The best walks and hikes around Montfaucon-D'Argonne

This impressive American WWI memorial was dedicated in 1937 to commemorate the victory of the American First Army during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (26 September – 11 November 1918). The 54-metre-high Doric granite column, designed by John Russell Pope, is topped by a statue symbolising liberty. The monument stands on the hill of Montfaucon, where a medieval monastery once stood and where the Americans achieved a strategic victory in 1918.

Follow the marking tapes if no signpost is visible.

Sturdy footwear

This hill in the Argonne was the scene of fierce mine warfare between French and German forces during WWI. From 1915 to 1918, both sides dug extensive tunnel networks under the hill, causing hundreds of explosions and thousands of deaths. Today, impressive craters, trenches and underground passages can be seen – a poignant reminder of life and fighting underground.

Tips: Climb the 234 steps to the viewing platform for a panoramic view of the former battlefield. Read the inscriptions at the foot of the monument with the names of the participating divisions.

This impressive American WWI memorial was dedicated in 1937 to commemorate the victory of the American First Army during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (26 September – 11 November 1918). The 54-metre-high Doric granite column, designed by John Russell Pope, is topped by a statue symbolising liberty 1 2. The monument stands on the hill of Montfaucon, where a medieval monastery once stood and where the Americans achieved a strategic victory in 1918.

https://verdun1916.eu/?p=7570 The hill of Vauquois (Butte de Vauquois), about 25 kilometers northwest of Verdun, is 295 meters high and was, due to its location, an excellent vantage point for those who wanted to defend the northern Argonne, together with the hill of Les Eparges, which is about the same distance southeast of Verdun. The Germans had already captured the village of Vauquois and the hill without a fight in September 1914. The village and the hill were immediately fortified. Caves and underground passages were cut and dug in the limestone soil. The total length of the passages was no less than 15 km. With loopholes one could cover a large area, and one could count on artillery support from Cheppy and Montfaucon. It was an excellently built defense line. The French were keen to recapture this hill, partly because Verdun was threatened by it. First Battles for Vauquois The French attacked on 28 October 1914 without artillery support, and ran straight into a barrage of bullets and shells. Within an hour the attackers were out of action. The next day there was another attack, but this time with artillery support. It was another failure on this well-defended position. Until the end of February, attacks were made repeatedly on the village and the hill, with or without artillery support. The losses were enormous, especially on the French side.

This small German cemetery is in stark contrast to the American one a little further on. The German Military Cemetery in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, also known as Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Romagne-sous-Montfaucon and Romagne-sous-Montfaucon Cimetière Militaire Allemand, was established in 1914 at the start of the First World War, but saw its heaviest use during the Battle of Verdun in 1916. The cemetery is located 220 meters north of the village center along the road to Bantheville. It contains 1,407 German and eight French soldiers who fell during the First World War in northwestern France.