June 13, 2025: Verdun

Friday, June 13, 2025 (Written by Devri on June 13)

Morning came too quickly, and we moved a little too slowly, but we got everyone up and out the door only a little bit later than we were supposed to. Thankfully, our tour guide was also running a bit late. 

We met our guide Anna, who we found on Tours by Locals, and our driver, Michael, and then we loaded into the van and headed out to Verdun. It took 2.5 hours, and it was a beautiful drive. 

We first went to the Douaumont Ossuary, which was designed to look like a sword in the ground with only the hilt visible. This was to show that the battle was over. Inside the Ossuary, they placed the bones of unidentified soldiers. I wonder if the bones were no longer intact due to the fighting and they didn’t know what else to do with them. Rachel was really disturbed that they didn’t just bury them properly. I wondered too, but I guess when a country has a place like the catacombs, it’s probably not a big deal to have other bones on display for people to see. You could see the rooms from small windows at the base, and the Ossuary building floor was above them. (Brian: it was really interesting that the bones weren’t arranged into skeletons at all. In fact, in some places it looks like they had organized them by the type of bone. I.e. stacked piles of leg/arm bones.)

Friday, June 13, 2025 (Written by Devri on June 13)

Morning came too quickly, and we moved a little too slowly, but we got everyone up and out the door only a little bit later than we were supposed to. Thankfully, our tour guide was also running a bit late. 

We met our guide Anna, who we found on Tours by Locals, and our driver, Michael, and then we loaded into the van and headed out to Verdun. It took 2.5 hours, and it was a beautiful drive. 

We first went to the Douaumont Ossuary, which was designed to look like a sword in the ground with only the hilt visible. This was to show that the battle was over. Inside the Ossuary, they placed the bones of unidentified soldiers. 

Viewing the rooms of bones at the Ossuaire de Douaumont

Remains of German and French soldiers who fought in the Battle of Verdun

I wonder if the bones were no longer intact due to the fighting and they didn’t know what else to do with them. Rachel was really disturbed that they didn’t just bury them properly. I wondered too, but I guess when a country has a place like the catacombs, it’s probably not a big deal to have other bones on display for people to see. You could see the rooms from small windows at the base, and the Ossuary building floor was above them. (Brian: it was really interesting that the bones weren’t arranged into skeletons at all. In fact, in some places it looks like they had organized them by the type of bone. I.e. stacked piles of leg/arm bones.)

Looking into the windows at the skeletal remains of at least 130,000 unidentified German and French soldiers

Our guide teaching us about the Ossuary and the Battle of Verdun

After seeing the bones, we went out to the cemetery. In French cemeteries, they don’t bury the different religions together. So, they had the Christian graves in the middle, the Jews on one side, and the Muslims on the other, with their headstones pointed towards Mecca (which put them at a diagonal from where the rest of the headstones were oriented). 

Walking around the Ossuary to the cemetery side

Brian's panoramic shot of the Ossuary and Cemetery

The Douaumont Ossuary--like the hilt of a sword

The Muslim headstones are pointed to Mecca

We're facing the Ossuary in this picture; the cemetery is in the background

From there, we got back in the van to go see the Trench of the Bayonets. The myth is that a bomb went off and buried the soldiers and, afterwards, their bayonets pushed through the dirt to be visible above ground. More than likely, the men were already dead before the blast went off, and their fellow French soldiers had laid them out in a line and put their bayonets up so that others would know that those men were dead, and then they were buried by a bomb blast. Regardless, the Trench of the Bayonettes became the first Monument in Verdun. It was funded by an American banker, and designed to look like a bunker. 7 soldiers are currently buried there, and you can see remnants of the plaques that once held Bayonets (people kept taking the bayonets and they got tired of replacing them).

The Trench of the Bayonets encloses the graves of 7 French soldiers who died on this site, which was a military trench, in June 1916

Michael at the Tranchée des Baïonettes

Bayonet Trench Memorial-circa 1920

Looking down the Bayonet Trench with Anna, our guide

The cement marker/plague where the bayonet used to be

Near the monument, we saw several craters and couldn’t help walking into some of them, especially Michael. Anna took a picture of all of us inside one of the craters. 

The kids inside a crater near the Trench of the Bayonets

All of us in one of the crater

All of us in the crater, looking up at Anna with the Trench of the Bayonets behind her

Next, we headed to Fort Vaux (pronounced “Voe”), passing the village that doesn’t exist anymore because it was completely destroyed during the Battle of Verdun. We ate our packed lunch in the back of the van, and it may be my favorite unexpected moment of the day, laughing together eating our somewhat deconstructed sandwiches together. (Brian: Michael gets full points here for eating an inside out sandwich with the ham wrapped around the bread with the cheese inside the ham.)

Picnic lunch in the back of the van at Fort Vaux, including Michael's inside out sandwich

"Cheddar Cheese" purchased in France

Trying to capture the essence of our picnic lunch

Fort Vaux was a 18th century fort built mostly underground. When the war started, they didn’t think they would use Fort Vaux because they felt it was too antiquated. However, after the Germans captured nearby Fort Duoaumont, the French tried very hard to hang onto Fort Vaux. The Germans laid siege to the Fort, and the men inside slowly started running out of food and supplies, especially water. They sent messages via carrier pigeons asking for reinforcements, but the carrier pigeons kept getting shot down. With the last bird, the commander said, “This is my last bird; please send help.” The pigeon arrived to its intended recipient wounded and barely hanging on (Brian: or it might have started wounded and barely hanging on, it wasn’t clear to me), but the message was delivered. Unfortunately, the message was still too late and the commander had to surrender the fort since they were down to 1 cup of water a day for 10 men. The Germans took the French as prisoners of war, but before they left, the German commander was so impressed by the French that he gave his sword to the French commander as a symbol of his recognition of their bravery and honor. It was rare moment of chivalry between the forces. The pigeon received a Medal of Honor.

WWI gun at Fort Vaux

Fort Vaux Hallway

Recreated bunk room at Fort Vaux

Gabe with artillery shells at Fort Vaux

One of the few windows in Fort Vaux

A memorial within Fort Vaux

Command Station at Fort Vaux

The fort is really damp and cool inside. There are many stalactites growing on the ceiling. We didn’t spend too much time exploring there so that we would have more time exploring at Fort Douaumont. We saw bats hanging out in one of the windows there that started flying around after we accidentally shined the light on them. In the infirmary room, they had several dummies set up to show what it might have looked like back then. The kids found them particularly creepy. Gabe came up to us after and said, “Did you see that infirmary room?”. Brian said he took a picture of me in there, and then he said, “Did you back out of the room?” Apparently the surgeon dummy was so creepy he was afraid to turn his back on it. It made us laugh so hard. 

More tunnels in Fort Vaux

The Infirmary at Fort Vaux. The kids walked backwards slowly to leave this room

The pigeon's nest at Fort Vaux. Carrier Pigeons were used to send messages

Brian, Rachel, and Anna at Fort Vaux

Reading about the hero of Fort Vaux, the last carrier pigeon who was able to get the distress message to the rest of the French army

Fort Vaux

We headed to Fort Duomont, passing the nonexistent village again. This fort was amazing! We opted to explore the inside first, and we all found so many fascinating things to explore, including the controls for one of the big guns, a deep shaft to a well, the toilets, the washroom, and many other damp hallways and rooms. The more we were there, the more I decided that I wouldn’t have wanted to live and work there. It’s cold enough that we saw our breath in one of the rooms. There were bats while we were there, and there was lice and rats back during the Great War. 

Heading into Fort Douaumont

Walking into Fort Douaumont

WWI casings

Galopin Gun Turret for Fort Duaumont as seen from inside the fort

Looking into the Galopin Gun Turret from the stairs 

Climbing down the stairs of the Galopin Gun Turret

A diagram of the gun turret

Gabe next to the barrel of the Galopin Gun

Restroom facilities in Fort Douaumont

Again, the French didn’t think that this fort would be involved in the war. It was out of style from modern warfare. However, the Germans found it and thought it looked like a good, ready-made structure for them, and they went charging in ready for a tough battle. Instead, they found the door unlocked and only a few poorly trained Frenchman guarding it. They easily captured it. Although the French didn’t think it would be used in the war, their honor was at stake due to its capture, and they worked hard to recapture it until they were eventually successful.

One of many hallways/tunnels in Fort Douaumont 

The area behind this wall was incredibly cold and damp

We could see our breath when we blew air into this window. Not sure what was on the other side. 

A giant hole/well within Fort Douaumont

Washroom at Fort Douaumont. Soldiers would wash their faces in these sinks that now have stalagmites growing in them

Parts of the fort had low ceilings

The entire fort was damp and cold, due to it's position underground

Stalactites reach down to this well below

A chapel/memorial inside Fort Douaumont

We made our way out of the cold fort and started exploring the top. We found the gun that we had seen below, and we were all amazed by how pockmarked the hill that makes up the fort’s roof was from all the bombs. We could see the place where the moat once surrounded the fort. We found the other lookout points and guns sticking out of the hill. 

On top of Fort Douaumont

Gun turret (which was controlled from inside the fort. 

Artillery scarring on top of the gun

Pockmarked top of Fort Douaumont

Guns on top of the fort

Another gun on top of Fort Douaumont

The top of Fort Douaumont

All the forest and foliage in this picture is new growth that came after WWI ended. The entire area lost all its vegetation during the Battle of Verdun

Pockmarked by bombs

Fort Douaumont

Fort Douaumont

After exploring the outside, we headed across the parking lot, down some stairs, and to what remains of some trenches. This was probably my favorite thing that we saw. It was crazy seeing how narrow the trenches were, and to see how the earth is slowly healing where they were. They are no longer as deep as a man, and the wooden structures that held them in place are gone. It was hopeful to think about the healing from the last 100 plus years, but also really sad to look around and know that none of those beautiful trees were standing during the war; all the trees had been leveled and none of that beauty remained, hence the need for trenches. How truly frightening it must have been to fight in them, and the whole thing just seemed like a bloody waste. Germany wanted more land and power, and instead they lost land and a lot of power. Both sides lost so many of their brave men—sons, fathers, husbands, sweethearts, and brothers. I think our guide said that 300,000 people died during the Battle of Verdun, which started in February 1916 and lasted until December of that same year. And the the battle lines basically remained unchanged after it was all said and done. 

World War I Trench near Fort Douaumont

Rachel, Gabe, and Brian inside one of the trenches

Michael walking down the trench

Inside a WWI trench near Fort Douaumont

Frog found in the trench

At this point, we only had about 30-45 minutes to go to the Museum/Verdun Memorial, but that seemed to be the right amount. There were several school groups there, and we didn’t spend much time reading all the plaques in front of each object on display. They tried to recreate what the battle ground/no man’s land looked like under a glass floor, and they had a display of the different wheeled things they used during the war, from things pulled by horses to camp kitchens to guns to trucks. It’s crazy to think that they were still pulling things by horse during this war. 

Inside the Verdun Memorial. They recreated what the ground would have looked like during the battle

I also thought it was cool to see their uniforms. The French started the war with bright red pants and red hats, but they were an easy targe with all that red, so after a bit, they introduced a uniform that blended in better with their surroundings. The museum also had helmets, gas masks, and guns on display. They even had displays of little things the soldiers sent home. One father made a whole collection of little toys for his daughter. He painted little cards to go with them and made a special box for them. I got the impression he sent them over multiple packages. That father never made it home, and that made me sad. 

This toy set was created by a French soldier and lovingly sent home to his daughter, piece by piece, along with a watercolored card. He never made it home. 

We prepared for our trip to Verdun by watching a few YouTube videos about the battle, and we watched edited versions of All Quiet on the Western Front and 1917. (Gabe didn’t watch these with us, but Rachel watched All Quiet on the Western Front, and we regretted watching it with her, even with the edits). I just think this whole war was just so sad and so wasteful of so many incredible lives, and despite being dubbed the “war to end all wars,” it just seemed to cause the Second World War. It was good to see how peaceful these places are now, how time has healed the battle sites, and even how those countries are almost friends today. 

Brian at the Memorial (museum) with the Ossuary in the background

At the Verdun Memorial (museum)

We all headed out to the car, well, all of us except Michael. We couldn’t get in touch with him on the phone, so Anna scanned me back into the museum to go look for him. She asked, “Do you think anything happened to him?” To which I confidently said, “No, I think he just found more things in the museum to look at.” I was right. He was back in there, looking over so many things again. 

Michael getting a feel for what the landscape was like during WWI. They still used horses during this war! 

It was hard to get him to leave, and once I got him moving, we couldn’t find the exit. We eventually made it out to the van and are currently headed back to Paris. 

Heading back to our apartment

Traveling between destinations was a time for checking out and writing about our adventures

(Written September 15, 2025 by Devri)

Michael, our driver, dropped us off in front of our apartment, and we made sure to get a big group picture before he and Anna left. We had a fantastic day with them. People often ask what our favorite thing about the trip was, and I keep coming back to this trip to Verdun. It really left an impression on me. When I think of Verdun, my foremost thought is one of healing--how God can take something broken, ugly, blown to bits, and horrible and heal it. If Michael (our son, not the driver) and Anna hadn't pointed out the craters, I would have just assumed they were part of the landscape. If there weren't boards in place marking the trenches, I would have just thought they were dry creek beds. And if I hadn't heard that all the vegetation was gone, I would have just assumed that this area was always peaceful and green. If God can take such a horrible scene of destruction and turn heal it, what can He do with our lives, if we turn them over to Him? That was my big takeaway from Verdun--that anything broken can be healed by the Savior. 

Michael, Rachel, Michael (our driver), Anna (our guide), Gabe, Devri, and Brian outside our apartment

Our first order of business was to find food, and we found a promising restaurant in a nearby mall. We had delicious burgers in this beautiful place, though it was very, very warm. 

Dinner at the nearby mall

After dinner, we sent the kids home, with Michael in charge of the keys and getting everyone there safely. It was a very quiet area, and we felt confident in their safety. Meanwhile, Brian and I enjoyed our short "date night" by doing some shopping. My shoes were really hurting my feet, so we went searching for better walking shoes for me. We also found a couple of black baseball caps for Rachel and I to stuff our Minnie clip on ears into and wear the next day (and they were incredibly inexpensive)! I think this might have been our first real shopping excursion in Paris! And we bought Sketchers, which I find quite funny. 

Shopping in Paris

The mall closed around 8:30, so after checking out (pretty close to that time), we walked back to our apartment to unwind, prepare for the next day, and sleep.