Outside view of Fort Vaux in Verdun, France.

© Jeffrey Glas/Getty Images/iStock

Fort de Vaux

Lorraine


Located in crater-scarred countryside 10km northeast of Verdun, this fort was constructed between 1881 and 1884. It was the second fort – Douaumont was the first – to fall in the Battle of Verdun, and became the site of the bloodiest battle for two months. Weak with thirst, Major Raynal and his troops surrendered to the enemy on 7 June 1916. You can gain an insight into past horrors by taking a tour of its dank interior and observation points.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lorraine attractions

1. Mémorial de Verdun

1.72 MILES

The village of Fleury, wiped off the face of the earth in the course of being captured and recaptured 16 times, is now the site of this memorial. It tells…

2. Tranchée des Baïonnettes

1.82 MILES

On 12 June 1916, two companies of the 137th Infantry Regiment of the French army were sheltered in their tranchées (trenches), baïonnettes (bayonets)…

3. Ossuaire de Douaumont

2.11 MILES

Rising like a gigantic artillery shell above 15,000 crosses that bleed into the distance, this sombre, 137m-long ossuary, inaugurated in 1932, is one of…

4. Fort de Douaumont

2.57 MILES

Sitting high on a hill, this is the strongest of the 38 fortresses and bastions built along a 45km front to protect Verdun. When the Battle of Verdun…

5. Porte St-Paul

4.63 MILES

Built in 1877, this city gate is adorned with a marble plaque recalling the ‘victorious peace’ that inspired a ‘cry of joy’.

6. Porte Chaussée

4.64 MILES

Once part of Verdun's original city ramparts, this 14th-century gate was later used as a prison from 1755 to 1860.

7. Monument à la Victoire

4.76 MILES

Steep steps lead up to this austere 1920s monument commemorating war victims and survivors. The crypt hides a book listing the soldiers who fought in the…

8. Cathédrale Notre Dame

4.89 MILES

Perched on a hillside, this Romanesque-meets-Gothic cathedral shelters a gilded Baroque baldachin, restored after WWI damage. Much of the stained glass is…