The best MTB trails around Vauquois

This impressive American WWI memorial was dedicated in 1937 to commemorate the victory of the American First Army during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (26 September – 11 November 1918). The 54-metre-high Doric granite column, designed by John Russell Pope, is topped by a statue symbolising liberty. The monument stands on the hill of Montfaucon, where a medieval monastery once stood and where the Americans achieved a strategic victory in 1918.

Here, a newly constructed, small wooden tower offers a view of a branch of the Meuse River flowing along its natural bed. There are also tables and benches for a rest.

Tips: Climb the 234 steps to the viewing platform for a panoramic view of the former battlefield. Read the inscriptions at the foot of the monument with the names of the participating divisions.

This impressive American WWI memorial was dedicated in 1937 to commemorate the victory of the American First Army during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (26 September – 11 November 1918). The 54-metre-high Doric granite column, designed by John Russell Pope, is topped by a statue symbolising liberty 1 2. The monument stands on the hill of Montfaucon, where a medieval monastery once stood and where the Americans achieved a strategic victory in 1918.

At this location on the waterfront of the Maas Canal you have a beautiful view of the village of Champneuville with its special church tower without a spire.

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.

The Hermitage of Saint-Rouin is a modern chapel built on the site of an ancient hermitage where Saint-Rouin, founder of the Beaulieu-en-Argonne abbey, lived in the 7th century. The chapel, designed by the architect and Dominican friar L.-B. Rayssiguier, is a striking example of concrete architecture with geometric shapes and colorful stained glass windows. You can admire the minimalist interior and the altar made of sandstone blocks, as well as the 17th century altarpiece of the Assumption located in the enclosure. The Hermitage of Saint-Rouin is a place of pilgrimage and celebration every year on September 17, the feast day of Saint-Rouin. You can also enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding forest and the panoramic views from the hilltop. The Hermitage of Saint-Rouin is a hidden gem that will inspire you with its history and art.

In the 7th century, Beaulieu-en-Argonne already had an abbey, founded by a Scottish monk, Saint-Rouin, who gave his name to the village church. Part of the abbey still remains, including an old oak press from the 13th century, of impressive dimensions: it is one of the largest in Europe and weighs 30 tonnes! Next to it, a fresco represents the village as it was in 1789. Outside, there are some traces of the ancient walls of the abbey.