Romagne ’14 -’18


This heart-rending museum, which, in the words of owner Jean-Paul de Vries, is all about ‘life stories’ and ‘the human being behind the helmet’. Artefacts are shown in the state in which they were found – rust, dirt and all. The museum is a 40-minute drive northwest of Verdun via the D964 and D123.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery

0.5 MILES

The largest US military cemetery in Europe is this WWI ground, where 14,246 soldiers lie buried – a sobering sea of white crosses reaching as far as the…

2. Butte de Montfaucon

4.89 MILES

Commemorating the 1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive, this 336m-high mound is topped by a 58m-high Doric column crowned by a statue symbolising liberty. Ascend…

3. Fort de Douaumont

17.44 MILES

Sitting high on a hill, this is the strongest of the 38 fortresses and bastions built along a 45km front to protect Verdun. When the Battle of Verdun…

4. Ossuaire de Douaumont

17.71 MILES

Rising like a gigantic artillery shell above 15,000 crosses that bleed into the distance, this sombre, 137m-long ossuary, inaugurated in 1932, is one of…

5. Porte St-Paul

17.88 MILES

Built in 1877, this city gate is adorned with a marble plaque recalling the ‘victorious peace’ that inspired a ‘cry of joy’.

6. Citadelle Souterraine

17.94 MILES

Comprising 7km of underground galleries, this cavernous subterranean citadel was designed by military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban in the 17th…

7. Tranchée des Baïonnettes

17.96 MILES

On 12 June 1916, two companies of the 137th Infantry Regiment of the French army were sheltered in their tranchées (trenches), baïonnettes (bayonets)…

8. Monument à la Victoire

18.02 MILES

Steep steps lead up to this austere 1920s monument commemorating war victims and survivors. The crypt hides a book listing the soldiers who fought in the…