Douaumont — Breath of Lost Names

Your journey begins at the forecourt of the Douaumont Ossuary in Verdun, a solemn edifice built between 1920 and 1932. It houses the remains of 130,000 unidentified French and German soldiers from the 1916 Battle of Verdun, symbolizing Franco-German reconciliation. The 46-meter-high lantern tower, visible for several kilometers, dominates the Grand-Est landscape. As you approach, you perceive the reverence emanating from the 46 underground ossuaries, unique in Europe for their binational character, where combatants from both nations rest. The inauguration on August 7, 1932, in the presence of Marshal Pétain and President Albert Lebrun, still resonates in these places.

Right next door, the Douaumont National Necropolis, created in 1919, spans 13 hectares. This French military cemetery contains 16,142 identified French soldiers' graves, arranged in regular rows that evoke order and equality in sacrifice. Each white stone cross is identical, with the exception of Muslim and Jewish soldiers, whose graves bear crescent and Star of David, illustrating French republican secularism. This national pilgrimage site, managed by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, underwent major restoration between 2010 and 2016, inviting reflection on the "City of Peace," Verdun's motto.

Your route then leads you to the Monument de la Galette, erected in 1920 on the Douaumont plateau. This commemorative monument, dedicated to French soldiers who fell during the Battle of Verdun, occupies a high point of the battlefield. The sculpture of a French soldier in arms, a symbol of military sacrifice, stands proudly. Here, you get a panoramic view of the German and French positions of 1916. This site is the official place of remembrance for military ceremonies on February 21, commemorating the German attack, and October 24, celebrating the French counter-offensive.

Continue towards the Carrefour des Dames, a major tactical stake during the 1916 Battle of Verdun, a junction point of three main roads on the plateau. Although the precise origin of its name is debated, this place was the scene of multiple German assaults and French counter-attacks. Today, an ordinary crossroads, marked by tourist signs and preserved trench remains in surface archaeology, it connects you to the Voie Sacrée. This mythical 65-kilometer road, linking Bar-le-Duc to Verdun, saw more than 3,800 trucks circulate daily between February and December 1916, transporting 50,000 tons of ammunition and provisions, a symbol of French resistance.

The path finally leads you to Fort de Vaux, a military fortress 200 meters long and 100 meters wide, built between 1881 and 1892. It was here that Commander Sylvain-Eugène Raynal defended the work with 600 men against 10,000 German attackers for 142 days. The surrender on June 7, 1916, after running out of food and ammunition, testifies to the heroism. Today, this open-air museum, with its accessible galleries, preserves traces of the fighting (shell impacts, soldiers' graffiti from 1916). Your exploration concludes at the Verdun War Memorial, Place du Marché, erected in 1920, dedicated to the 163,000 French and German soldiers who died in the battle, a 12-meter sculpture representing France weeping for its children, restored in 2006.