Set on the banks of the Meuse River, Verdun is a small but historically rich city in northeastern France. It is synonymous with the Battle of Verdun, which was one of the longest battles of World War I and, due to its huge number of casualties, came to symbolise the destructiveness of war.
Things to do in Verdun
Spend a day touring the battlefields of Verdun to learn more about the events that took place during World War I. Follow the Circuit Champs de Bataille River Droite, which follows the right bank of the River Meuse and takes in the polygonal Fort Vaux. Don’t miss the Ossuaire de Douaumont, a memorial containing the remains of both French and German soldiers.
Another self-guided tour, the Circuit Champs de Bataille River Gauche, features the largest American cemetery in Europe, the Cimetiere Americain at Romagne. It also passes by the Butte de Montfaucon, a hilly mound that is topped by a 58-metre-high Doric column commemorating the 1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
At the Memorial de Verdun, you can get up close to military equipment, vehicles and uniforms from the 1916 Battle of Verdun. Constructed in the 1960s and funded by the French author Maurice Genevoix, it commemorates the troops who fought here. Other memorials to keep an eye out for include “La Defense” by Auguste Rodin and “To Victory and the Dead” by Alfred Boucher.
Getting around Verdun
Verdun is a one-hour drive from Metz and 1.5 hours from Luxembourg Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. Regular trains connect to the Verdun railway station and buses travel throughout the city. The centre of Verdun is compact enough to explore on foot while renting a car is the most convenient way of accessing the surrounding battlefields.