RoutesHiking trails & RoutesFranceHauts-De-FranceAtrechtGivenchy-En-Gohelle
Canadian Memorial – Canadian Memorial loop from Givenchy-en-Gohelle
RoutesHiking trails & RoutesFranceHauts-De-FranceAtrechtGivenchy-En-Gohelle
Canadian Memorial – Canadian Memorial loop from Givenchy-en-Gohelle
Moderate
4.6
(16)
62
hikers
Canadian Memorial – Canadian Memorial loop from Givenchy-en-Gohelle
02:39
10.0km
90m
Hiking
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.
Last updated: May 15, 2026
Waypoints
A
Start point
Parking
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1
74 m
Canadian National Vimy Memorial
Highlight • Monument
The Canadian Vimy Memorial dominates the surrounding area with its two white towers. Nearby, in Thélus, the Canadian cemetery and the monument in honor of the Canadian artillery are installed at Zivy Crater on the site of the crater dug by the explosion of a mine.
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2
102 m
Moroccan monument
Highlight (Segment) • Other
Before the Canadians captured Vimy Ridge from the Germans in April 1917, other soldiers had already set foot there but were unable to hold their ground due to a lack of reinforcements and sufficient artillery support. These "forerunners" were the Moroccan Zouaves and riflemen, wearing red chechias and baggy trousers, accompanied in the Moroccan Division by Foreign Legion volunteers from 52 countries.
To the men of the Moroccan Division who set out to assault Vimy Ridge
On the morning of May 9, 1915, they broke through the German lines, crossed Folie Wood, and reached Vimy Ridge. To track their advance and adjust artillery fire, squares of white cloth were sewn to their backs, making them prime targets for the Germans on their flank. Furthermore, the artillery was running low on ammunition, and reinforcements were not forthcoming: the order to withdraw came in the evening. The Moroccan soldiers were forced to abandon the conquered ground at the cost of heavy losses.
The riflemen of the Moroccan Division were among the approximately 820,000 men mobilized in French colonies or protectorates during the First World War, including 636,000 sent to France as soldiers or laborers. Of the 449,000 engaged in combat, the majority came from Algeria (150,000), and the rest from sub-Saharan Africa (135,000), Indochina (43,000), Tunisia (39,000), and Morocco (34,000). 70,000 of them would perish on French soil.
Plaques affixed to the monument pay tribute to other French army fighters from Greece, Sudan and Czechoslovakia.
To the men of the Moroccan Division who set out to assault Vimy Ridge
On the morning of May 9, 1915, they broke through the German lines, crossed Folie Wood, and reached Vimy Ridge. To track their advance and adjust artillery fire, squares of white cloth were sewn to their backs, making them prime targets for the Germans on their flank. Furthermore, the artillery was running low on ammunition, and reinforcements were not forthcoming: the order to withdraw came in the evening. The Moroccan soldiers were forced to abandon the conquered ground at the cost of heavy losses.
The riflemen of the Moroccan Division were among the approximately 820,000 men mobilized in French colonies or protectorates during the First World War, including 636,000 sent to France as soldiers or laborers. Of the 449,000 engaged in combat, the majority came from Algeria (150,000), and the rest from sub-Saharan Africa (135,000), Indochina (43,000), Tunisia (39,000), and Morocco (34,000). 70,000 of them would perish on French soil.
Plaques affixed to the monument pay tribute to other French army fighters from Greece, Sudan and Czechoslovakia.
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3
226 m
Canadian National Vimy Memorial
Highlight (Segment) • Monument
The Vimy Memorial is the most prestigious Canadian monument in Europe. It is located on the very site of the 1917 fighting near Vimy in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. Erected on the highest point of the hill, Hill 145, the objective of the operations that began on April 9, 1917, it overlooks the Douai Plain.
In 1921, architect and sculptor Walter S. Allward (1875-1955) won the competition from the Canadian Battlefield Memorials Commission. The significance of the battles at the site and the favorable location at the top of the hill allowed Vimy to receive the most prestigious work.
The monument's architecture consists of twenty figures and a massive base topped by two immense pillars. Carved from a single 30-ton block, the main statue, symbolizing the spirit of Canada mourning its fallen, dominates the Douai Plain.
At the top, the angels of Justice and Peace stand guard over the gate. At the front of the monument, between the pillars, two statues represent the spirit of sacrifice, one representing the spirit of sacrifice, and the other representing the passing of the torch.
The 27-meter-high pylons symbolize both the gates of eternity, as well as France, with the fleur-de-lis, and Canada, with the maple leaves. They are also adorned with representations of Truth, Knowledge, Valor, Sympathy, and the coats of arms of Canada, England, and France.
On either side of the façade wall, cannons adorned with laurel and olive branches, symbolizing Victory and Peace, can be seen. Below, figures represent the Breaking of the Saber and Sympathy for the Victims. Each of the monument's statues embodies an ideal: Justice, Peace, Honor, Faith, Charity, Truth, Knowledge, Hope...
The following words are engraved on its base:
"TO THE VALOR OF HER SONS DURING THE GREAT WAR, AND IN MEMORY OF HER SIXTY THOUSAND DEAD, THE CANADIAN PEOPLE HAVE ERECTED THIS MONUMENT."
The names of 11,285 missing persons are also etched in stone for eternity. This list complements those on the monument erected in memory of the Armies of the British Empire at the Menin Gate, Ypres. Indeed, 18,283 Canadian soldiers were never found...
Construction work began in 1925.
The memorial was inaugurated on July 26, 1932, in the presence of King Edward VII and Albert Lebrun, President of the French Republic.
In 1921, architect and sculptor Walter S. Allward (1875-1955) won the competition from the Canadian Battlefield Memorials Commission. The significance of the battles at the site and the favorable location at the top of the hill allowed Vimy to receive the most prestigious work.
The monument's architecture consists of twenty figures and a massive base topped by two immense pillars. Carved from a single 30-ton block, the main statue, symbolizing the spirit of Canada mourning its fallen, dominates the Douai Plain.
At the top, the angels of Justice and Peace stand guard over the gate. At the front of the monument, between the pillars, two statues represent the spirit of sacrifice, one representing the spirit of sacrifice, and the other representing the passing of the torch.
The 27-meter-high pylons symbolize both the gates of eternity, as well as France, with the fleur-de-lis, and Canada, with the maple leaves. They are also adorned with representations of Truth, Knowledge, Valor, Sympathy, and the coats of arms of Canada, England, and France.
On either side of the façade wall, cannons adorned with laurel and olive branches, symbolizing Victory and Peace, can be seen. Below, figures represent the Breaking of the Saber and Sympathy for the Victims. Each of the monument's statues embodies an ideal: Justice, Peace, Honor, Faith, Charity, Truth, Knowledge, Hope...
The following words are engraved on its base:
"TO THE VALOR OF HER SONS DURING THE GREAT WAR, AND IN MEMORY OF HER SIXTY THOUSAND DEAD, THE CANADIAN PEOPLE HAVE ERECTED THIS MONUMENT."
The names of 11,285 missing persons are also etched in stone for eternity. This list complements those on the monument erected in memory of the Armies of the British Empire at the Menin Gate, Ypres. Indeed, 18,283 Canadian soldiers were never found...
Construction work began in 1925.
The memorial was inaugurated on July 26, 1932, in the presence of King Edward VII and Albert Lebrun, President of the French Republic.
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1.50 km
Forêt Domaniale de Vimy
Forest
5
5.02 km
German trenches
Highlight (Segment) • Other
A time machine that takes you back to the First World War. The proximity of the Canadian trenches to the German lines is sobering.
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6
5.17 km
Canadian Trenches
Highlight (Segment) • Historical Site
Be sure to visit these trenches. Walk through these trenches and then visit the German lines. The fact that so many men died for such insignificant and at the same time extremely symbolic territories is sobering.
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7
5.41 km
Canadian National Vimy Memorial Visitor Centre
Highlight • Historical Site
Located right next to the monument, the historical interpretation center presents the Battle of Vimy Ridge in two ways.
First, you can discover an exhibition with diagrams, photographs, maps, and some exhibits. You'll learn about the historical context from a political and military perspective, with numerous images showing the lunar landscapes of the trench line and No Man's Land. Books about the Battle of Vimy Ridge are also available for purchase at the reception desk.
Next, a superb Sound & Light show, using period videos, recounts the preparation for the offensive, the fighting, the advance of the troops, and the lives of soldiers during the battle. A video table and televisions allow you to relive these moments. Commentary is available in French, English, and German.
First, you can discover an exhibition with diagrams, photographs, maps, and some exhibits. You'll learn about the historical context from a political and military perspective, with numerous images showing the lunar landscapes of the trench line and No Man's Land. Books about the Battle of Vimy Ridge are also available for purchase at the reception desk.
Next, a superb Sound & Light show, using period videos, recounts the preparation for the offensive, the fighting, the advance of the troops, and the lives of soldiers during the battle. A video table and televisions allow you to relive these moments. Commentary is available in French, English, and German.
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8
5.71 km
Canadian Memorial
Highlight • Other
In April 1917, the Canadians attack the German army, which was standing by on the Vimy ridge, and win the battle. But this victory came at a high price: more than 10,000 killed and wounded on the Canadian side. As a tribute to all these soldiers, a huge memorial has been erected, consisting of about twenty statues, and 2 immense white towers with a height of 27 meters, which took 11 years to build. The "maple leaf" is applied to one, and a fleur de lis to the other, as a symbol of solidarity between Canada and France.
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Pas-de-Calais is today the largest national Canadian memorial site abroad. On site you can see that the underground facilities and trenches are still intact.
The Vimy ridge offers a magnificent panorama of the mining area and the hills of the Artois region.
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Pas-de-Calais is today the largest national Canadian memorial site abroad. On site you can see that the underground facilities and trenches are still intact.
The Vimy ridge offers a magnificent panorama of the mining area and the hills of the Artois region.
Translated by Google •
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9
6.41 km
Canadian Memorial
Highlight • Other
In April 1917, the Canadians attack the German army, which was standing by on the Vimy ridge, and win the battle. But this victory came at a high price: more than 10,000 killed and wounded on the Canadian side. As a tribute to all these soldiers, a huge memorial has been erected, consisting of about twenty statues, and 2 immense white towers with a height of 27 meters, which took 11 years to build. The "maple leaf" is applied to one, and a fleur de lis to the other, as a symbol of solidarity between Canada and France.
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Pas-de-Calais is today the largest national Canadian memorial site abroad. On site you can see that the underground facilities and trenches are still intact.
The Vimy ridge offers a magnificent panorama of the mining area and the hills of the Artois region.
More info at france-voyage.com/frankrijk-toerisme/het-canadian-national-vimy-memorial-639.htm
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Pas-de-Calais is today the largest national Canadian memorial site abroad. On site you can see that the underground facilities and trenches are still intact.
The Vimy ridge offers a magnificent panorama of the mining area and the hills of the Artois region.
More info at france-voyage.com/frankrijk-toerisme/het-canadian-national-vimy-memorial-639.htm
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B
10.0 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
3.59 km
3.05 km
1.90 km
1.48 km
< 100 m
Surfaces
6.13 km
2.70 km
666 m
319 m
203 m
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Thursday 21 May
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