Attractions and Places To See around Vacherauville - Top 20

The Ossuary of Douaumont is an impressive memorial that holds the remains of more than 130,000 unknown French and German soldiers who died during the Battle of Verdun (1916). The bones are visible through small windows in the base – a confronting reminder of the horrors of war. In front of the ossuary is the Nécropole nationale de Douaumont, the largest French military cemetery of the First World War, with 16,142 graves, including a Muslim and Jewish plot. The complex was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.

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.

Inaugurated in 1928, this war memorial in Verdun honours the city’s inhabitants who died for France in both world wars. It was built on the remains of a military butcher’s shop, on the crescent of the Chaussée, a 17th-century fortification. The sculpture depicts five soldiers – a cavalier, an engineer, an infantryman (poilu), an artilleryman and a territorial – forming a symbolic wall under the motto of Verdun: “On ne passe pas”.

A huge monument honoring the fallen soldiers in and around Verdun. From the top, there's a magnificent view of the city.

Fort Douaumont is a remnant of the First World War. One of the most powerful constructions and a symbol of the Battle of Verdun. More than a return to the past, a visit to this place immerses us in the heart of a legendary confrontation and tells us about the lives of those who lost their lives there. Fort Douaumont was built between 1884 and 1886 and was an extremely strategic location during the Battle of Verdun. It is also to this battle that the Fort owes its fame. The fort has been a listed historical monument since 1970 and, at an altitude of 400 metres, it offers a view of the valley south-west of Douaumont. As a building barely finished, it was almost immediately outdated because of its masonry construction. Indeed, at that time, new shells were able to destroy masonry structures. That is why Fort Douaumont was covered with a thick layer of concrete in the most sensitive and exposed places. The effectiveness and resistance of the weapons make this fort one of the most powerful buildings in the entrenched camp of Verdun. From the beginning of the First World War, the village of Douaumont and its surroundings were put in a state of defense: trenches were dug, barricades were built, barricades were hung. At first, the village managed to defend itself. But, from 1915, the village could no longer hold out. The stabilization of the front line then changed the type of battle. On February 21, 1916, the Germans attacked Verdun. Fort Douaumont was a privileged target: in two days, it was hit by 800 shells. In a few days, the front line came dangerously close to the fort. Four days after the start of the battle, it was already in the hands of the German army. For eight months, the French army fought to retake the fort, using many shells. It was not until October 1916, after 6 days of preparation and the deployment of exceptionally dense artillery, that yet another attack succeeded in recapturing the fort. In the Fort Douaumont Museum, many films, photos, archive material and testimonies tell the story of the fort and the heroic soldiers who fought there. A moving discovery that is a good addition to a visit to the fort. Source: https://www.landofmemory.eu/nl/sites-historiques/fort-douaumont/

This monument was built in 1929 in the city centre. The 73 steps lead to a crypt where the names of the soldiers were recorded in the Verdun Medal. Above the 30-metre high tower is a tower that leads east and back east. This monument is a permanent feature of the city. Beneath the warrior's feet is a crypt that is accessible to the public. From there, a soldier can search or go to the Mediterranean (from April to November). On 1 November, a ceremony was held at the Victory Monument to welcome the Holy Land under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This ceremony is a reflection of the sacrifices of the warlords and the desire of the incredible soldier. The anonymous soldier was killed on 10 November 1920 in the underground citadel of Verdun. Source: Tourism Verdun

The War Memorial in Honour of the Citizens of Verdun, erected in 1928, is built in the La Chaussée demi-lune, part of the fortifications built in the 17th century by Marshal Vauban. The monument stands on the site of the former military slaughterhouse that was destroyed in 1916. The statues represent the five weapons of the French army that were involved in the battle of 1916. From left to right we can see: a cavalryman, a sapper-engineer, an infantryman, also known as a "poilu", an artilleryman and a reservist. These five soldiers form a human wall that symbolises the motto of the city: "They shall not pass". The names of the soldiers of Verdun who died in the First and Second World Wars are inscribed on the base of the monument. See also: A statue of General Sarrail opposite the monument and a bust of General Mangin on the wall of the city wall on the right. NOTE: Verdun's patriotic calendar is full and the commemorative ceremonies of 1 and 11 November take place in front of this monument. Be sure to visit in the evening, when the War Memorial Verdun is illuminated in the French national tricolour. Source: Tourism Verdun

The War Memorial in Honour of the Citizens of Verdun, erected in 1928, is built in the La Chaussée demi-lune, part of the fortifications built in the 17th century by Marshal Vauban. The monument stands on the site of the former military slaughterhouse that was destroyed in 1916. The statues represent the five weapons of the French army that were involved in the battle of 1916. From left to right we can see: a cavalryman, a sapper-engineer, an infantryman, also known as a "poilu", an artilleryman and a reservist. These five soldiers form a human wall that symbolises the motto of the city: "They shall not pass". The names of the soldiers of Verdun who died in the First and Second World Wars are inscribed on the base of the monument. See also: A statue of General Sarrail opposite the monument and a bust of General Mangin on the wall of the city wall on the right. NOTE: Verdun's patriotic calendar is full and the commemorative ceremonies of 1 and 11 November take place in front of this monument. Be sure to visit in the evening, when the War Memorial Verdun is illuminated in the French national tricolour. Source: Tourism Verdun