A cemetery in Verdun. Photo by Juan Suarez and Jennifer Marlo
Travel to Verdun knowing that you will be moved by the incredible loss of life that occurred here during World War I. The city of Verdun is not the main attraction; it is the overwhelming mass of headstones that draw visitors to this quiet area in Northern France.
Thousands of uniform headstones stand erect in perfectly symmetrical formation. Even in death soldiers cannot escape the conformity forced upon them by commanding forces. Most headstones are shaped like crosses, representing the white Christian majority that fought the Battle of Verdun in 1916. Scattered Muslim headstones are a quiet reminder of the Algerian and Moroccan men who also fought in this horrific battle.
This isn’t your typical beautiful and romantic European cemetery, where each grave is unique and personal. Few come to lay flowers at the graves in Verdun because many of the headstones are nameless. Unidentified soldiers and villagers lie here; buried by strangers, and some buried in a strange land far from home.
Entire neighboring towns were wiped out by the brutalities of war; they too lie buried beneath French soil. In many places you will find moguls (bumps in the soil) where you can be certain that the ruins of a village lies just a few feet below.
I suggest taking the time to go through Verdun’s Memorial Museum. The town is also a worthwhile stop while on your way to or from Paris. This site hosts hosts a myriad of Verdun city pictures; here you can read some very interesting comments from folks who were stationed in Verdun after WWI.
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