Private tour of the battlefields of Verdun from Paris in Van (2/7 travelers)

Overview

• Travel with your own group (7 participants maximum) and embark with your driver and guide "Régis" aboard a comfortable and air-conditioned Minivan. • In the hills and villages around Verdun, the scars of the battles of 1916 and 1917 (shell holes, destroyed villages, trenches and concrete casemates) are still visible and will plunge you into the hell of the fighting. • Discover this impressive 19th century fortified work "Le fort de Douamont" still housing its 155mm retractable cannon under an armored dome, then walk through the underground galleries of the fort • Pay homage to the 140,000 French soldiers who fell on the hills around Verdun in 1916 by visiting the National Military Necropolis and the Douamont ossuary. • Bathed in light, the terrace of the Museum of the Battle of Verdun opens onto the environment of the Memorial allowing visitors to discover the panorama of the battlefield.

What's included

• ✓Private transportation
• ✓Travel aboard a comfortable, air-conditioned Minivan (Maximum 6 travelers)
• ✓Admission tickets to Fort de Douamont
• ✓Driver / guide (in French for this tour)
• ✓Support for customers at their place of residence in Paris and the Paris region
• ✓Admission tickets to the Verdun Memorial Museum Battlefield

• ✕Lunch

What you'll do

1. 1

   This stone monument is the work of the sculptor Barrois and the architect Schmitt. It pays tribute to all those who worked for the functioning of the Sacred Way between Bar-le-Duc and Verdun, a strategic axis, essential for the supply of troops with food and ammunition as well as for the evacuation of the wounded. Today helmeted markers mark out every kilometer of this road, baptized at the end of the war by Maurice Barrès, "Sacred Way" The monument consists of two parts: a wall in the shape of an arc of circle on which is represented a frieze representing in bas-relief the soldiers of the Sacred Way, associating the rail and the road. The frieze represents soldiers and transportations of the Sacred Way. We recognize: the noria of trucks (including Berliet CBA), the railway (with the Corpet-Louvet locomotive), horse-drawn convoys, transport of soldiers and ammunition, traffic regulators, the return of soldiers from the front, track maintenance.

   ⏱ 15 min
2. 2

   The Douamont ossuary is a memorial containing the remains of French and German soldiers who died on the battlefield of Verdun. Through small exterior windows, you can see the skeletal remains of at least 130,000 unidentified fighters from two nations filling alcoves at the bottom edge of the building. Inside the ossuary, the ceiling and walls are partially covered with plaques bearing the names of French soldiers who died during the Battle of Verdun. It was built on the initiative of Charles Ginisty, bishop of Verdun. It has been designated "national necropolis", or "national cemetery". In front of the ossuary, the national necropolis of Douaumont brings together 16,142 graves of French soldiers, mainly Catholics, including a square of 592 stelae of Muslim soldiers. The military cemetery also contains two memorials respectively dedicated to soldiers of the Jewish and Muslim faiths.

   ⏱ 1 hour
3. 3

   The Fort de Douaumont was the largest and tallest fort on a crown of 19 large defensive works that had been built to protect the city of Verdun since the 1890s. In 1915, the French general staff concluded that even the best protected forts in Verdun could not withstand the bombardment of German gamma-ray guns of 420 mm. The fort, occupied by sixty French soldiers, was taken without a fight by the Germans on February 25, 1916, four days after the start of the Battle of Verdun. It will be occupied for 8 months by the German army, which will make it a shelter for its troops and an essential support point on the right bank of the Meuse to continue its offensive. The fort was not taken over until October 24, 1916 by French colonial troops. French General Pétain said it cost the lives of 100,000 French soldiers to retake Fort Douamont!

Availability & pricing

Pick your exact date & check live availability on the booking page.

Good to know

• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.