared almonds
- Victory Monument
- Banks of the Meuse