Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The fortifications ringing the strategic town of Verdun and defending the new border
were built after the Franco-Prussian War as if the French knew they'd be seeing German
soldiers again before too long. Historically, this is as far as Germany ever got.
Millions of live bombs are still scattered in vast cordoned-off areas. It's not unusual
for French farmers or hikers to be injured by until-now-unexploded mines.
Today,soft,forestedlandshidethememoriesofWorldWarI'slongestbattle.It'sdif-
ficult to imagine today's lush terrain as it was just a few generations ago...a gray, treeless,
crater-filled landscape, smothered in mud and littered with shattered weaponry and body
parts as far as the eye could see. But as you visit, it's good to try.
Self-Guided Driving Tour
Take D-603 from Verdun (direction: Longwy), and then take a left on D-112. As all but a
couple of the sights described here are along the same road, and Fort de Douaumont is the
most distant stop, simply follow signs for
Douaumont
. With the simple map in this topic,
you should have no problem. Along the way (within easy view of the road), you'll see:
Communication Trenches near the Massif Fortiié de Souville
Atthisparkingandpicnicarea,findacurvingtrenchandcraters,similartothosethatmark
so much of the land here. A few communication trenches like this remain—they protected
reinforcements and supplies being shuttled to the front, and sheltered the wounded being
brought back. But the actual trenches defining the front in this area were destroyed dur-
ing the battles or have since been filled in. The nearby Souville Fort (Massif Fortifié de
Souville) is not safe to visit.
Monument to Maginot
André Maginot served as France's minister of war in the 1920s and '30s, when the line of
fortificationsthatlatercametobearhisnamewasbuilt.TheMaginotLine,whichstretches
from Belgium to Switzerland, was a series of underground forts and tunnels built after
World War I in anticipation of World War II and another German attack. The Germans
solved the problem presented by this formidable line of French defense by simply going
around it through Belgium. The monument is here because André Maginot's family was
from this region, and he was wounded near Verdun.
Monument to the Dying Lion
At the intersection with D-913, where you can turn left to the Ossuary, a statue of a dying
lionmarkstheplacewhere,aftergivingittheirallinanoffensivefromJunethroughOcto-
