Attractions and Places To See around Wavrille - Top 20

Nice gravel along the Maas side. You will find here now and then a bank and now and then a lock. Also striking how much higher the water of the canal is compared to the water of the stream.

This church, dedicated to Saint-Baudel, originally dates from the 11th century, as evidenced by the use of the typical opus spicatum masonry in the north wall. Over the centuries, the building has been modified and restored several times, resulting in a striking mix of architectural styles. Inside, you will find wooden seating boxes for the faithful and a 19th-century pulpit – silent witnesses to religious life in this village on the Meuse. Note the symbolic animal figures at the ends of the roof beams.

The Maas Canal, with its pleasant relaxing gravel strips, is the guideline for enjoying a peaceful landscape.

The Saint Martin's Church was destroyed during the Battle of Verdun. After the Great War, the Saint Martin's Church was restored. The opening took place in the presence of Bishop Jean-Paul Gusching, Bishop of Verdun. Note that the church, before it was destroyed in 14-18, originally stood in the old village. Triggered to the full story? You can read it here on the large information board.

Villages détruits, Cumières-le-Mort-Homme is one of the nine villages that were destroyed during the Battle of Verdun. Historical context: Nine villages: Beaumont-en-Verdunois, Bezonvaux, Cumières-le-Mort-Homme, Douaumont, Fleury-devant-Douaumont, Haumont-près-Samogneux, Louvemont-Côte-du-poivre, Ornes and Vaux-devant-Damloup. They were all in the “Red Zone” of the front line in the Battle of Verdun. The villages were wiped off the map and never rebuilt. Erected chapels remind passers-by of this war horror. Triggered to the disappeared villages? Click through to https://www.landofmemory.eu/nl/sites-historiques/vernielde-dorpen/#:~:text=Vernielde%20dorpen,-In%20de%20Maasstreek&text=Deze%20dorpen%20zijn%20Beaumont%2Den,geveegd%20en%20never%20weer%20opopbouw.

Ornes was a real city, larger than the other destroyed villages, but which eventually found itself, after the First World War, on the same site, or almost, under their stones. In the course of its history, its lord's castle suffered the same fate, when it was taken in February 1653 and then destroyed by the Catholic troops of Lorraine, while he, like his ancestors since 1563, vigorously defended Protestantism. As early as 1587, a very bloody battle took place between his troops and the Catholic troops of the Duke of Lorraine. In the mid-19th century, the city had 1,367 inhabitants, but in 1914 the number of inhabitants fell again to 750. This was mainly due to the rural exodus, which provided labour for the large industrial centres that were growing rapidly at the end of the 19th century. However, this city has an industrial textile and processing factory that is well suited to local agricultural production and textiles from the neighbouring Woëvre plain. But its geographical location, close to the border with the annexed Moselle and then on the front that had been stabilised after the Battle of the Marne, was not favourable for the area. In the event of an enemy offensive, the area would quickly find itself on the front line. For this reason, on 25 August 1914, the population was asked to leave the village. But not everyone left, at their own risk, because the bombardments and German patrols in the village became increasingly intense. In September 1914, two children were killed by shrapnel. In October 1914, several villagers who were about to leave were taken prisoner by the Germans... In 1915 and until February 1916, French troops held the village where units were positioned, in the second line opposite the front, at the beginning of the great German offensive. But from 21 to 24 February, the German advance was so strong that the village of Ornes was taken by their infantry on 24 February 1916, after heavy bombardments that destroyed all the houses and buildings in the village. It was not until 23 August 1917 that the area was retaken by our soldiers. At the end of the war, the area was classified as a 'red zone' and could never be rebuilt. Source: Tourism Verdun

In September 1914, the 186 inhabitants were evacuated from the village, which was temporarily left in no man's land. In October 1914, it was occupied by French troops who transformed it into a strong point. Beaumont unfortunately lay just behind the front line where the first German attack took place on 21 February 1916. Lieutenant-Colonel Emile Driant's chasseurs defended the Caures Wood to the north, in the most advanced position. Despite the heroic resistance of the chasseurs, the wood fell and Colonel Driant gave the order to withdraw to Beaumont. As the columns emerged from the wood, they came under withering German machine gun fire. The colonel, who formed the rearguard, was killed, but fragments of his sections managed to reach Beaumont and reinforce the garrison there. February 24 was the critical day. From the village, elements of two French regiments (four companies) fought off repeated attacks. As the troops of the 18th German Corps entered the village, they were mowed down by machine guns firing from cellar windows. The enemy formations, which were extremely densely packed, advanced so rapidly, with each wave passing the previous one, that the French automatic fire at first seemed to overwhelm them and they suffered terrible losses. The Germans began a systematic shelling of the village again. When the infantry attack was resumed, they again encountered fierce resistance, but the balance of power was now too unequal. As more of the attacking troops managed to break through, the French officers realized that a withdrawal was necessary. The French were able to keep an escape route open and a number of their survivors were able to escape the following morning. Beaumont was lost and it was to become a formidable stronghold for the German army for the remainder of the battle of 1916. Read the full story at https://roadstothegreatwar-ww1.blogspot.com/2022/10/three-battles-at-beaumont-en-verdunois.html

Cumières-le-Mort-Homme (with the predestined name) is one of the eight completely destroyed villages in the red zone of Verdun. It was in February 1916 that the heaviest fighting took place. 10,000 hairy people died in this sector. In 1922, the town was declared a "dead village for France". Two kilometers in the woods of the hill, you find the statue of the sculptor Jacques Froment-Meurice which is related to the event.