fbpx
The Citadel of Verdun
Explore more nearby places in France, Grand Est

A never-fading memory of the First World War

We believe that traveling the world has the potential to enrich peoples’ perceptions of the world, broaden their perspective, and teach them valuable lessons from the past.

That is why historical monuments are an indispensable part of our routes throughout Europe. Anyway, history is not always a cheerful place to travel through, and that’s fine. Today, we take you to the Citadel of Verdun – a sophisticated logistic basis in France, where both hope and despair still linger in the atmosphere. 

The Battle of Verdun: long story short

The Citadel of Verdun was an essential spot during the historical battle of Verdun – the longest-lasting and most expensive armed conflict during the First World War. 

The battle began on February 21st and kept on raging until December 18th, 1916. It was fought on the Western Front of France between the German and the French armies. The conflict ended up producing around 800,000 casualties on both sides before the attack was finally called off. 

During these long and monstrous months, a special place was used to shelter and nourish the local soldiers. This was the underground Citadel of Verdun.

The Citadel of Verdun: all you need to know

The Citadel of Verdun was constructed at the beginning of the 17th century and consisted of solely above-ground elements, including barracks, fortifications, and various military constructions. 

From 1886 to 1893, 4km of underground tunnels were dug beneath the Citadel to shelter men and supplies in case of an armed conflict. Until 1914, the Verdun Citadel’s underground system reached a total length of 7 kilometers, composed and arranged to serve as a small underground city that could shelter around 2,000 men. 

What happened there is probably beyond your imagination. Along with serving as the headquarters of the French army, the underground ecosystem of the Verdun Citadel also had the following functions:

  • It provided offices for the army forces and hosted all of its services;
  • It provided immense dormitories for the French troops to rest and stay safe;
  • It served as a storage place for powder and ammunition depots for the front;
  • It produced over 41,000 rations per day to feed the soldiers to feed on;
  • It hosted various additional activities related to healing, amusement, and moral support of the army. 

Put shortly, the Verdun Citadel’s underground tunnels were a sheltered haven for the ones defending their country and territory at that time. Nowadays, it symbolizes a whole nation’s resistance and remains an invaluable place of worship and remembrance.

Visiting The Citadel of Verdun

Nowadays, both the Citadel and its subterranean system are open for the general public and can be attended as a museum.

Visitors are taken to a special guided tour, carried out in little transport wagons that reach through the underground galleries, rooms, and premises. All the audio-visual archives, documents, and physical surroundings are laid out movingly and realistically to depict the soldiers’ troubled lives during the Battle of Verdun.

Because knowing history is essential, but experiencing it, authentically and graphically can be life-changing. 

14 Avenue du Cinquième Rue À P, 55100 Verdun, France

Where is it on the Map?

14 Avenue du Cinquième Rue À P, 55100 Verdun, France

Explore more places in Europe

Explore more nearby places in France, Grand Est
See more in Can't retrieve term. In case if you changed taxonomy slug for this term, please update widget settings to use new taxonomy slug.

A never-fading memory of the First World War

We believe that traveling the world has the potential to enrich peoples’ perceptions of the world, broaden their perspective, and teach them valuable lessons from the past.

That is why historical monuments are an indispensable part of our routes throughout Europe. Anyway, history is not always a cheerful place to travel through, and that’s fine. Today, we take you to the Citadel of Verdun – a sophisticated logistic basis in France, where both hope and despair still linger in the atmosphere. 

The Battle of Verdun: long story short

The Citadel of Verdun was an essential spot during the historical battle of Verdun – the longest-lasting and most expensive armed conflict during the First World War. 

The battle began on February 21st and kept on raging until December 18th, 1916. It was fought on the Western Front of France between the German and the French armies. The conflict ended up producing around 800,000 casualties on both sides before the attack was finally called off. 

During these long and monstrous months, a special place was used to shelter and nourish the local soldiers. This was the underground Citadel of Verdun.

The Citadel of Verdun: all you need to know

The Citadel of Verdun was constructed at the beginning of the 17th century and consisted of solely above-ground elements, including barracks, fortifications, and various military constructions. 

From 1886 to 1893, 4km of underground tunnels were dug beneath the Citadel to shelter men and supplies in case of an armed conflict. Until 1914, the Verdun Citadel’s underground system reached a total length of 7 kilometers, composed and arranged to serve as a small underground city that could shelter around 2,000 men. 

What happened there is probably beyond your imagination. Along with serving as the headquarters of the French army, the underground ecosystem of the Verdun Citadel also had the following functions:

  • It provided offices for the army forces and hosted all of its services;
  • It provided immense dormitories for the French troops to rest and stay safe;
  • It served as a storage place for powder and ammunition depots for the front;
  • It produced over 41,000 rations per day to feed the soldiers to feed on;
  • It hosted various additional activities related to healing, amusement, and moral support of the army. 

Put shortly, the Verdun Citadel’s underground tunnels were a sheltered haven for the ones defending their country and territory at that time. Nowadays, it symbolizes a whole nation’s resistance and remains an invaluable place of worship and remembrance.

Visiting The Citadel of Verdun

Nowadays, both the Citadel and its subterranean system are open for the general public and can be attended as a museum.

Visitors are taken to a special guided tour, carried out in little transport wagons that reach through the underground galleries, rooms, and premises. All the audio-visual archives, documents, and physical surroundings are laid out movingly and realistically to depict the soldiers’ troubled lives during the Battle of Verdun.

Because knowing history is essential, but experiencing it, authentically and graphically can be life-changing. 

14 Avenue du Cinquième Rue À P, 55100 Verdun, France

Where is it on the Map?

14 Avenue du Cinquième Rue À P, 55100 Verdun, France

Explore more places in Europe

See more in Can't retrieve term. In case if you changed taxonomy slug for this term, please update widget settings to use new taxonomy slug.
Explore more nearby places in France, Grand Est

A never-fading memory of the First World War

We believe that traveling the world has the potential to enrich peoples’ perceptions of the world, broaden their perspective, and teach them valuable lessons from the past.

That is why historical monuments are an indispensable part of our routes throughout Europe. Anyway, history is not always a cheerful place to travel through, and that’s fine. Today, we take you to the Citadel of Verdun – a sophisticated logistic basis in France, where both hope and despair still linger in the atmosphere. 

The Battle of Verdun: long story short

The Citadel of Verdun was an essential spot during the historical battle of Verdun – the longest-lasting and most expensive armed conflict during the First World War. 

The battle began on February 21st and kept on raging until December 18th, 1916. It was fought on the Western Front of France between the German and the French armies. The conflict ended up producing around 800,000 casualties on both sides before the attack was finally called off. 

During these long and monstrous months, a special place was used to shelter and nourish the local soldiers. This was the underground Citadel of Verdun.

The Citadel of Verdun: all you need to know

The Citadel of Verdun was constructed at the beginning of the 17th century and consisted of solely above-ground elements, including barracks, fortifications, and various military constructions. 

From 1886 to 1893, 4km of underground tunnels were dug beneath the Citadel to shelter men and supplies in case of an armed conflict. Until 1914, the Verdun Citadel’s underground system reached a total length of 7 kilometers, composed and arranged to serve as a small underground city that could shelter around 2,000 men. 

What happened there is probably beyond your imagination. Along with serving as the headquarters of the French army, the underground ecosystem of the Verdun Citadel also had the following functions:

  • It provided offices for the army forces and hosted all of its services;
  • It provided immense dormitories for the French troops to rest and stay safe;
  • It served as a storage place for powder and ammunition depots for the front;
  • It produced over 41,000 rations per day to feed the soldiers to feed on;
  • It hosted various additional activities related to healing, amusement, and moral support of the army. 

Put shortly, the Verdun Citadel’s underground tunnels were a sheltered haven for the ones defending their country and territory at that time. Nowadays, it symbolizes a whole nation’s resistance and remains an invaluable place of worship and remembrance.

Visiting The Citadel of Verdun

Nowadays, both the Citadel and its subterranean system are open for the general public and can be attended as a museum.

Visitors are taken to a special guided tour, carried out in little transport wagons that reach through the underground galleries, rooms, and premises. All the audio-visual archives, documents, and physical surroundings are laid out movingly and realistically to depict the soldiers’ troubled lives during the Battle of Verdun.

Because knowing history is essential, but experiencing it, authentically and graphically can be life-changing. 

14 Avenue du Cinquième Rue À P, 55100 Verdun, France

Where is it on the Map?

14 Avenue du Cinquième Rue À P, 55100 Verdun, France

Explore more places in Europe

© 2018 - 2020 Copyright by Travel in Pink/Cloud Enterprises Ltd. All rights reserved.

No content may be copied without prior written approval.