The best walks and hikes around Cheppy

In his address on Remembrance Day in 2015, then-President Joachim Gauck expressed some thoughts that I would like to offer visitors to this war cemetery/military cemetery for reflection: "This... is our shared hope: that the memory of the suffering of war will not breed revenge, but will lead more and more people and nations to seek a way out in peaceful coexistence. Just as European integration succeeded in becoming the great peace project of our continent. (...) That military cemeteries, as Albert Schweitzer once said, may finally become the great preachers of peace. Then, as we have experienced, reconciliation over the graves will be possible. Then peace can be lasting. We all share this responsibility."

This hill in the Argonne was the scene of fierce mine warfare between French and German forces during WWI. From 1915 to 1918, both sides dug extensive tunnel networks under the hill, causing hundreds of explosions and thousands of deaths. Today, impressive craters, trenches and underground passages can be seen – a poignant reminder of life and fighting underground.

This serene cemetery contains 1,111 individual graves of German soldiers who died in the Argonne Forest during the First World War. Created in November 1915, it is the only German cemetery in the region that has been largely preserved in its original state. Of particular note is the gravestone of Commander Baron von Müllenheim-Rechberg, who died in 1916, and the monument to the 27th Landwehr Regiment. Since 2023, the site has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage as part of the World War I Memorial Sites.

https://verdun1916.eu/?p=7570 The hill of Vauquois (Butte de Vauquois), about 25 kilometers northwest of Verdun, is 295 meters high and was, due to its location, an excellent vantage point for those who wanted to defend the northern Argonne, together with the hill of Les Eparges, which is about the same distance southeast of Verdun. The Germans had already captured the village of Vauquois and the hill without a fight in September 1914. The village and the hill were immediately fortified. Caves and underground passages were cut and dug in the limestone soil. The total length of the passages was no less than 15 km. With loopholes one could cover a large area, and one could count on artillery support from Cheppy and Montfaucon. It was an excellently built defense line. The French were keen to recapture this hill, partly because Verdun was threatened by it. First Battles for Vauquois The French attacked on 28 October 1914 without artillery support, and ran straight into a barrage of bullets and shells. Within an hour the attackers were out of action. The next day there was another attack, but this time with artillery support. It was another failure on this well-defended position. Until the end of February, attacks were made repeatedly on the village and the hill, with or without artillery support. The losses were enormous, especially on the French side.

https://verdun1916.eu/?p=5031 The Kaisertunnel is part of a series of three tunnels. In the north the Ortlieb tunnel, in the middle the Kaisertunnel and in the south, closest to the front line, the Verbindungs- or Bataillonstunnel. The Kaisertunnel was the first to be built by the Prussian infantry in late 1915, early 1916, with the intention of connecting the Meurisson valley with the front. The tunnel is 350 m long, but with all the adjacent rooms and side tunnels the length becomes 455 m. A characteristic of the Kaisertunnel, but also of other German tunnels, is the S-bend that is made halfway. This is not only to prevent an enemy who has penetrated from shooting through the entire tunnel, but especially to break the shock wave of a possible explosion. French tunnels are generally straight. The work on the Kaisertunnel started as purely manual work, but after an electrical system was installed in the southern part of the tunnel, drilling machines were also used. Water supply in the tunnel was possible from a nearby source in the Meurissonsdal. In the southern end of the tunnel, in a corridor that descends to the west, the former passage to the Verbindungs or Bataillonstunnel can still be seen. The connection has collapsed over a length of several dozen meters. In the northern part of the Kaisertunnel, a hospital with an operating room was created. Injured people could go to bed here very extremes. The remains of the many facilities (first aid station with operating room, the telephone exchange, electricity station, etc.) are still visible today.

Open-air museum depicting life in the trenches

The exterior is completely fenced, the entrance is no longer even visible, although apparently a historical monument. A shame to leave this site abandoned...

The Forester Cemetery is dedicated to soldiers who died during the First World War. Located in the heart of the Argonne forest, this cemetery is home to 2,000 tombs, including ten of Garibaldians. The particularity of this place is that each grave is decorated with a hydrangea bush, creating a colorful contrast with the greenery of the forest. You can also explore the nearby sites of Haute Chevauchée, such as the Ossuary Monument, the Génie Ravine and the Kaiser Tunnel, where you can learn more about the battles that took place in the region. A hike in the surrounding area is sure to immerse you in the history and beauty of Argonne.