Visit France > Lorraine > Verdun

A fortress defended by the ancient Gauls, a Gallo-Roman town and a powerful bishopric in turn, Verdun by the end of the 19 th century had become the most heavily fortified town in France, with its Citadel and 38 forts and defensive works (including Vaux, Douaumont and Souville).

in 1916, it became the site of one of history's most devastating battles. Under a deluge of shells and mortar bombs, the city had been given orders to hold out at all costs.

It did so, but at an appalling price: the town was destroyed, nine nearby villages were razed from the map, 500 000 soldiers died. Four years later, on 10 November 1920 in the heart of Citadelle, France chose its Unknow Soldier, to be buried under the Arc of Triomphe in Paris.

On the banks of Meuse, Verdun today is a delightful town again, with summer concerts, numerous cultural events, and fairs and markets changing with the seasons.

Not to be missed

Architectural Heritage

The Episcopal Palace (15th C), next to Notre-Dame Cathedral (10th to 18th C) with its fascinating Romanesque and Gothic-style cloisters, the Chaussée Tower (14th C), Châtel Gate, the Vauban Citadel (19th C), the Maréchaux crossroads, the Monument à la Victoire...

Museums and sites

The Underground Citadel, a veritable underground city with over four miles of galleries dug out of the rock; the life of the soldiers during WWI has been reconstituted here in 15 realistic scenes (including virtual images, visits in small, fully automated trucks), the World Peace Centre (temporary and permanent exhibitions), the Princerie Museum (archaeology, sculpture, faience...), and the battlefield (Le Champ de Bataille - Vaux Fort, the Douaumont Ossuary where the remains of 130,000 unidentified French and German soldiers still lie), the Verdun Memorial, Douaumont Fort, the Tranchée des Baïonnettes... In brief: Les copains d'abord is a converted barge moored in the river port, the ideal spot for a drink or a relaxed evening in a highly original atmosphere.

Parks and gardens

The gardens of the Bishop's Palace (now the World Peace Centre)