Verdun

Today I arrived in Verdun. Since planning my trip through France I have been wanting to visit Verdun especially because of it's role in WWI history. I'm not a WWI or WWII history buff by any stretch of the imagination, but I have always been very interested in it, and love visiting anything that has to do with it.

The first place I visited in Verdun was the Verdun Cathedral. It seems like there's a fantastic cathedral to visit in almost every town in Europe, and I don't like to miss them. The Verdun Cathedral site dates back to 330 but of course went through many changes throughout time. During WWI, between 1916 and 1917 the cathedral was severely damaged. It was restored to it's current condition between 1920 and 1936. During the restoration a number of Romanesque features were discovered along with a crypt. The facade of the cathedral is embellished by an elegant portico with a composite Romanesque and Gothic style. The apses are polygonal and quite charming. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful cathedral and glad I didn't skip it.

Next I headed over to the La Citadelle, which was built in the 17th century. It was used during WWI to house population but they were soon evacuated and from then on it was only occupied by troops. To this day it is still under military control, but there are several tunnels that can be visited by the public. The circuit of tunnels reconstructs environments and modes of everyday life during the war, with animated scenes and virtual images. Even though the "car" that takes you around the tunnel is kind of hokey the overall experience was fascinating, and haunting.

My next stop is to the Verdun Battlefield. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed even trying to write about it now. There is so much to take in. The surrounding area was never rebult and still bares the scares of devestation today. The land is pock marked from the bombing. Small buildings/forts and trenches are still visible. There are markers and monuments to showing where villages used to be.

Here's a pictures of a trench.


This photo of Verdun is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Pock-marked land...

This photo of Verdun is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Next it was on to Fort Douaumont and the nearby Douaumont Ossuary. The fort was even more haunting than the first one I visited. It has a dark and bloody history. It's truly chilling.


This photo of Verdun is courtesy of TripAdvisor

There is so much more to see here in Verdun, but it was still a long day of sightseeing so I had to go grab something to eat. I stopped at a little restaurant had a Tourte a la Lorraine (pork pie, veal and eggs). And for dessert some yummy macaroons.

Well, now that I'm full both physically and mentally, I'm headed for a good night sleep in an quaint, no frills, but nice and clean hotel, the Hotel Montaulbain.

This photo of Hotel Montaulbain is courtesy of TripAdvisor