The best gravel rides around Bantheville

At this location, deep in the Argonne Forest, a unit of the American 77th Division was surrounded by German troops on October 2, 1918. For five days, the so-called Lost Battalion held out under difficult conditions, cut off from supplies and communications. Only a third of the soldiers survived.

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.

Just outside Binarville, at the crossroads of the D21 and D66, the Monument "Aux Morts du 9e Régiment de Cuirassiers" commemorates the courage of the French cavalrymen who fell in 1918 during the fierce fighting in the Argonne. Once proudly mounted on horseback, these cuirassiers fought on foot in the dense forests surrounding the village, leaving a lasting legacy of bravery and sacrifice. This silent, powerful memorial is an unexpected stopover full of history in the heart of the countryside. 🪖🌲

Super quiet campsite with everything you need, but no extras. Shouldn't be for that price.

Cunel is a commune in the Meuse department of France, in the Grand Est region. It has about 50 inhabitants and an area of 9.64 km². It is located on the River Aire and is part of the canton of Clermont-en-Argonne. Cunel has a tragic history, linked to the First World War. The village was completely destroyed during the Battle of Verdun in 1916, when it was one of the targets of the German attack. The village was later rebuilt at a different location, approximately 500 meters from the original site. One of the monuments that recall this period is the Monument aux Morts, a memorial to the fallen soldiers, designed by the sculptor Paul Moreau-Vauthier.

Romagne-sous-Montfaucon was heavily fought over in the First World War. The small museum is definitely worth it. Owner and driving force is the Dutchman Jean-Paul de Vries

This small German cemetery is in stark contrast to the American one a little further on. The German Military Cemetery in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, also known as Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Romagne-sous-Montfaucon and Romagne-sous-Montfaucon Cimetière Militaire Allemand, was established in 1914 at the start of the First World War, but saw its heaviest use during the Battle of Verdun in 1916. The cemetery is located 220 meters north of the village center along the road to Bantheville. It contains 1,407 German and eight French soldiers who fell during the First World War in northwestern France.

The Château de Marcq, also known as Château Mercier, is located in the municipality of Marcq, in the Ardennes department of France. The castle was built by the master blacksmith Nicolas Deruë. The gate of the castle bears the date 1760, which probably corresponds to the year in which the building was built1. The oldest plan is a facade view of the courtyard, made at the end of the 18th century for the addition of two side pavilions