fort douaumont

The tour of the fort( I would strongly recommend a guide) highlight what life must heve felt like in what was thought to be an impregnable fort...the noise of at least 2000 shells falling daily must have been traumatic in the extreme and one can begin to see how so many suffered from shell shock .The engineering by the French in building the fort and by the Germans in furthering its technological upgrade are staggeringBut Forts don't win wars , soldiers do....

We went on the 1st Feb the first opening day of 2015. Only problem was the 10-20cm of snow that fell the night before. We left early to arrive up at Douaumont in time, but soon ran into problems with roads that had not been cleared! So we had to dump the car and walk for 2-3 kms. What a walk it was in the snow and ice, gave a good understanding into why the Germans delayed the attack, because of snow! We arrive at the Fort to find it closed, not surprised as the roads had not been cleared. But we had the place to ourselves to discover in clean un touched snow as you will see in the pictures!

The fort, built from the late 1800's to WWI, seems like it is surrounded by lunar landscape. The earth, even 100 years later, wears the scars of 1,000's upon 1,000's of shells that struck in and around the fort.As the fort is on the itinerary of virtually every tour (and tourist) I would recommend go early. The fort is surprisingly large with many levels below ground. Not surprising, however, is that there aren't many displays within the fortress. There is an solemn, but empty feeling, one gets from wandering around the inner workings of the Fort. A headset, explaining all that you will see, is a must. Definitely climb on top of the Fort for an excellent view of lunar landscape and the surrounding forest.Allow two hours for your visit and be aware that the Fort is closed during lunch.

It was OK touring the inside of this old fort, but I was not overly impressed. Many of the rooms are bare, and the audio tour is rather long. It was neat to go inside, but I think the tour could be better by adding more equipment and displays. This would show how life was inside these forts for these men. It would be a better way to honor their sacrifices. Fort Vaux was pretty much the same thing, but smaller. If you have to choose one, go in Fort Douaumont. You can also walk on top of the fort and explore some of the craters. Give yourself about 30 minutes to take in what there is to see here.

as I wrote in another review, I was here on a Friday in January. The Museum is closed in January, but to be honest I don't think I missed much. The site is so well preserved. There is a short hike around the sire, maybe 15min, take the time to do it. Craters, scrape metal blown to bits, original barb wire and other fortifications look like they were placed only yesterday. I've visited a lot of old battle fields, but NONE are as original as this. You really get a feel and appreciation for what happened here, and in other places for that matter. We owe so much to those that stood in the face of tyranny, this hallowed place puts their sacrifice in perspective. Take a minute and thank God for the Men in the nearby cemetery that they had the courage to endure so all of us can live free, fat and comfortable.

This part of the fortifications defending verdun is very fascinating. It has many aspects which are unexpected for a battlefield. The many tunnels and small rooms are well illustrated and signed. It is well worth seeing

We were on a bus tour operated by the Visitor Center in town. We were given enough time to walk through the tunnels and could only imagine what life was like for so many men cramped in these quarters. The audio guides were excellent. Look up at the ceilings and see what dampness can do over time! It was refreshing to walk outside and see the vast area of this Fort.

Interesting because nothing happened here other than some accidents. The largest of several built and then left empty by the French, arguably the most in tact (because little fighting happened in it), but all of them are very similar, so the tip would be to visit this one and skip the rest unless you have a thing about sunken late 19th century forts.

This was on my husbands list to visit in this area and we were not disappointed. The vast area this fort covered is amazing. The hand held video and audio guides are excellent and tell the history very well. It is rather chilly inside so a warm fleece and suitable footwear are a must.

World War I was truly a horrible thing. I was deeply moved the slaughter and destruction it caused. I have visited the cemeteries in many small villages throughout France and been shocked by the number of victims this war caused. The male population of many of the villages must have been wiped out. Imagine an underground mini-city built for 800 men with no latrines and almost a non-existent means for refreshing the air. Now imagine 3,000 men crammed into this location. I can't imagine how they could survive! That anyone could come out sane is beyond my comprehension. As others have said, the tunnels are dimly lit and damp--watch your footing. After you visit this site, tour the surrounding countryside. The area is still pock-marked with craters one hundred years after the fighting. I would imagine that the only thing worse than being stationed here was to serve in the front-line trenches. After you have seen this place, go and visit the Maginot Line. It was designed by a World War I veteran and the fort at Hackenburg is carefully maintained. By comparison, Hackenburg was a luxury hotel. To get a feeling for the war you must visit this site.

We toured this site using the hand-held video and audio guide. The guide is very well done. The videos and related audios tell the story of the soldiers who fought and died here.

If you've come to this area, you almost certainly are interested in military history. It's a fascinating place to visit while imagining the horror of living and fighting in a place like this. Give yourself enough time to wander both inside and outside the fort. The mostly undisturbed bomb craters one can see in the surrounding area are impressive as are the signs warning of the danger of un-exploded ordinance. And because the floor inside the fort is wet in a lot of places, and potentially slippery, I recommend appropriate foot wear. The bookstore at the end of the tour has a wealth of books, etc for those wishing more info.

If you're in the area there's a fair chance you're interested in WWI and this is a good start - an impressive remnant of the war with helpful staff and a good audio guide. The rooms are set out so you get a good idea of the conditions the soldiers had to endure, the battles that took place and the outcome for the city.The area around the exterior of the fort is worth a look to see the shell craters and devastation reaped on the surrounding countryside.One of the bigger, well preserved forts in the area.

Built prior to World War 1, this fort was quite extraordinary for all the underground construction and the huge expenditure that was involved. We visited it as part of a half day tour of the battlefields in the Verdun area.

This place helps you feel and understand the tragedies during WW1. Both the fort and the huge cemetery with all its' endless white crosses contributes to settle the atmosphere. In the surroundings you can also see plenty of trenches, ditches and other traces from the battles.