The best cycling routes around Martincourt-Sur-Meuse

This rest area just above the main road offers a beautiful view of the Meuse and the opposite side of the river

Among the thousands of fallen soldiers who rest here is Caporal Louis Micol, a soldier of the 19th Battalion of Chasseurs à Pied. He was not only a soldier, but also the founder of one of the first French front newspapers: Le Son du Cor, a trench newspaper written by and for soldiers. Micol died on 18 September 1915 in Brabant-en-Argonne and is buried in grave no. 390. His story is a reminder that even in the midst of the violence of war, soldiers sought ways to make their voices heard, share experiences and preserve their humanity.

Military cemetery created in 1916 during the Battle of Verdun. It contains the remains of 6,537 French soldiers, including 2,000 in ossuaries. Most of them died in 1916 on the right bank of the Meuse, near strategic points such as Côte 344 and Thiaumont. In 1961, 151 soldiers who died in the Second World War were also buried there. The necropolis covers 3.2 hectares and was set up between 1919 and 1934

This church, dedicated to Saint-Baudel, originally dates from the 11th century, as evidenced by the use of the typical opus spicatum masonry in the north wall. Over the centuries, the building has been modified and restored several times, resulting in a striking mix of architectural styles. Inside, you will find wooden seating boxes for the faithful and a 19th-century pulpit – silent witnesses to religious life in this village on the Meuse. Note the symbolic animal figures at the ends of the roof beams.

The national necropolis of Bras-sur-Meuse contains the remains of 6,537 soldiers who died for France. During the First World War, 6,386 French soldiers were gathered here, 2,000 of whom are in two ossuaries. It was created in 1916 during the Battle of Verdun (February-November 1916) and was gradually expanded from 1919 to 1934. It is a cemetery for the regrouping of bodies exhumed from military cemeteries on the right bank of the Meuse, in particular those of soldiers who died in the first aid post or in the ambulances stationed at La Fourche, the crossroads of the roads to Louvemont and Douaumont. The ossuaries contain the remains of unknown and unidentified soldiers who fell on hill 344, Haudromont, Froideterre, Cote du Poivre, Thiaumont, Louvemont, etc. In 1961, the remains of 151 soldiers who died during the fighting in June 1940 and were buried in various villages along the Meuse during the Second World War were collected here. Among the soldiers is Corporal Louis Micol, of the 19th Chasseurs Battalion, founder of one of the first newspapers on the front, Le son du cor , a trench newspaper of the chasseurs, who died in Brabant on 18 September 1915 (grave no. 390). Want to know more? Click on https://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/fr/bras-sur-meuse

The Saint Martin's Church was destroyed during the Battle of Verdun. After the Great War, the Saint Martin's Church was restored. The opening took place in the presence of Bishop Jean-Paul Gusching, Bishop of Verdun. Note that the church, before it was destroyed in 14-18, originally stood in the old village. Triggered to the full story? You can read it here on the large information board.

Villages détruits, Cumières-le-Mort-Homme is one of the nine villages that were destroyed during the Battle of Verdun. Historical context: Nine villages: Beaumont-en-Verdunois, Bezonvaux, Cumières-le-Mort-Homme, Douaumont, Fleury-devant-Douaumont, Haumont-près-Samogneux, Louvemont-Côte-du-poivre, Ornes and Vaux-devant-Damloup. They were all in the “Red Zone” of the front line in the Battle of Verdun. The villages were wiped off the map and never rebuilt. Erected chapels remind passers-by of this war horror. Triggered to the disappeared villages? Click through to https://www.landofmemory.eu/nl/sites-historiques/vernielde-dorpen/#:~:text=Vernielde%20dorpen,-In%20de%20Maasstreek&text=Deze%20dorpen%20zijn%20Beaumont%2Den,geveegd%20en%20never%20weer%20opopbouw.

Here you are standing in front of the prayer house of the village of Marre. The original church was destroyed in 1916 and rebuilt in 1930.