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 PLACES
TO VISIT
- Wartime History
1) Haute
Chevauchée 
Woodland drive & interpretative walks showing evidence
of mine warfare - craters, shell holes, mine galleries - the
Kaiser Tunnel is just off this route so too is the cemetery,
La Forestière. Monuments and trenches can also be seen.
2)
The Kaiser Tunnel
German underground tunnel system
Close to Varenne en Argonne (D38c)
Open first Sunday of every month
Every sunday in the summer
2.00 - 4.00 p.m
Tour was in French when we visited 6.10.02, but possibility
of an English speaking guide soon.
Younger children would find this talk a bit tedious
3)
Driving tour around the region of
Stonne (WW2)
At Stonne there are some excellent views, tanks and a tourist
information office.
4)
The hill of Vauquois (Butte de Vauquois)
The village of Vauquois on the top of the hill was completely
destroyed and has since been rebuilt lower down the hill.
Lunar landscape of undermined shafts & tunnels
South-east of Varenne-en-Argonne.
They are doing a really good job or making this into an interpretative
site without destroying its original authenticity. .
Tours available on Sundays in season.
5)
American Memorial at Montfauçon
234 steps to the top of the monument gives magnificent views
over the Meuse valley
Walks & picnic area
6)
At Varenne-en -Argonne the Pennsylvanian monument
Very imposing
Museum
Café & patisserie
Brocante (second-hand shop only open weekends)
7)
Sommepy American monument (Blanc Mont)
With an observation platform
8)
Romagne-sous-Monfauçon
The most important American cemetery & monument of the
two world wars
A huge collection of graves -all American soldiers who died
in the WW1 in this area were buried here.
9)
Voie Sacrée (the Sacred Way)
WW1 supply routeway from Bar le Duc to Verdum
10)
Fort Douamont - north-east of Verdun
Trench of Bayonets, ossuary, cemetery, museum and destroyed
villages.
There is enough of interest here to spend a whole day exploring.
There is a restaurant at Vâcherville not far away.
11)
L'abri de Kronprinz
An area in beautiful deciduous woodland with several bunkers
in excellent condition - said to be where the Crown prince
of Germany was based. These are certainly bunkers fit for
a prince.
12)
Many bunkers found locally in the woods around
the chalets with our neighbour, Marcel, living in a converted
WW1 blockhouse.
13)
The Main de Massiges at Massiges.
Access to front line from village and useful interpretative
map of location. Also lunchtime restaurant at Pont de Marson
14)
The drive to Reims
Autry - Bouconville - Sechault - Ardeuil - Manure - Aure
D20 Monument (with bunkers behind)
Sommepy turn left follow signs for Reims D977
Navarine Farm monument & ossuarie
Soain - cemetery
Soain - Perthes - Les Hurles (example of one village replacing
3 destroyed in war)
D19
Cemetery of the 28th Brigade
D931Road of Liberty (WW2)
Auberive - cemetery
Fort de la Pompelle tours and museum
15)
WW1 & 2 Museums
Moulin de Waroux, Semuy, Attigny
Open every day May to Sept, 10 - 19.00
Fort de
la Pompelle museum en route to Reims
Varennes
en Argonne (next to Pennsylvanian monument).
Souain
(near Suippes).
Novion
Porcien (north-west of Rethel).
Douamont
16) A trip to the other side of Reims and into
the department of the AISNE will take you into another region
with a great deal of WW1 history:
The Way of the Women (Chemin des dames).
The Cavern of the Dragon. An old underground quarry used by
both the Germans and the Allied forces at different times
during the war as a place of refuge. English guides available.
Fort de Condé (19th century)between Soissons and Vailly
sur Aisne (open April to November).
Numerous cemeteries
Vauclair Abbey in the heart of the forest. A pretty ruin destroyed
in WW1. 80 varieties of apple tress have been planted here
together with an extensive medicinal garden in the midst of
the shell craters
Another pretty ruined Abbey and very pleasant village can
be found at Longpont.
Laon is a pretty fortified town of the Middle Ages sitting
on a hill top (see notes on towns and cities)
The fortress at Guise - a massive keep which towers over the
valley, with a large number of vaulted rooms and secret underground
passages.
Coucy-le-chateau some very impressive 13th century fortifications
with a large number of vast cellars and great views. A ' Sons
et Lumières' on Saturdays in the summer.
17)
Mort Homme &Cote 304
Hill tops held in the Argonne with the loss of huge numbers
of men on both sides.
18)
The grave of Colonel Driant
A brave and inspired leader, admired by French and Germans
alike.
Much evidence of fighting still remains in this area.
19)
The hills of the Argonne
Within a 20 mile radius of the chalets can be found numerous
untouched relics of WW1.
20)
Verdun
Monuments and the Lower Citadel. A series of galleries that
can be toured by train with various languages on offer for
the tour.
21)
A French unexploded shell found in next field to us,
(completely harmless).
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