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Douaumont Ossuary – Fleury-devant-Douaumont loop from Damvillers

Douaumont Ossuary – Fleury-devant-Douaumont loop from Damvillers

Moderate

riders

Douaumont Ossuary – Fleury-devant-Douaumont loop from Damvillers

02:54

63.8km

620m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: June 27, 2026

Tips

Cycling is not permitted along parts of this route

After 33.2 km for 233 m

After 34.9 km for 51 m

After 36.7 km for 193 m

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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16.0 km

Chemin forestier tranquille

Highlight (Segment) • Other

very quiet street with hardly any traffic

Translated by Google •

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33.3 km

The Myth of the First World War
“In memory of the French soldiers who sleep standing, rifle in hand, in this trench – their brothers in America.” This is the inscription in front of the Memorial of the Battle of Verdun in the ghost town of Douaumont.

The monument was financed by a wealthy American banker, George T. Rand, who was moved by the famous legend surrounding the site. It is said that French soldiers buried standing, with weapons in hand, died from enemy shells. Bayonet Trench is one of the myths of the First World War. In 1922, it was classified as a historical monument and in 2014 it was considered a site of national importance.

After the war, excavations uncovered 21 bodies of French soldiers. Fourteen were identified and buried in the Necropolis of Fleury, opposite Douaumont. The seven other bodies that remained unknown were reburied in the "Bayonet Trench".

For many, the myth persists, while others question it. Especially since no body was found standing upright. In any case, the legend of the "Bayonet Trenches" shows above all how much the Great War left an almost indelible mark on the collective imagination. As the bloody conflict of the Battle of Verdun drew to a close, glorious stories quickly emerged in which the nation sacrificed itself for the fatherland.

Source: landofmemory.eu/sites-historiques/tranchee-des-baionnettes

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34.2 km

Douaumont Ossuary

Highlight • Historical Site

Take a moment to pause between the ossuary and this stone garden; tranquility reigns here. Don't forget to thank our brave soldiers for their ultimate sacrifice.

Translated by Google •

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