Mémorial de Verdun

The battle of Verdun is the battle remembered by France with the heaviest of hearts. Waged near the small city in northeastern France, the French army fought the Germans in the longest battle of World War 1. It was fought between February and December 1916, with terrible casualties on both sides. More than 305,000 people were killed or missing, and approximately 400,000 were wounded. The vast amount of casualties here and the sheer scope of the fight meant that Verdun became forever cast in people’s minds as the best representation of the futility of the Great War. Fighting continued around Verdun until 1918. The memorial building is set out on three floors, where visitors can take the trail through the war: the ground floor focuses on the soldiers’ experiences; the second floor covers the background of the war and the countries involved; and finally, the battlefield can be seen from the top floor.