The best walks and hikes around Vienne-Le-Château

This ossuary, which has the status of a national necropolis, houses the remains of approximately 10,000 soldiers who fell during the Battle of Argonne. The imposing monument found there was created by the sculptor Raoul Eugène Lamourdedieu.

The Saint-Roch chapel appeared in the 17th century, well before the La Harazée national necropolis next to which it is located. The latter contains the remains of 1,672 soldiers who fell during the Battle of Argonne.

In his address on Remembrance Day in 2015, then-President Joachim Gauck expressed some thoughts that I would like to offer visitors to this war cemetery/military cemetery for reflection: "This... is our shared hope: that the memory of the suffering of war will not breed revenge, but will lead more and more people and nations to seek a way out in peaceful coexistence. Just as European integration succeeded in becoming the great peace project of our continent. (...) That military cemeteries, as Albert Schweitzer once said, may finally become the great preachers of peace. Then, as we have experienced, reconciliation over the graves will be possible. Then peace can be lasting. We all share this responsibility."

The Guyard Shelters, 1914-1918

This serene cemetery contains 1,111 individual graves of German soldiers who died in the Argonne Forest during the First World War. Created in November 1915, it is the only German cemetery in the region that has been largely preserved in its original state. Of particular note is the gravestone of Commander Baron von Müllenheim-Rechberg, who died in 1916, and the monument to the 27th Landwehr Regiment. Since 2023, the site has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage as part of the World War I Memorial Sites.

The Lost Battalion Memorial is located in the Charlevaux Ravine near Binarville, on the D66, and commemorates the heroic struggle of some 554 American soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division who were surrounded by German troops during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in October 1918. Led by Major Charles Whittlesey, these men held out for six days, cut off from supplies and communications, with only carrier pigeons as a means of contact. The most famous of these, Cher Ami, saved the battalion by delivering a crucial message despite being wounded, which stopped friendly fire.

Open-air museum depicting life in the trenches

The Forester Cemetery is dedicated to soldiers who died during the First World War. Located in the heart of the Argonne forest, this cemetery is home to 2,000 tombs, including ten of Garibaldians. The particularity of this place is that each grave is decorated with a hydrangea bush, creating a colorful contrast with the greenery of the forest. You can also explore the nearby sites of Haute Chevauchée, such as the Ossuary Monument, the Génie Ravine and the Kaiser Tunnel, where you can learn more about the battles that took place in the region. A hike in the surrounding area is sure to immerse you in the history and beauty of Argonne.