The best walks and hikes around Maucourt-Sur-Orne

A very beautiful and interesting monument.

Since 2006, a monument has stood on the hill of Douaumont in memory of the 30,000 Muslim soldiers who died for France during the First World War. Inaugurated by President Jacques Chirac, it consists of a semicircular gallery with Arab architectural elements. In the middle is a column with the inscription: “À la mémoire des soldats musulmans morts pour la France”. The monument recognizes the diversity of the French army and honors the contribution of soldiers from North Africa and other parts of the then French empire.

This monument depicts a recumbent French soldier and is dedicated to André Thomé, a member of parliament who volunteered for the front and was killed at Verdun on 10 March 1916. Although exempted from service as a politician, he chose to fight. The sculpture, by Alexandre Descatoire, is entitled Le Soldat du Droit – the soldier of the right – and symbolises the sacrifice of just men for a higher ideal.

The Abri-Caverne de Douaumont was an underground shelter for French troops during the Battle of Verdun. Carved into the limestone bedrock, this shelter offered protection from artillery fire and served as a rest and assembly point close to the front line. Strategically located near Fort de Douaumont, it played a crucial role in supplying and sheltering soldiers during the fiercest fighting of 1916.

The Mémorial de Verdun, located near the ruined village of Fleury-devant-Douaumont, is a leading museum and commemoration site for the Battle of Verdun (1916). The museum displays more than 2,000 objects and uses authentic objects, photographs and audiovisual installations to show how French and German soldiers experienced this battle – in the exact same place where they fought.

The Lion of Souville Symbol of resistance at the gates of Verdun; This impressive monument, unveiled on 1 October 1922, stands on the site of the former Sainte-Fine chapel and commemorates the fallen of the 130th French Infantry Division. Designed by animal sculptor and veteran René Paris, the statue depicts a dying Bavarian lion – a powerful allegory for the defeat of the German troops and the heroic French defence during the Battle of Verdun. On 23 June 1916, the German attacks reached their peak at Fort de Souville, the last obstacle to the fall of Verdun. Thanks to the courage of a small French garrison led by Lieutenant Dupuy, the fort remained in French hands. The lion marks the extreme point of the German advance – the “last gate” to Verdun remained closed.

Casemate Pamart – Fort de Souville This concrete machine gun bunker was built in 1917 to reinforce the defences of Fort de Souville. Designed by Commandant Pamart, the Casemate offered an easy-to-install alternative to traditional gun turrets. Equipped with two Hotchkiss machine guns, it has a field of fire of 160°, with 14 cm of armour. Its compact size and robustness made it particularly suitable for use in the heavily damaged terrain around Verdun.

The French 155mm artillery piece displayed in front of the entrance to the Verdun Memorial museum is the eye-catcher of the welcome.