Brief Visit to Verdun

[Gunner Bailey]

Great Photos Seadog. Really makes me want to go back NOW!

Gunner Bailey

[Seadog]

GB, many thanks for the kind comment, I have had much pleasure in viewing your own photos as well. Yes this place is awesome and one visit can never do it justice. I guess like many people my own interest in this battle was stimulated by the excellent book by (now) Sir Alistair Horne "The Price of Glory", having read this and then walking the ground is a very moving experience as I am sure you found.

Norman

[Gunner Bailey]

GB, many thanks for the kind comment, I have had much pleasure in viewing your own photos as well. Yes this place is awesome and one visit can never do it justice. I guess like many people my own interest in this battle was stimulated by the excellent book by (now) Sir Alistair Horne "The Price of Glory", having read this and then walking the ground is a very moving experience as I am sure you found.

Norman

Hi Norman

Yes, I took mine with me too. I had read Malcolm Brown's 'Verdun 1916' and thought that was good but 'The Price of Glory' is far better. Re-reading the Mort Homme section then walking the battlefield the next day was the way to do it.

I'll be planning another trip for next year.

John

[Fred van Woerkom]

Can a bike be rented in Verdun?

All the best,

Fred

[Christina Holstein]

Hello Fred,

Yes, you can hire bikes. To do so, contact either the Maison de Tourisme, Place de la Nation, tel. 0033 3 29 86 14 18, verduntourisme@wanadoo.fr, or the new Office de Tourisme, 0033 3 29 84 55 55, tourisme@cc-verdun.fr/ .

Christina

[Paul Hederer]

Hello Fred,

Yes, you can hire bikes. To do so, contact either the Maison de Tourisme, Place de la Nation, tel. 0033 3 29 86 14 18, verduntourisme@wanadoo.fr, or the new Office de Tourisme, 0033 3 29 84 55 55, tourisme@cc-verdun.fr/ .

Christina

Christina,

Good to see you back on the forum!

Paul

[Fred van Woerkom]

Thanks, Christina.

All the best,

Fred

[Christina Holstein]

Thanks, Paul. It's nice to be back.

For some reason that I don't understand but probably has to do with potential earnings from tourism, bikers are not only allowed but encouraged to go off the tracks and cycle through the forest - even, to my great disgust, over the tops of concrete positions such as gun turrets and infantry shelters and in and out of shell holes. Walkers, on the other hand, are advised never to stray from the path.

During the winter I saw a chap on a mountain bike in full florescent gear riding up and down the 155 gun turret at Ft. Souville and then repeatedly over the top of the cupola that covers the gun. Quite apart from the fact that the gun turret in question is absolutely unique, NOWHERE on the battlefield should, IMHO, be treated as a playground.

Christina