Attractions and Places To See around Senon - Top 11

🔭 **Observatoire de l’Étang d’Amel – Nature Observation at the Pond** At the Étang d’Amel, there is a wooden observation post from which wildlife can be observed undisturbed. Waterfowl such as herons, ducks, and geese are particularly easy to spot here – depending on the season, even with their young. 🌾 The platform is sheltered from the wind, offers information panels about the regional fauna, and is idyllically situated among reeds, trees, and riparian grass. **Tip:** Bring binoculars! The chances of spotting birds are particularly good in the early morning or late afternoon. Ideal for nature lovers and families.

Ornes was a real city, larger than the other destroyed villages, but which eventually found itself, after the First World War, on the same site, or almost, under their stones. In the course of its history, its lord's castle suffered the same fate, when it was taken in February 1653 and then destroyed by the Catholic troops of Lorraine, while he, like his ancestors since 1563, vigorously defended Protestantism. As early as 1587, a very bloody battle took place between his troops and the Catholic troops of the Duke of Lorraine. In the mid-19th century, the city had 1,367 inhabitants, but in 1914 the number of inhabitants fell again to 750. This was mainly due to the rural exodus, which provided labour for the large industrial centres that were growing rapidly at the end of the 19th century. However, this city has an industrial textile and processing factory that is well suited to local agricultural production and textiles from the neighbouring Woëvre plain. But its geographical location, close to the border with the annexed Moselle and then on the front that had been stabilised after the Battle of the Marne, was not favourable for the area. In the event of an enemy offensive, the area would quickly find itself on the front line. For this reason, on 25 August 1914, the population was asked to leave the village. But not everyone left, at their own risk, because the bombardments and German patrols in the village became increasingly intense. In September 1914, two children were killed by shrapnel. In October 1914, several villagers who were about to leave were taken prisoner by the Germans... In 1915 and until February 1916, French troops held the village where units were positioned, in the second line opposite the front, at the beginning of the great German offensive. But from 21 to 24 February, the German advance was so strong that the village of Ornes was taken by their infantry on 24 February 1916, after heavy bombardments that destroyed all the houses and buildings in the village. It was not until 23 August 1917 that the area was retaken by our soldiers. At the end of the war, the area was classified as a 'red zone' and could never be rebuilt. Source: Tourism Verdun

Beautiful route that winds through the battlefields of Verdun. Don't forget to look into the vegetation every now and then because you will discover remains or memorials at regular points.

You can observe birds there without disturbing them. The pond is home to many rare and protected plant and animal species, such as the greater bittern, the little heron and the marsh copper. Enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this wetland habitat. An ideal break for your race.

You can observe birds there without disturbing them. The pond is home to many rare and protected plant and animal species, such as the great bittern, the dwarf heron and the marsh copper. Enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this wetland habitat.

The village of Vaux-Devant-Damloup lies in the heart of the Verdun battlefield. The Fort de Vaux bears his name. This village was completely destroyed during the Battle of Verdun in 1916. The year was 1924… The name Vaux-Devant-Damloup was to be removed from the map of France and the area of the commune, definitively classified in the “red zone”, had already been purchased by the state. The love for the native soil, the cult of memory, the reputation of the graves would soon bring together a bundle of good will and only the construction of a moral city, a city of souls, a harbinger of material reconstruction, modestly made this possible Already an artery had breathed some semblance of life into the deserted valley: an economic railway line had been restored; A small train station was built. To house the station's employees, modest houses had been built along the railway line. A school functioned in a barracks while waiting for something better. Under the energetic drive of its new mayor, the municipality launched various projects and immediately worked to realize them. An amount of 150,000 francs was allocated in successive installments for the creation of a new road network. The construction of a town hall school in 1928 inaugurated the rebirth of the town. A water supply was carried out and an electrical line was built. As the outskirts of the city became more hospitable, consideration was given to building a chapel, a memorial temple where the former residents and the families of the village's eighteen children who died on the Field of Honor would gather. To assert the legal personality of the new agglomeration, the municipality bought 30 hectares of land, while the mayor, his deputy and some other residents made the same gesture for their personal accounts: 200 hectares were thus deducted from the red zone. Today Vaux-Devant-Damloup is the only village rebuilt in the area of the battlefield, about 500 meters from the destroyed village. There are approximately thirty houses and 72 residents. Source: https://www.vauxdevantdamloup.fr/la-reconstruction_fr.html

Easy to drive gravel path to the impressive Douaumont monument. Last bit is steep!

This is one of the destroyed villages from WWI that were not rebuilt