Contact

Office de tourisme
Pavillon Japiot
1 bis Avenue du général Mangin
55100 VERDUN
Telephone : 03 29 84 55 55
Fax : 03 29 84 85 80
http://www.tourisme-verdun.fr

Tarifs: 48 € per person - based on a group of 40 people

Presentation :

Verdun was the “Heart of France” in 1916 and a vision of “Hell” for the soldiers. Now, it is a centre for battlefield and historic tourism. In the town centre and on the battlefield itself, there are countless monuments and locations serving as reminders of the Great War. Turn one of the major pages in the History of France!

Tour suggestion:
Arrival in Verdun at 9.30 a.m. N.B.: The guide will take charge of the group as soon as it arrives in Verdun. Meet at the Tourist Office (Japiot Pavilion). 9.30 a.m.: Coach tour of the town
Verdun’s history did not begin in 1916. Set on a promontory overlooking the Meuse Valley, Verdun has its roots in days long gone and it has a particularly rich and diverse heritage. Located at the junction of a number of roads and waterways, the bishopric has been at the centre of territorial issues and major events throughout the ages i.e. battles, invasions and political, religious and diplomatic disputes. As a result of these episodes in its history, the town has a large number of heritage buildings e.g. the Chaussée Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Citadel, the Bishop’s Palace, the Victory monument etc. and Verdun has skilfully preserved and enhanced the many traces of its eventful past.
10.30 a.m.: Tour of Verdun’s underground citadel
The citadel has been reconstructed and laid out in a manner that makes it the only display of its kind in Europe. The citadel stands at a strategic location and the display illustrates the life of soldiers during the First World War. Visitors board automated carriages to travel through the 15 galleries showing what everyday life was like for soldiers fighting in the 1916 battle. They see the infirmary, meetings of the High Command, trench warfare and the selection of the Unknown Soldier etc.
12.30 p.m.: Lunch in one of the town’s restaurants (“Local Produce” menu).
2 p.m.: Verdun battlefield tour (Right bank of the river)
On 21st February 1916, the German Army launched its major offensive on Verdun. This date marked the beginning of a nightmare for all the soldiers. “Verdun, the Hellhole” was to last for 10 months – 300 days and nights of incessant, murderous combat. The battle has left deep scars in the collective memory, local identity and landscape. The “Red Zone” at the heart of the fighting still bears traces of the battle. Accompanied by a guide, visitors will be taken on a tour that gives them greater insight into one of the greatest pages in the history of France and takes them to locations that are world-famous.
5 p.m.: Guided tour of the Verdun Memorial
At the centre of the battlefield stands the Verdun Memorial, one of Europe’s leading First World War museums. Set up under the aegis of Maurice Genevoix, it is a place of history and remembrance, bearing witness to the commitment and suffering of the French, German and American soldiers who fought in this key sector of the Western Front from 1914 to 1918.
The tour ends at approx. 6.30 p.m. Total distance: 25 kms. Total duration of tours: 7 hours.

Tariffs

based on a group of 40 people
Free: 2 (driver + courier).

This price includes :

- the services of a guide,
- lunch,
- the above visits and tours.

Comments :

Validity: all year
The tourist products created by the Tourist Office are marketed by the PierrAline Voyages agency, which has been authorised by decision of the Prefect and licensed under No. LI-055-07-0001.