FIRST WORLD WAR - Verdun
Verdun is a linchpin of history - its location has placed it at the forefront
of destiny, and the events that occurred in the beautiful French countryside
surrounding this historic fortress town have impacted directly on the world
we live in today. Verdun is the direct reason for the slaughter on that
crucible of the British soldier, The Somme in 1916.
This tour is available as a six day or four day package. The four day package visits the same sites as the six day package but time at certain locations is compressed to fit within the four day time frame.
Please contact us for departure dates.
Day 1: Journey out to Verdun
Day 2: Franco-Prussian War of 1870
We visit the sites of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 to learn about the effect
these had on events 46 years later.
Mars La Tour
In the morning we visit Mars La Tour and the scene of the last great cavalry battle in history and the place that set the scene for one of the most decisive defeats in French history. This battlefield has changed little in 140 years and is well marked with (mostly German) monuments.
We see how and why the German's fought their very own Charge of the Light Brigade through Von Bredow's Death Ride - and won!
The Battle of Gravelotte
This battle was fought within two days of Mars La Tour and saw 500,000 French and German soldiers fighting each other in a Napoleonic style battle using long range artillery and accurate breach loading rifles.
The lessons of the American Civil War had not been learnt and wouldn't be until over forty years later. The breathtaking ignorance of the high commands and unbelievable courage of the troops on both sides is still palpable on the sweeping landscape that witnessed one of the bloodiest battles before the First World War. We walk in the footsteps of the elite Prussian Guard where they advanced shoulder to shoulder across this open slope in the face of murderous firepower and suffered 50% casualties in an act of human endurance the like of which is almost unthinkable today.
We'll see the memorials that mark where incredibly brave men fought and died in a battle larger and bloodier than Waterloo and yet is hardly known in Britain.
In the evening we visit the historic city of Metz, besieged by the Germans after the Battle of Gravelotte, and have dinner in one of the excellent restaurants in one of the city squares where we'll be treated to a talk from Phil.
Day 3: Bois de Caures, Trench of Bayonets and Fort Douaumont
After the crushing defeat of France, the emergent German Empire became the new power in Europe and France was left to foster a longing for revenge that revealed itself on the outbreak of war in 1914. By 1916, the armies had been in deadlock for almost two years along the 600 mile Western Front. General Von Falkenhayn of the German army was the architect of a ruthless plan to draw the French into a battle of attrition that was designed to literally suck the life out of France. This battle would be fought at Verdun.
The Germans launched their attack on the Bois de Caures where the heroic Colonel Driant and his Chasseurs held out against overwhelming German forces until the very end.
In the morning we visit the excellent museum for an orientation of the battle before moving to Colonel Driant's Command Post and explore the woods where the trenches defended by his Chasseurs can still be seen.
Colonel Driant had predicted the German assault at Verdun and was due to be court martialled for effectively ‘rocking the boat' was however, killed in action just as his command was overrun. Of the tens of thousands of individuals who were killed at Verdun, he is the only one with a marked grave where he actually fell. He was a true hero of France (even recognised by the German army) and his actions were used as an example to everyone of both moral and physical courage.
Next we visit one of the most sacred pieces of earth in France - the infamous ‘Trench of Bayonets'. This is a macabre site where a platoon of French soldiers was killed when the trench that they were sat in collapsed during a bombardment and buried them alive. The only signs that they were there, were the bayonets on their rifles pointing up out of the ground.
We learn about the myths and legends surrounding this unique memorial to the ordinary soldier.
In the afternoon we visit Fort Douaumont and learn how a single German soldier captured this impregnable fort on the third day of the battle. The French then spent the next eight months trying to recapture the fort in assault after bloody assault.
This is a fascinating monument to the destructive power of modern warfare and is also the haunting scene of another one of the innumerable human tragedies of Verdun - The Sealed Tunnel. Behind this tunnel lay the remains of over 600 German soldiers killed when an accidental fire spread to one of the shell magazines and caused a massive explosion sealing off the men from the outside world.
Day 4: Fort Vaux, Fort Souville and Fleury
In the morning we'll visit the smaller sister fort of Douaumont, Fort Vaux. It was here that the defenders of the fort, led by the invalided hero, Commandant Raynal, held out for five terrifying days in the most dreadful circumstances in a story of human endurance that defies description.
We'll explore the subterranean passageway up which the German attackers fought their way inch by bloody inch into the bowels of Fort Vaux and see the remains of bullet pocked passageways that evidence the chilling desperate battles between French defenders and German attackers.
In the afternoon we visit the forgotten Fort Souville, hidden deep in the woods. A short walk down the track brings will take us to the entrance of this fort which was the real last line of defence that stood in the way of the German army and victory. We'll learn how the French army turned the tide of the battle here against huge odds, and halted the German army's assault.
After a brief visit to the destroyed village of Fleury we'll arrive at the main French Military cemetery where the remains of 15,000 French and German soldiers are buried in front of the memorial, but a further 130,000 are interned in the Ossuary beneath the memorial.
A climb up to the top of the tower provides us with an excellent view of the whole area that was the Battlefield of Verdun.
Day 5: Fortress Verdun
In the morning we'll visit the Fortress Verdun and see this town from the historic old walls including the historic entrance to the town and the Victory Monument to the Citadel - the impressive 17th century fortress with its massive walls that housed British prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars and was the only safe place for soldiers moving up to the front in 1916. It is now an inspiring and fascinating site to visit.
The afternoon is free time to explore the town in more detail.
Day 6: Return journey to the UK
6 DAY TOUR
Price - £1030 per person
£1550 per couple sharing
4 DAY TOUR
Price - £649 per person
£995 per couple sharing
The tour begins and finishes at Victoria Bus Station, London.
Spaces are limited to 12 so we would advise to enquire and book early to avoid missing out.
We fully comply with the provisions of the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 (EEC Directive 90/314). In accordance with these regulations, all payments made to us, either as deposit or final settlement (including all credit card payments), are held in a separate trust account (HSBC Bank PLC, 76 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1EL. Account Number: 93672638) and as such your payment cannot be released to us until the relevant Tour has taken place. This regulation guarantees a full refund of all monies paid in the most unlikely event of us failing to provide the Tour booked.