PRESS KIT 2015
Remembrance tourism
in Lorraine
PRESS KIT 2015
Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
Lorraine, the strategic heart of eastern France
Lorraine has been at the heart of virtually every great European conflict throughout
history. Studying a map shows Lorraine situated on the very edge of eastern France
and sharing its borders with Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. The region still
bears the scars of war and its ever-changing frontiers have long been the object of
formidable, sophisticated fortifications.
These major battle sites have a new resonance for us as we commemorate the Great
War Centenary, and surely the most evocative among them must be Verdun, a name
that rang round the world as an unbearably moving symbol of carnage. Verdun, that
afterwards became a monument to peace and brotherhood. Lorraine has much to
teach us about both war and peace…the Maginot Line forts, a new museum at
Gravelotte dedicated to the 1870 Franco-Prussian War and annexation, exhibitions,
sound and light displays and reconstitutions…
As we remember this tumultuous past, Lorraine seeks to shed a new, modern
perspective on the history of these wars and what we can learn from the past.
Robert Schuman, one of European Union’s Founding Fathers, actually lived and
helped reconstruct a broken Europe near to Metz.
Lorraine…a very surprising region!
In 2016, the Lorraine region will mark the centenary of the Battle of Verdun, one of the most iconic
battles of World War I. A wide programme of events are currently in preparation, including the
reopening of the Verdun Memorial with its newly extended museum for February 2016.
Lorraine Regional Tourism Board
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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PRESS KIT 2015
Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
CONTENTS
What’s on in 2015 ........................................................................... 4
Remembrance walks ....................................................................... 7
A region at the heart of war ........................................................ 11
Something unusual........................................................................20
Holidays breaks in Lorraine ......................................................... 22
What’s available ............................................................................25
Useful contacts in Lorraine .......................................................... 26
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
WHAT’S ON IN 2015
Exhibition at the World Peace Centre, Verdun
‘What remains of the Great War ?’
Until December 2018
In this exhibition, state-of-the-art exhibits using 3D,
augmented reality, film, and more provide visitors with a vivid
experience depicting the tragedy of World War I and its
significance to 20th- and 21st-century history. Visitors can
discover the Diors collection of war and military related
artefacts from the Meuse department, as well as the Verdun
Memorial collection. The garden of the bishop's residence
houses a particularly popular exhibit in which images are
projected onto one of the walls of the building (entrance to
the exhibit is free).
Contact: www.cmpaix.eu
Exhibition: “The Ecole de Nancy and the political influences of its time”
- 9 October 2015 to 25 January 2016
The Museum of the Ecole de Nancy, or School of Nancy, will devote its coming major
exhibition to a previously uncovered topic – that of how politics affected Nancy's Art
Nouveau movement. While Art Nouveau is indeed a symbol of the Belle Epoque, the
image of artists in search of voluptuous forms in a twilight golden age is a fictional
distortion. The tendency in Nancy to focus on issues of society and politics was
accentuated by a unique and influential context, dominated by the German threat as well
as by the exceptional individuals who presided over the School of Nancy – Emile Gallé
then Victor Prouvé – who were fervent republicans with strong involvement in politics.
Over 170 works are on display, including many prestigious ones and several being shown
for the first time Nancy. You will also discover documentary extracts offering an in-depth
view of the context of the time, in this exhibition exploring the political implications of the
School of Nancy.
Press officer: [email protected] – Tel. +33 (0)3 83 85 30 42
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
Historical re-enactment of the Battle of Vauquois
From 2-3 and 9-10 October 2015, a re-enactment will be performed at the Vaquois
mound, one of the main centres of the mine war. The main focus of this re-enactment will
be the Battle of Vauquois of 1915. Some 50 re-enactors in period dress will pose in still
scenes accompanied by images projected on screens, music and readings in German and
French of texts written by soldiers.
Contact: Les Amis de Vauquois association - www.butte-vauquois.fr
A series of exhibitions about the Great War Centenary
‘Life goes on’ - 6 Vosges museums – April 2014 to August 2015
A successive series of exhibitions during the coming months on the theme of
characters in the Great War : the musician at the Mirecourt Luthiery Museum, the
child at Epinal Images Museum, the woman at the Saint-Dié Pierre-Noël Museum, the
painter at Remiremont museums and the Passerby at Epinal Ancient and
Contemporary Art Museum.
5 characters from behind the front lines are represented whose lives, habits and
artistic works were utterly changed by war.
Press contact: Aurélie Cuny, communications manager at the Musée de l’Image at
Epinal Phone: +33 (0)3 29 81 48 30 – [email protected]
Reopening of Fort de Queuleu in Metz – April 2015
Fort de Queuleu formed part of the first ring of the fortifications of Metz. Its construction
began in 1868 and was completed under German occupation between 1872 and 1875,
during which time it was known as Fort Goeben. Between 12 October 1943 and 17
August 1944, over 1,500 French people were held prisoner in the lower chamber, or
Casemate A, by the Gestapo, before being sent to concentration camps. The fort is built
from concrete and clad with yellow stone of Jaumont. Barracks and casemates are
arranged on two levels, of which only the lower level was used as a prison. At this level
you can discover a series of vaulted rooms, one of which houses individual cells.
Contact: http://metz.fr/lieux/lieu-210.php
‘Flames to the Light’ a sound and light
show about the Battle of Verdun
Friday and Saturday evenings from 19 June
to 25 July 2015
The story of Verdun is recounted in a lovely, natural
setting in the largest sound and light spectacle in
Europe about the Great War. With 250 volunteer
actors, 900 costumes, exceptional special effects...
Translated into German, Dutch and English.
Contact: www.connaissancedelameuse.com
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
A French symbol: Joan of Arc spectacle at Domrémy
2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 & 11 July 2015 at 10.15pm
At Domrémy-la-Pucelle basilica, in the heart of the Vosges where Joan of Arc was born in
1412, a new sound and light show presents the superimposition of the two faces of Joan
from birth to the First World War. One hundred years ago, French soldiers fought to
defend an ideal and the emblematic figure of Joan represented a symbolic figurehead and a
new hope for France.
This third presentation, ‘Domrémy 1914-1918’, has a new reading of the Joan of Arc
legend allied with the Great War.
Contact: http://spectaclemonumental-jeannedarc.fr/
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
REMEMBRANCE WALKS
Exploring on foot or by bike is an original way to discover remembrance sites and their
natural surroundings. Visitors gain a better understanding of where the various armies
were positioned and the landforms which influenced battles. The Vosges Front area, in
particular, is a real open-air museum. Some caution is however required when walking
around these areas as the ground is littered with remnants, such as shrapnel, munitions
and so on. It is therefore important to pay close attention to trail markings and remain on
signposted routes.
There are many itineraries to choose from in the Lorraine region. Several easily-accessible
ones are described below:
On the Vosges Front
The visitor sites along the Vosges Front are excellent remembrance walk destinations.
Most of these landmarks are situated in natural areas, in forest or in the mountains and
can only be reached on foot. You can visit these sites all-year round, either
unaccompanied or with a specialist heritage guide. It is however advisable to contact the
Tourist Board for precise route instructions before setting out, as some signposting has
yet to be completed.
Here are a few examples of easy trails to try:
 The Chapelotte Pass: this walk allows us to clearly imagine the mine war at its
pinnacle. On this circular walk – offering a choice of routes from 2 to 9 km – you
will see German trenches, entrances to mine galleries, craters created by
underground explosions, bunkers and more.
Contour line 627 around the

Fontenelle war cemetery: a 1.2 km walk inside
French and German trenches where you will
find exhibition features and information
panels.
Contact: www.ot-raon.fr or
www.paysdesabbayes.com
For more information on the Vosges Front,
go to the "Visits" page of the website
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Verdun National Forest and Battlefields
The Verdun battlefields, which France’s national forestry office has awarded the Forêt
d'Exception® label for forests of excellence, are an extraordinary place to explore on
foot. After WWI, all that remained of the Verdun battlefields was a lunar landscape,
scattered with shrapnel and shells and a vast graveyard where the corpses of thousands of
soldiers who had fallen during battle had been dispersed by explosions. Following demining and clearing operations, France's Water and Forestry Bureau, which has now
become the National Forestry Office (ONF), was tasked with the reforestation of the Red
Zone (an area of land decimated by WW1 conflict), including the one-hundred squarekilometre Verdun battlefield. A forest was allowed to grow as a sanctuary to preserve
these scarred lands and allow their history to be remembered. Today the Verdun
battlefields are both a genuine open air museum and natural area where protected
species, such as orchids, newts, toads and bats have made their habitat. In June 2014,
Verdun Forest was France's second national forest to be awarded the "Forêt d’exception"
label.
Guided walks by the National Forestry Office make for an original visit and allow you a
close-up view of otherwise inaccessible war relics. Visitors are given a real immersion
deep within the battlefield enabling them to understand the historical and environmental
changes undergone by the area. Key sites include Souville Fort and the ouvrages of
Froideterre, Thiaumont and others.
Contact: For information on visits with the ONF, go to www.lesforetsdelhistoire14-18.fr
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
St. Mihiel Salient Circuit
The St. Mihiel Salient was an important strategic position during the Great War and still
bears the scars of the horrific fighting which took place there from 1914 to 1918. The Bois
d'Ailly (Ailly Wood), the Bois Brûlé (the Burned Forest) and the Tranchée de la Soif (Trench
of Thirst) are a testimony of the suffering endured by troops. To discover what life was
like for soldiers of both sides, visit the extraordinary Bavarois and Roffignac trenches
which have remained intact after more than 90 years.
Contact: www.tourisme-meuse.com
For more information on places to visit in the Meuse, go to the "Visits" page of the
website
NEW: Ideas of walks of 1 to 20 km. Available to download at www.tourisme-meuse.com.
 The Haute Chevauchée craters
PDF walk file
 The Verdun Battlefields
PDF walk file
 Fort de Vaux
PDF walk file
 The Point X trail - Les Epargnes
PDF walk file
 St. Mihiel Salient - Marbotte
PDF walk file
 Butte de Vauquois (Vauquois Mound)
PDF walk file
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Around the Maginot Line fortifications
Around the Ouvrage Hackenberg, one of the largest of the Maginot Line fortifications,
you will find two walking circuits of 8.6 km and 4.9 km (Download the PDF route files) as
well as a 30.3 km cycling route (Download the PDF route file).
Around Ouvrage Bambesch there is a circular walk of 14.7 km (Download the PDF route
file).
For a fun way to explore, you will also find routes at GPS@venture starting from
Ouvrage Hackenberg (instructions), Ouvrage Bambesch (instructions) and Ouvrage
Simserhof (instructions).
Contact: www.moselle-rando.com
For more information on the Maginot Line fortifications, go to the "Visits" page of
the website
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
A REGION AT THE HEART OF WAR
1870-1871, a region decimated by the Annexation
Following the French defeat by the Prussian Army, Lorraine lost autonomy over the
majority of its territory and Nancy was occupied by German troops until the ratification
of the Treaty of Frankfurt. The two warring nations were forced into a permanent
confrontation on Lorraine soil for over forty years, leaving the French Moselle occupants
little option but to stay and become German citizens or leave and lose everything.
Franco-Prussian War and Annexation Museum
The museum opened its doors on April 18th 2014 and displays the story and subsequent
consequences for the Moselle region after this little-known but crucial 1870 war. The
permanent exhibition has been further enriched by exhibits from the Gravelotte regional
collections, shedding illumination on the high stakes involved that led directly to one of
the major factors in the outbreak of the Great War.
Contact: www.musee-gravelotte.fr
Séré de Rivières Forts
The Franco-Prussian War revealed major weaknesses in the French and German
frontiers. A committee named General Séré de Rivières in 1873 as acting chief military
engineer and he organised a defensive network that ran from Belfort to Epinal and Toul to
Verdun.
Some examples of the new system are at Uxegney Fort, the only one to remain intact as a
pre-1914 modernised Séré de Rivières fortification, a partially underground citadel at
Villey-le-Sec; Toul town, fortified by Vauban and modernised by Séré de Rivières; Troyon
fort, where visitors can see how the emplacement protected the rear French flank during
the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914 and Falouse Fort, which has been fitted
out with models showing daily life in a small fort.
Contact: www.tourisme-lorraine.fr/memoire
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
Vauban fortifications – UNESCO World Heritage
The military engineering genius Vauban designed and constructed the fortified new town
of Longwy on the orders of Louis XIV in 1679. It has been listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site since 2008, part of 11 other Vauban sites in France to be so honoured.
Longwy reflects his conception of the ideal defensive town with all that would be required
in times of war. The town was built in a star shape and still conserves the Porte de France
main entry gate, the detailed carvings and motifs displaying that fine eye for detail Vauban
was famed for. The Tourist Office offers guided visits around the underground crossshaped magazine stores, the only remaining example of this particular construction style.
Contact: www.ot-paysdelongwy.com
In the area:
 Montmédy Citadel, fortified by Vauban. www.montmedy.fr
 Fortified churches, such as Saint Pierrevillers
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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1871-1914: Metz-Nancy, two faces of war
Nancy was inundated with refugees after Annexation. Artistic, intellectual and financial
excellence created an Art Nouveau centre, leading to the founding of the Ecole de Nancy
(School of Art). At Metz, Kaiser Wilhelm II started a large urbanisation project designed
to develop the town into a German Empire showcase.
Metz Imperial Quarter
At the end of the 19th to the start of the 20th century, work started on Kaiser Wilhelm II’s
Metz Imperial Quarter urbanisation. The whole area fans out around an enormous railway
station, reminiscent of the Rhineland castles. Built from 1905 to 1908, it was constructed
from grey granite on more than 3,000 foundation piles. The spacious boulevards were
adorned by multi-coloured façades on private houses, residences and public buildings built
by architects from all over Europe, creating an eclectic cornucopia of rich architectural
styles from the Belle Epoque where Romanesque art, art deco and German Jugendstil
designs live in perfect harmony.
Contact: www.tourisme-metz.com
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
Art Nouveau and the Ecole de Nancy
The ancient historic capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, Nancy became the largest city in
Eastern France to remain French. Migrants from all socioeconomic backgrounds flocked
to the city and it metamorphosed into a first rate industrial, artistic capital of the Art
Nouveau movement with the founding of the Ecole de Nancy. Commercial and financial
buildings and town houses flourished in the city centre, around the railway station and the
western quarters in an explosion of architecture. The Ecole de Nancy museum housed in
the arts patron, Eugène Corbin’s Villa, has a unique collection of furniture, glass and
artwork typical of the period. The Beaux-Arts Museum displays Daum glassworks in a
splendid museum setting.
Contact: www.nancy-tourisme.fr
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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1914-2014, First World War Centenary
Verdun, the greatest and lengthiest battle in 20th century world history and the name
resonates through history as a universal symbol of dreadful conflict that raged through
Lorraine during four long years. Lorraine still bears the scars of the Great War in its
destroyed villages, commemoration sites, soldier’s eye-witness accounts stretching from
the Vosges Mountains, to German-held Metz, French Nancy and finally, Verdun. The
Verdun battlegrounds form a historically poignant tribute and are a unique world heritage.
Verdun and the Red Zone
The areas around the Meuse and in particular, Verdun, resonate as a powerful symbol of
the First World War because of the amount of explosive ordnance used in the intense
ferocity of the battles. Nine villages were totally devastated between February and
December 1916 during the Battle of Verdun and more than 300,000 men perished. The
‘Red Zone’ stretches over 460 square miles and is today unique, preserving as it does the
detritus of the Great War.
Douaumont Ossuary, Douaumont Forts, the Trench of Bayonets… Nature has taken
back this restricted zone and forest paths now lead to the battlefields in an open-air
museum consecrated to war.
Contacts: www.tourisme-meuse.com - www.verdun-meuse.fr
www.tourisme-pays-verdunois.eu
Battle of the Grand Couronné and main sites
After the Alsace-Moselle Annexation in 1871, Nancy was situated just 15 kilometres from
the German border and became a vital theatre of operations at the outbreak of war in
1914. The Battle of the Grand Couronné was essential in the defence of Nancy and also in
stabilising the front, successfully held by French troops until 1918 and contributing to the
success of the First Battle of the Marne by pinning down German divisions in Lorraine.
The Grand Couronné is a series of heights around Nancy on an arc with Pont-à-Mousson
to the north-west, St. Geneviève hill to the east and Lunéville to the south-east. Main sites
to visit are: Bois le Prêtre, close to Pont-à-Mousson and Léomont Hill, near Lunéville.
Contact: www.nancy-tourisme.fr
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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The Meuse, 5 symbolic zones from the First World War
Apart from Verdun, there are four other geographical zones that form part of
remembrance in the Meuse. The Argonne was the primary area in mining warfare with
Vauquois Ridge; Saint-Mihiel Salient, the American Offensive theatre in 1918; the French
front line and the famous Voie Sacrée (Sacred Way) linking Bar-le-Duc to Verdun and
finally the German front line with little-known sites such as the Duzy gun, now listed a
Historical Monument and Marguerre camp.
Contact: www.tourisme-meuse.com
Vosges Front
Sparsely populated, relatively unknown and protected by its climate, the Vosges Front was
a mountainous zone between Donon to the north and the Grand Ballon to the south. A
historic border with Germany since Annexation in 1871, it was the only sector along the
Great War front to have seen mountain warfare. The Germans constructed fortifications
that fitted snugly into the mountain side rocks and crevices, the whole protected by a
forest camouflage. This open-air museum is a safe, secured and well-documented site. The
many remains and ruins breathe life into the legend of the ‘Vosges Blue Line’.
The Vosges Front was established in October 2014 and did not move until the Armistice.
Given the geography of the land and the compactness of fighting, any attempt at an
offensive would have been extremely costly and would have required means that neither
army had. The closeness of lines on the Chapelotte battlefield led to a particularly fierce
underground war during which increasingly substantial infrastructure was developed.
Some 55 underground explosions took place along the 30-metre front, ravaging the
sandstone of the Vosges mountains. For the German Army, the inaccessibility of the area
made their lines particularly difficult to supply thus leading them to implement
considerable logistical means including railway lines and several cable cars.
Contact: www.front-vosges-14-18.eu
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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1939-1945 and the Maginot Line
Once again, because of its strategic position, Lorraine found itself facing hostilities at the
beginning of the Second World War. The deep trauma of the past had influenced the
French Army; defence lines were strengthened and reinforced with particular attention to
the Maginot Line, destined to stop the German Army in its tracks. History decided
otherwise and many forts along the network were not even touched by the attacks they
were built to repel.
Hackenberg Ouvrage
The largest fortress in the Maginot Line was the Hackenberg Ouvrage with 19 combat
blocks and 10 km of connecting underground galleries stretching over 395 acres. This
subterranean world houses contemporary working equipment from a munitions magazine
to an electricity generator, with fully equipped canteens and medical block. The visit
finishes with a trip to the surface to see a working demonstration of a howitzer gun. A
military museum dedicated to the 39-45 conflict is also on site.
Contact: At Veckring (40km north of Metz) http://maginot-hackenberg.com/
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Simserhof Fort
Another of the great defensive forts, Simserhof was constructed in the 1930’s. It now
offers an impressive display about the Maginot Line with archival film projected on a giant
screen relating the beginnings and tragic end to the fort. An audio-visual show with
spectacular special effects relating the fierce fighting during the 1940 Battle of France takes
place while an automated train carries visitors through the munitions store. Also available
is an underground guided tour through the installations that 876 men occupied on a daily
basis: barracks, generator room, canteens, medical block, latrines, command post and
artillery block.
Contact: At Siersthal (100km east of Metz) www.simserhof.fr
Fermont Ouvrage
Fermont is a major work along the Maginot Line. It is an artillery fort that has stayed
intact, complete with equipment, armaments and underground dispositions. Travel in this
subterranean world, 30 metres below the surface by foot and in a small electric train and
discover the most important sections of the fort. The 1,000 m2 museum in front of the
entrance holds a real-life setting of an exceptional collection of materials and campaign
equipment, showing how each piece functioned in life under war.
Contact: At Longuyon (48km north of Verdun)
www.ligne-maginot-fort-de-fermont.asso.fr
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Fort Casso
The 3 surface blocks, two of which are infantry blocks, are all accessible to visitors. Fort
Casso was built to safeguard the Rohrbach Plain and 173 men, supplied with all the
equipment needed to sustain them, lived here in a miniature town created under 25
metres of dug-out chalk.
Contact: At Rohrbach-lès-Bitche (100km east of Metz)
www.fortcasso-maginot.com
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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SOMETHING UNUSUAL
An enthusiastic collector’s
museum: Romagne 14-18
informal
Jean-Paul de Vries shows guns, bayonets and bullets
in his informal museum, but it’s the soldier’s
everyday life that fascinates this collector. The
personal objects from the Great War have all been
found within a few kilometres of his home at
Romagne-sous-Montfaucon. Silent witnesses to
dreadful atrocity, poignant reminders that war is not
about superheroes, but ordinary men with ordinary
lives, ‘Romagne 14-18’ is a collection put together
with love and respect…and a perfect complement to
traditional museums.
Contact : www.romagne14-18.com
The ‘Frescos Fort’
The small fort at Bois de Bousse was a 4 combat block infantry post and is popularly
known as the ‘Frescos Fort’ because of wall paintings by Daniel Derveaux, a St. Malo
artist, carried out during the Phony War (September 1939 - June 1940). It’s also
decorated with drawings of Mickey Mouse at the Maginot Line, popular sayings, orders of
the day and a gallery listing famous people. The visit underground takes in infrastructure,
function and daily life of the 149 man crew, plus Betty the dog, and lasts about 1hr 30
minutes to 2hr 30 minutes. This subterranean barracks is more than a kilometre in depth
with a temperature of 13° remaining constant all year and holds a utility area with 3
engines and a generator (one still functions), barracks, a separate canteen each for the
men and officers, storage and a chapel.
Contact: At Hestroff (east of Metz) www.fortauxfresques.fr
Taking part in ‘From Flames to the Light’ show at Verdun
On the Friday, take a tour backstage and familiarise yourself with all the preparations,
then go out front and watch the show. Saturday sees you receive your ‘actor’ special
badge, your script and try on some costumes. You meet up with your very special actorguide, a volunteer especially detailed to stay with you for the entire length of the
show…and it’s on with the motley for your stage entrance!
And there’s a free souvenir photo to remind you of a truly unforgettable experience!
Contact: www.connaissancedelameuse.com
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Vadrouille the frog
Track Vadrouille the frog onto the Verdun battlefield and follow the puzzle trail in
a fun game for all the family to learn all about the Great War history!
Contact: www.vadrouillelagrenouille.eu
A Randoland at Verdun is also available for 4/12 year olds: a trail through town
discovering the major monuments relating to the Great War and also taking in a wealth of
history that goes back to Celtic times.
Contact: www.tourisme-verdun.fr
Pass Lorraine, the practical plan for visiting remembrance sites
The Pass Lorraine is free and available to everyone.
Get reduced rates and special offers for all the
family! There is a great number of participating
remembrance sites: Verdun World Peace Centre,
the ‘Flames to the Light’ show, the incredible ‘Joan
of Arc’ spectacle at Domrémy, Bitche Citadel,
Vauban fortifications at Longwy …
Contact: www.passlorraine.com
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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HOLIDAY BREAKS IN LORRAINE
Verdun: a stately home near to the battlegrounds
A truly magical château situated in its own immense park on the banks of the River Meuse
near Verdun and a top-notch restaurant serving gourmet Lorraine specialities…The
perfect luxurious base in a historical setting for touring the remembrance sites.
From €335 per person. Includes:
 Two nights accommodation with breakfast
 Two 4-5 course evening meals, excluding beverages
 One welcome aperitif
 One day-pass for the spa
That little bit extra: 3rd night free from Tuesday to Thursday, excepting French Bank
Holidays!
Reservation: Château des Monthairons – Phone: +33 (0)3 29 87 78 55
www.chateaudesmonthairons.fr
Lorraine, land of remembrance
From €125 per person. Includes:
 Two nights in a four-star hotel in Metz, with breakfast
 Self-guided visit to the Museum of Gravelotte dedicated to the war of 1870 and
the annexation of the Alsace-Lorraine region
 Guided visit of Hackenberg Fortress in Veckring
 Self-guided visit of the exhibition 'What remains of the Great War?' at the World
Peace Center in Verdun
 Self-guided visit of the Douaumont ossuary
Reservation: Moselle Tourisme – Phone: +33 (0)3 87 37 57 80
www.moselle-tourisme.com
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Centenary break in mirabelle plum country
A perfect spot for a countryside stop-over, a 3* hotel only 45 minutes from Verdun and
situated on the banks of the Meuse River by Madine Lake.
From €89 per person:
 1 night with breakfast included
 1 country produce evening meal
 1 ideas guide for touring the Saint-Mihiel Salient
 1 entry pass to Falouse Fort, near to Verdun
Reservation: Hôtel restaurant du Lac de Madine – Phone: +33 (0)3 29 89 34 80
www.hotel-lac-madine.com
Centennial break at the foot of the Verdun battlefields
This charming, comfortable three-star hotel, situated in the centre of Verdun and the Red
Zone, is the ideal base to discover the remnants of the Great War.
From €69 per person. Includes:
 One night accommodation with breakfast
 One 4-course evening meal (Traditional regional menu)
Booking: Hotel-Restaurant Les Orchidées, Verdun - Tel.: +33 (0)3 29 86 46 46
www.orchidees-hotel.com
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
Group stay on the Vosges Front
This stay, available to groups of eight persons and over, comprises a guided visit of this
unique area and only place in France to retrace the history of the mountain war.
From €135 per person. Includes:
 Two lunches (excluding beverages)
 One nights accommodation with breakfast and evening meal (excluding beverages)
 Visit to the site of the Col de la Chipotte battle
 Visit to the Pierre Noël art & history museum
 Visit to National Necropolis of La Fontenelle
 Visit to La Ménelle visitor centre and the Chapelotte memorial stone.
Booking: Pays des Abbayes Tourist Board – Tel: +33 (0)3 29 57 91 03
www.paysdesabbayes.com
Remembering the Liberation – the 1944 exodus
‘The cabin gift by the Swiss’ at La Bresse
The lodgings were opened in April 2014, each having a different theme and form part of
the ‘Cabins Clearing’ complex at La Bresse. The Swiss cabin gift refers to a page in La
Bresse history from the Second World War. The town was totally razed to the ground by
the Germans in November 1944 and the Swiss people gifted cabins to the population for
re-housing. The cabin is kitted out identically to the original lay-out some 70 years ago.
From €139 per night for 2 people, breakfast included.
Reservation: Bol d’Air at La Bresse – Phone: +33 (0)3 29 25 62 62 – www.bol-d-air.fr
More ideas for breaks and holidays on www.tourisme-lorraine.fr/memoire
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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WHAT’S AVAILABLE
Comité Régional du Tourisme de Lorraine (Regional Tourism Committee)
www.tourisme-lorraine.fr/memoire :site specifically for remembrance tourism, unmissable
Lorraine events, short-stay breaks for every budget…
CRT Lorraine press space easily accessible information:
http://pro.tourisme-lorraine.fr/presse
Themed press files
Great War Centenary in the Meuse.
Press contact: Christel Rigolot, CDT Meuse – [email protected]
Specific editions
Le Petit Meusien, map showing unmissable remembrance sites, brochure collections
‘Mémoire de la Grande Guerre en Meuse’ by the History Mission…
www.tourisme-meuse.com
Online photo library: a large selection of visual aids about remembrance tourism and
freely accessible film. Access code available from Carine Delanne-Buch.
Background images 14-18
A site specialising in the 14-18 war with thousands of stills, animated and photos in relief,
compiled by Nancy-Lorraine regional conservation.
www.imagesde14-18.eu
Film clips: film clips presenting Lorraine with a remembrance tourism clip, accessible on
Youtube (official account: Tourisme Lorraine).
Lorraine Tourism Observation
Key figures about the frequentation of the remembrance sites, tourism favourites in
Lorraine…
www.observatoire-lorraine.fr
Magazine ‘Voyages en Lorraine’
Discover the whole region through natural and man-made sites, festivals and the major
themes such as gastronomy, craftwork…
There’s also a large choice of readily available top-quality accommodation for weekends.
Check out http://fr.calameo.com/read/000239721615a16da570c?authid=7r6g2urgOe2W
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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Remembrance tourism in Lorraine
USEFUL CONTACTS IN LORRAINE
Comité Régional du Tourisme de Lorraine
Abbaye des Prémontrés – BP 97
54 704 PONT-A-MOUSSON Cedex
Phone: +33 (0)3.83.80.01.80 - Fax. +33 (0)3.83.80.01.88
www.tourisme-lorraine.fr
Carine Delanne-Buch, press attaché
Phone: +33 (0)3.83.80.01.89 (direct line)
[email protected]
CDT Meuse
33 rue des Grangettes
55000 Bar-le-Duc
Phone: +33 (0)3 29 45 78 40
www.tourisme-meuse.com
Press contact: Christel Rigolot
Meurthe-et-Moselle Tourisme
14 rue Majorelle
54000 Nancy
Phone: +33 (0)3 83 94 51 90
www.tourisme-meurtheetmoselle.fr
Press contact: Véronique Facq
Conseil général des Vosges
DICOM – 8 rue de la Préfecture
88000 Epinal
Phone: +33 (0)3 29 29 88 88
www.tourisme.vosges.fr
Press contact: Svetlana L’Hôte
Office de Tourisme de Metz
2 place d’Armes – CS 80367
57007 Metz Cedex 1
Phone: +33 (0)3 87 55 53 76
www.tourisme-metz.com
Press contact: Valentine Vernier
Nancy Tourisme et Evénements
Place Stanislas – BP 810 –
54011 Nancy
Phone: +33 (0)3 83 35 22 41
www.nancy.-tourisme.fr
Press contact: Florence Dossmann
Moselle Tourisme
2-4 rue du Pont Moreau – BP 80002
57003 METZ CEDEX 01
Phone: +33 (0)3 87 37 57 80
www.moselle-tourisme.com
Press contact : Arnaud Sécardin
Crédits photographiques : M. Laurent-Bol d’Air ; CG57/Studio Doncourt ; réseau Vauban ; JC Kanny, Moselle
Tourisme ; Anamnesia ; C. Philippot ; Ben Mankin French Entrée ; Le Simserhof ; Musée Lorrain Nancy ; M. Gandner
Connaissance de la Meuse ; Gilles Pecqueur ; JL Delpal.
Press contact > Carine Delanne-Buch [email protected] – 0033 (0)383 80 01 89
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