REMEMBRANCE TOURISM SITES 14-18 SALES MANUAL
WHEN THEIR STORY BECOMES
our History
ATOUT FRANCE
1
Vimy Soldier paying respect
2
CHRISTIAN MANTEI MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ATOUT FRANCE 2014 was punctuated by the centenary of the First World War,
chock-full of history, former battlefields that today have become
a major event for France. Canada was amongst the nations
places for peace and commemoration. These emotionally charged
involved in this conflict, responding valiantly to the call and standing
sites offer captivating insight into the First World War, through
out for its soldiers’ heroic behavior. Today, the French are paying
innovative design and scenography, animations, workshops,
tribute, celebrating with emotion each of these ingenuous combatants
testimonials, discovery tours, etc.
of bloody WWI. With this brochure, Atout France, the France Tourism Development From the Vosges Front to Nord-Pas de Calais, making way
Agency, has regrouped holiday stay ideas proposed by Great
through Lorraine and Picardy, the memory of the Great War has
War specialists, professionals who know how to surpass your
forged the territories’ landscape and identity. Memorial sites are
clients’ expectations.
JOSEPH ZIMET MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM Since 2014, France has formed part of the circuit of commemo-
thousands of them lost their lives in France and Belgium between
rations to mark the centenary of the First World War. This global
1914 and 1918.
event has mobilised all of French society thanks to a veritable season of cultural, educational and remembrance events. Right
The Vimy memorial, renovated in 2017, as well as the Beaumont-
across France, numerous events are held to remember this truly
Hamel Memorial Park that was listed as a Canadian Historic Na-
global war, which involved dozens of nations from across all five
tional Monument in 1997, serve as a reminder to everybody of
continents.
the price paid by the Canadian people during this conflict.
The First World War was a defining moment in the history of Ca-
The Great War was a significant moment in the evolution of Ca-
nada. The Canadian Corps that was established in September
nada’s status as a nation. Those involved with the cultural and
1915 formed an important part of the troops of the British Empire
educational elements of the commemorations in France and
at the Battle of the Somme. In Artois, Canadian troops seized
Canada, with the support of tourism bodies, would like the cente-
the Vimy Ridge in April 1917, and also took part in the fighting
nary of the First World War to be an occasion where this shared
at Lens, Cambrai and Amiens in August 1918. Several tens of
history of our two nations can continue to be reaffirmed.
ATOUT FRANCE
3
CONTENTS Canadians in the great war Map of the Western Front 14-18 Key facts about remembrance tourism in France Canadian remembrance sites Monchy-le-Preux Newfoundland Memorial Wimereux Communal Cemetery Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery Zivy and Lichfield Craters
5 6 8 10
10 10 11 11 Courcelette Canadian Memorial 12 Le Quesnel Canadian Memorial 12 Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial 13 Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada 13
Other key remembrance sites Paris, Gateway into France Northern France (Nord-Pas de Calais Region) Somme Aisne Champagne Ardenne Meuse The Vosges Front A network of professionals at your service 4 itinerary ideas to discover the Western Front 2-3 days: from Lille to Arras 4-5 days: from Lille to Reims 1 week: from Lille to Verdun 2 weeks: from Lille to Mulhouse Live a moving experience on the Western Front Summary by Myriam Thompson Contacts Northern France Somme Aisne Champagne Ardenne Meuse The Vosges Front Canadian wholesale and tour companies offering France
14
14 14 15 15 15 16 16
17 18
18 18 19 19
20
20
21
21 21 21 22 22 22 23
Photo Credits P2 © CWGC / p4 © Greg Soussan / p5 © J. Nicholls / p10 © S. Dhote / p10 © AS. Flament / p11 © P. Fruitier / p12 © Somme Tourisme / p13 © Somme Tourisme/ Garry / p13 © S. Dhote / p14 © H.Giansily - CRT PIdF / p14 © S.Dhote / p14 © AS.Flament / p15 © Nicolas Bryant / p15 © AS.Flament / p15 © H. Balesse / p15 © John Foley / p16 © D.Tatin / p16 © Guillaume Ramon / p16 © ADT68/CG88 - JL.Delpal / p17 © Fotolia / p17 © istock / p18 © Fotolia / p20 © Jérôme Pouille
4
Canadian War Memorial, Vimy Ridge
CANADIANS
IN THE GREAT WAR THE BEGINNING OF CANADIAN TROOPS
TWO GREAT BATTLES
In August 1914, Great Britain and France went to war against
The Battle of Vimy Ridge
Germany. The Canadian government sent a part of its troops
The Battle of Vimy Ridge (Nord-Pas de Calais) was a crucial,
to assist the British army, with the level of military participation
defining moment for Canada as a nation. The battle’s centenary,
being decided by Ottawa.
April 9, 2017, will be an opportunity to commemorate this event, which saw more than 66,000 young Canadians give their lives
Many Canadians were excited about helping the Allies, especially
for France.
recent immigrants from the British Isles, who volunteered in large numbers. To prepare for combat, the Canadian troops
The Battle of the Somme
received basic training in a hastily built camp in Valcartier, Quebec.
July 1st marks the first day of the Battle of the Somme, a fourmonth-long campaign in which Canada played an active role.
On October 3 , the first contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary
The 1st Newfoundland Regiment suffered staggering losses at
Force, made up of 32,000 men, sailed for Britain. At the same
Beaumont-Hamel, and July 1st, today the province’s Memorial
time, the British Dominion of Newfoundland sent 500 soldiers.
Day, bears a solemn connotation in Newfoundland and Labrador.
rd
ATOUT FRANCE
5
6
MAP OF THE
WESTERN FRONT 14-18
ATOUT FRANCE
7
KEY FACTS
ABOUT REMEMBRANCE TOURISM IN FRANCE THE GREAT WAR CENTENARY DESTINATION AGREEMENT The Great War Centenary Destination Agreement was drawn up
The aim of this agreement is to strengthen cooperative ties
in November 2013, just before the First World War Centennial
amongst the signatory partners, each competent in their own
commemorations were set to begin. This new initiative connects
fields (observation, engineering, promotion), thus increasing
various players of the tourism industry on France’s Western
visibility of the tourist offer on an international level while further
Front, from both the public and private sectors, and unites them
developing efficiency of the local welcome.
into one single destination: The Western Front.
“WESTERN FRONT 14-18: WHEN THEIR STORY BECOMES OUR HISTORY” This logo identifies all the regions on the Western Front that were affected by battles during the First World War. It conveys a message of peace that is focused on the future, inviting countries around the world to discover and share France’s shared history.The flowers of remembrance symbolize the heavy losses suffered by all the nations that took part in the conflict: the blue cornflower for France, the white forget-me-not for Germany and the poppy for the Commonwealth. The combination of these flowers reinforces the logo’s message of peace.
6.2 million visits 4 million visits concentrated on 17 major sites
260,000 visits spread over 65 smaller sites
Source: Atout France publication 2011 “Remembrance tourism in France” Survey based on the sites linked to the contemporary conflicts of the 1st and 2nd World Wars, Indochina and Algeria, and exclusively on merchant sites
8
turnover
45 million euros (2010 figures for commercial sites in mainland France)
KEY FACTS
ABOUT REMEMBRANCE TOURISM IN FRANCE Location of WW1 and WW2 remembrance sites
5 sites 10 sites 20 sites
Distribution of French and international visitors 45%
International visitors [2.7 million visits]
Distribution of individual and group visitors 40%
55%
French visitors
[3.5 million visits]
Group visitors
[2.5 million visits]
60%
Individual visitors
[3.7 million visits]
Source: Atout France publication 2011 “Remembrance tourism in France” ATOUT FRANCE
9
CANADIAN
REMEMBRANCE SITES WIMEREUX COMMUNAL CEMETERY
CABARET ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY (SOUCHEZ)
In Wimereux Cemetery, among the graves of the 3,000 soldiers
In Souchez, the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery regroups 7,665
and nurses who died in the British Army field hospitals, lies the
graves of Commonwealth soldiers who fell during the Great War.
final resting place of Lt-Col John McCrae. A Canadian doctor,
It is from this cemetery that the body of the «unknown Canadian
McCrae was the author of the famous poem In Flanders Fields
soldier» was exhumed on May 25, 2000, who now lies in front
which he dedicated to those who fell in the Great War. The
of Canada’s National War Memorial in Ottawa’s Confederation
subsequent popularity of his poem contributed greatly to the
Square..
poppy being chosen as a symbol of remembrance: “In Flanders fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row“.
INFORMATION INFORMATION Visits for groups, schools, individuals Open all year round
€
10
No admission fee
Visits for groups, schools, individuals Open all year round
€
No admission fee Guided visits
DISCOVER NEARBY WIMEREUX COMMUNAL CEMETERY
DISCOVER NEARBY CABARET ROUGE CEMETERY
Terlincthun British Cemetery: 4 km
Lens’14-18 War and Peace Historical Centre (Souchez): 2.5 km
Etaples Military Cemetery : 35.6 km
Ring of Remembrance: 4 km
St.Etienne-au-Mont Communal Cemetery: 18.2 km
Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada: 6.3 km
Dover Patrol Memorial (Cap Blanc Nez): 27.5 km
German War Cemetery at La Maison Blanche (Neuville-Saint-
Field Marshal Douglas Haig Equestrian statue
Vaast): 4.3 km
(Montreuil-sur-Mer): 47 km
Wellington Quarry (Arras): 14 km
VIMY RIDGE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE OF CANADA
ZIVY AND LICHFIELD CRATERS (THÉLUS)
Canada’s monument to her 11,285 soldiers reported lost on
Canadian soldiers discovered an almost lunar landscape
French soil during the Great War stands at the heart of a 107-hectare
at the foot of Vimy Ridge when they prepared to launch the
park overlooking the Pas-de-Calais coal basin. Built at the place
assault on the German positions in April 1917. The mine craters
where, in April 1917, Canadian troops fighting as part of the Bri-
and shell holes still today bear witness to the battles held in
tish Army captured Vimy Ridge, the memorial’s white pylons and
the area, including the French offensive in May 1915, and the
sculpted figures mark a defining event in the history of Canada.
German attack the following year, when the British army came in to relieve the French.
INFORMATION Visits for groups, schools, individuals Open all year round. The interpretation center is
€
INFORMATION
closed from middle December to middle January.
Visits for groups, schools, individuals
No admission fee
Open all year round
Guided visits
DISCOVER NEARBY VIMY RIDGE
€
No admission fee
DISCOVER NEARBY ZIVY AND LICHFIELD CRATERS
Lens’14-18 War and Peace Historical Centre (Souchez): 4.9 km Ring of Remembrance: 6.3 km
Wellington Quarry (Arras): 10.5 km
German War Cemetery at La Maison Blanche (Neuville-Saint-
Lens’14-18 War and Peace Historical Centre (Souchez): 7.4 km
Vaast): 4.7 km
Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada: 3.7 km
Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery (Souchez): 6.3 km
Ring of Remembrance: 9 km
Wellington Quarry (Arras): 14 km
ATOUT FRANCE
11
MONCHY-LE-PREUX NEWFOUNDLAND MEMORIAL
BEAUMONT-HAMEL NEWFOUNDLAND MEMORIAL
In the centre of Monchy-le-Preux, a proud bronze caribou stares
On the 1st July 1916, men from the Newfoundland Regiment,
off into the horizon. It is one of the five commemorative sites in
left their trenches and were immediately trapped under German
Europe dedicated to Newfoundland soldiers who fought in the
machine gun fire. Half an hour later, only 68 remains unscathed.
First World War. The same caribou can also be found in
They suffered one of the highest casualty rates of the 1st July,
Masnières in the North, in Beaumont-Hamel and Gueudecourt
making this one of the bloodiest actions of the Somme.
in the Somme, and in Courtrai, Belgium.
Thanks to its extremely well-preserved battlefield and trench lines, this commemorative site provides a moving, realistic point of view of the battles in which men from Newfoundland Regiment were involved.
INFORMATION
INFORMATION
Visits for groups, schools, individuals
Visits for groups, schools, individuals
Open all year round
€
No admission fee
Open all year round
€
No admission fee Guided visits
DISCOVER NEARBY MONCHY-LE-PREUX Wellington Quarry (Arras): 9 km Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery (Souchez): 20 km Lens’14-18 War and Peace Historical Centre (Souchez): 22 km Ring of Remembrance: 24 km Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada : 24 km
12
DISCOVER NEARBY BEAUMONT-HAMEL Thiepval Franco British Memorial and Visitor Center: 5 km Lochnagar Crater of La Boisselle: 10 km Somme 1916 Museum in Albert: 11 km Historial, Museum of the Great War in Peronne: 34 km
COURCELETTE CANADIAN MEMORIAL
LE QUESNEL CANADIAN MEMORIAL
Flers-Courcelette was the Canadian Corps’ first major battle in
The Canadian memorial in Le Quesnel is made of granite from
September 1916. The memorial stands in the centre of a circular
Quebec, and pays tribute to the achievements of the Canadian
park, around which more than ten varieties of maple trees are
Corps during the Battle of Amiens, which lasted from August
planted and recorded the simple inscription: the Canadian corps
8 to 11, 1918. It is inscribed: the Canadian corps one hundred
bore a valiant part in forcing back the germans on these slopes
thousand strong on 8th August 1918, attacked between Hourges
during the battles of the Somme Sept 3 – Nov 18 1916. The
and Villers-Bretonneux and drove the enemy eastward for eight
memorial to mark the 11 weeks of bloody fighting by Canadians
miles.
on the battlefields of the Somme should be sited at the scene of
On that first day, the Canadians gained 13 kilometres and captured
their initial victory in that long and costly struggle.
5,033 prisoners. This day was considered as «The Black Day of
rd
th
the German Army». The Battle of Amiens continued until August 11.
INFORMATION Visits for groups, schools, individuals
€
INFORMATION
Open all year round
Visits for groups, schools, individuals
No admission fee
Open all year round
Guided visits
€
No admission fee Guided visits
DISCOVER NEARBY COURCELETTE South African Memorial and Museum of Longueval: 6 km Monuments and Cemeteries of Pozières: 3 km Gueudecourt Newfoundland Memorial: 8 km Somme 1916 Museum in Albert: 10 km
DISCOVER NEARBY LE QUESNEL Australian National Memorial & Museum of Villers-Bretonneux: 18 km Australian Memorial of Le Hamel: 21 km Little Train of the Upper Somme: 20 km American Memorials of Cantigny: 26 km
ATOUT FRANCE
13
OTHER KEY
REMEMBRANCE SITES
PARIS, GATEWAY INTO FRANCE Museum of the Great War, Pays de Meaux At the entrance to the Battlefields of the Marne, the Museum of the Great War, Pays de Meaux houses the rarest collection in Europe, offering new insight into WWI. Opening times: year round, except on Tuesdays, from 10am to 5:30pm. Annual Great War Museum Find out more: www.museedelagrandeguerre.eu
closing from January 4 to 22.
€ Admission fee
NORTHERN FRANCE (NORD-PAS DE CALAIS REGION) Ring of Remembrance Standing alongside the French National War Cemetery at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, this monument bears on the inside of its elliptical walls the names of almost 580,000 soldiers of both sides, in alphabetical order and without any reference to nationality, rank or religion. Perched on a plateau overlooking the village of Ablain- Saint-Nazaire, the memorial is an appeal to the citizens of today to remember the ravages of the Great War and to protect the fragile equilibrium of peace. Open all year round Ring of Remembrance
€ No admission fee French National War Cemetery at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette - Ablain- Saint-Nazaire Between Lens and Arras, the Artois Hills are home to numerous memorial sites created to pay homage to the men of the French army who fell in the region, particularly in the offensives of May and September 1915. Notre-Dame-de-Lorette National Necropolis in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, with 20,000 graves, and another 22,000 bodies of other soldiers
French National War Cemetery at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette
in ossuaries, remains the largest military cemetery in France. Open all year round
€ No admission fee Fromelles Australian Memorial Park and Fromelles Museum The monument is symbolic of the heroism and the sense of camaraderie shown by the soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force in their baptism of fire on European soil. A replica of this statue by sculptor Peter Corlett, who also designed the Digger of Bullecourt, can be seen on Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance. Fromelles Australian Memorial Park Find out more: www.remembrancetrails-northernfrance.com
14
Open all year round, except on Tuesdays
€ Admission fee at the museum
SOMME Thiepval Franco-British Memorial and Visitor Centre In 1932, the British government decided to erect the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval, an imposing 45-metre tall brick and stone monument, designed by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. It is the largest British War Memorial in the world. It commemorates the 72,205 men of the British and South African armies who died or were reported as missing in action between July 1915 and March 1918.
Thiepval Franco-British Memorial
Opening times: every day from 9:30am to 6pm between March 1 and October 31, and from 9:30am to 5pm the rest of the year. Annual closing around Christmas and New Year € No admission fee South African Memorial and Museum in Longueval Delville Wood is the national symbol for bravery and sacrifice as the 1st South African Infantry Brigade accomplished one of the finest feats of arms of the Great War here, in July 1916. Ravaged by the fighting, the woods were replanted in the 1920’s to house the South African National Memorial and its museum dedicated to the volunteers of all races and religions who fell during the wars.
South African Memrorial in Longueval Find out more: www.somme-battlefields.com
Museum and Visitor Centre open every day (except Monday) from February to the end of November 10am to 6pm (10am to 5.30pm from 1/04 to the 14/10) € Free access to the memorial all year round / Free admission
AISNE Dragon’s Cave, Chemin des Dames Museum The Dragon’s Cave, Chemin des Dames Museum, is an old limestone quarry lying 14 metres underground, converted into an underground barracks during the conflict. This site is not to be missed, as it gives a poignant presentation of how soldiers lived. Opening times: every day except Tuesday mornings up to mid-December
€ Admission fee @ www.caverne-du-dragon.fr Dragon’s Cave
Aisne Marne American cemetery Find out more: www.aisne14-18.com
Aisne Marne American Cemetery, Wood and Museum at Belleau In June 1918, the wood at Belleau was the scene of terrible fighting. The Marines halted the German advance and gained mastery of the battlefield of Belleau Wood. Belleau Wood still has the remains of trenches, shell holes and ruins. A huge chapel with a neoRomanesque bell tower, erected on the site of the trenches, dominates the American cemetery, where nearly 2,300 soldiers rest in peace. At the centre of Belleau village stands the Remembrance Museum of Belleau 1914-1918, dedicated to the memory of the many American soldiers who came to fight on French soil. Open every day till 5pm
€ No admission fee
CHAMPAGNE ARDENNE Pompelle Fortress The Pompelle Fortress was built between 1880 and 1883 as part of Reims’ defences and was a strategic target during the First Battle of the Marne. The fort was recaptured by the French and became a bastion of the defence of Reims. Now converted into a museum evoking the conflict, exhibits include the unique Friese collection of 565 items of headgear that belonged to the German Imperial Army.
Pompelle Fortress
Opening times: from 10am to 6pm between April 1 and September 30, and from 10am to 5pm the rest of the year. Closed on Mondays, May 1, July 14, as well as from mid-December to mid-January € Admission fee from 3 to 4€. If a guide is required, please contact the Reims Tourist Office. ATOUT FRANCE
15
Memorial of Dormans The memory of the battles has not been forgotten. In Dormans, the Battles of the Marne Memorial is a chapel, crypt and ossuary that holds the remains of 1,500 soldiers of different nationalities. Open every day from : April-May and September-October : 2pm to 6pm June, July and August : 10.30am to 6.30pm Memorial of Dormans Find out more: www.lamarne14-18.com www.champagne-ardenne-tourism.co.uk
Open all year round.
€ No admission fee for individuals (a free info leaflet in English is available). Rates for a French-language guided group visit (from 10 pax): 2 € For more information : office.tourisme.dormans@wanadoo.fr
MEUSE Vauquois Hill As the world capital of the Great War, Verdun is the symbol of violent battles that raged in Lorraine throughout the entire conflict. In Argonne, prominent for the use of mines, the Vauquois Hill is the best example of underground “living” quarters. The well-exhibited and well-kept site makes it a major site in Lorraine. Vauquois Hill
Open all year round (booking is required)
€ Guided tours of the underground living quarters are possible in exchange for a small fee to the association Douaumont Ossuary on the battlefield of Verdun The remains of 130,000 unidentified French and German soldiers lie in the Douaumont Ossuary, preserving their memory. Besides this symbolic place, there are various sites in Meuse, Lorraine, that give a better comprehension of the conflict: a Memorial Museum that will open in February 2016, remains of trenches, rear front camps, etc.
Douaumont Ossuary on the battlefield of Verdun Find out more: www.tourisme-lorraine.fr/en en.verdun-tourisme.com
Open daily from February to December
€ Admission fee. Guided tour in English for groups up to 15 persons: 4€ / person
THE VOSGES FRONT Hartmannswillerkopf Memorial The Vosges mountains are overlooked by a mighty rocky spur that hangs over the plain of Alsace, the Hartmannswillerkopf. The French and Germans fought hard over this observation post. In 1915 alone, the peak changed hands four times. A memorial crypt holding the remains of 12,000 unknown soldiers now honours them. Hartmannswillerkopf Memorial
Opening times: April to October.
€ No admission fee Fontenelle Cemetery In the Hure Valley, attrition warfare was used in a fight to gain control of the Fontenelle hills and quickly transitionned into a war of mines. A monument was inaugurated in 1925 near the cemetery where 2,348 French soldiers have been laid to rest. Fontenelle Cemetery Find out more: www.front-vosges-14-18.eu
16
Open all year round
€ No admission fee
MAIN REMEMBRANCE TOURISM SITES IN FLANDERS - BELGIUM
MENIN GATE MEMORIAL & THE LAST POST - YPRES
Daily year round at 8pm
THE BROODING SOLDIER, SINT-JULIANN - LANGEMARK
Open all year round
€ No admission fee
€ No admission fee
In Flanders Fields Museum at 200 meters
Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 5 km
IN FLANDERS FIELDS MUSEUM - YPRES
Opening times: daily from 10am to 6pm between April 1 and November 15, and from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm the rest of the year. Closed on December 25, January 1 and from January 5 to 20 € Admission fee: Adults 9.00 € / Children 18 & under 4.00€ Statue of the Brooding Soldier 5 km
ESSEX FARM JOHN MACCRAE SITE
MEMORIAL MUSEUM PASSCHENDAELE 1917 - ZONNEBEKE
Open all year round from 9am to 6pm. Closed from December 16 to February 1 € Admission fee: 7.50 € Polygon Wood Cemetery 1.6 km
TYNE COT MILITARY CEMETERY & VISITORS CENTRE
Cemetery opens all year round Visitors Centre opens from 10am to 6pm between February 1 to November 30 € No admission fee Langemark German Military 8 km
LANGEMARK GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY
Open all year round
€ No admission fee
Menin Gate & the Last Post 13 km
DIRECT ACCESS BELGIUM FROM CANADA Airlines: Air Canada (from Montreal), Jet Airways (from Toronto) and Air Transat (from Montreal)
ACCESS FLANDERS - BELGIUM FROM FRANCE Transport time from Paris to Brussels: 1 hour from Paris to Ypres: 4 hours / from Paris to Brussels: 2 hours Open all year round € No admission fee In Flanders Fields Museum 3 km
from Paris to Brussels: 3 hours 30 minutes from Paris to Ypres: 3 hours / from Lille to Brussels: 1 hour 30 minutes / from Lille to Ypres: 1 hour
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SITES Organisation to contact: VISITFLANDERS / Address: 620 Eighth Ave, New York, NY 10018, USA / Tel: +61 (0) 418831942 / Email: info4americas@visitflanders.com / Website: www.flandersfields1418.com / Contact name: Marco Frank
ATOUT FRANCE
17
4 ITINERARY IDEAS
TO DISCOVER THE WESTERN FRONT Whether you wish to introduce your clients to the memorial sites
bine memorial site visits with other key activities. Ranging from
during a visit to one of the Front regions, or are planning a longer
two days to two weeks, these itinerary suggestions are the ideal
stay on the Western Front, these four itineraries help you com-
way to discover the diversity of the destination.
2-3 DAYS: FROM LILLE TO ARRAS
4-5 DAYS: FROM LILLE TO AMIENS
City of Lille Louvre Lens Museum Wimereux Communal Cemetery Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery
City of Lille Louvre Lens Museum Wimereux Communal Cemetery Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada Zivy & Lichfield Craters National Necropolis in Notre-Dame-de-Lorette Monchy-le-Preux Newfoundland Memorial Courcelette Canadian Memorial
Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada
Along the way Obélisque à la Dover Patrol – Sangatte Etaples Military Cemetery Bay of the Somme City of Arras Thiepval Franco British Memorial and Visitor Center
Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
Along the way Obélisque à la Dover Patrol – Sangatte Etaples Military Cemetery Bay of the Somme City of Arras Thiepval Franco British Memorial and Visitor Center Wellington Quarry (Arras) City of Amiens and its Cathedral Somme 1916 Museum in Albert Somme Battlefields Tours
= OTHER ACTIVITIES
Lille
ACCESS FRANCE FROM CANADA 4 airlines flying directly to France from Canada: Air France (Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver to Paris) Air Canada (Montreal and Toronto to Paris; Montreal to Nice operated by Air Canada Rouge) Air Transat (all year long: Montreal, Quebec and Toronto to Paris, and in summer season: Montreal to Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Bâle-Mulhouse; Vancouver and Calgary to Paris; Toronto to Marseille) Corsair (Montreal to Paris in summer season)
Examples of connecting flights:
Air France (bus service from Ottawa to Montreal for a flight to Paris) / KLM: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton to France via Amsterdam). To connect with many cities in Canada: Code share Air France KLM with WestJet For more information: http://ca.france.fr/en/information/ flights-france-0 18
DISTANCES ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Historial Museum of the Great War (Peronne)
LILLE LENS
40 km
PARIS REIMS
50 min
ARRAS
53 km
LILLE
1h
PERONNE
92 km
AMIENS
1h10
AMIENS
145 km
METZ
1h30
LAON
160 km
LAON
1h40
REIMS
209 km
TROYES
330 km
VERDUN
325 km
METZ
396 km
STRASBOURG
553 km
COLMAR
625 km
MULHOUSE
672 km
STRASBOURG
2h20 1h50 (2016)
1 WEEK: FROM LILLE TO REIMS
2 WEEKS: FROM LILLE TO MULHOUSE
City of Lille Louvre Lens Museum Wimereux Communal Cemetery Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada Zivy & Lichfield Craters National Necropolis in Notre-dame-de-Lorette Monchy-le-Preux Newfoundland Memorial Courcelette Canadian Memorial Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Le Quesnel Canadian Memorial Somme Battlefields Tours Historial Museum of the Great War (Peronne) Dragon’s Cave, Chemin des Dames Museum
City of Lille Louvre Lens Museum Wimereux Communal Cemetery Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada Zivy & Lichfield Craters National Necropolis in Notre-dame-de-Lorette Monchy-le-Preux Newfoundland Memorial Courcelette Canadian Memorial Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Le Quesnel Canadian Memorial Somme Battlefields Tours Historial Museum of the Great War (Peronne) Dragon’s Cave, Chemin des Dames Museum Reims and its Cathedral Aisne Marne American Cemetery, Wood and Museum at Belleau Oise Aisne American cemetery at Seringes-et-Nesles Pompelle Fortress Vauquois Hill Montsec Memorial Verdun Battlefield Fort de Troyon – Saint Mihiel Salient Pompidou Centre in Metz Strasbourg the European Capital Fontenelle Cemetery Hartmannswillerkopf Colmar Mulhouse
Reims and its Cathedral
Along the way
CONTACTS
Obélisque à la Dover Patrol – Sangatte Etaples military Cemetery Bay of the Somme City of Arras Thiepval Franco British Memorial and Visitor Center Wellington Quarry (Arras) City of Amiens and its Cathedral Somme 1916 Museum in Albert Medieval city of Laon Epernay, The Champagne Tourist Route
Northern France +33(0)3 20 14 57 80 / e.roose@crt-nordpasdecalais.fr www.remembrancetrails-northernfrance.com Aisne +33(0)3 23 27 76 76 / contact@aisne-tourisme.com www.aisne14-18.com Somme a.carrier@somme-tourisme.com www.visit-somme.com and www.somme-battlefields.com Champagne Ardenne +33(0)3 26 21 85 80 contact@tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com www.champagne-ardenne-tourism.co.uk Meuse +33(0)3 29 45 78 40 / contact@tourisme-meuse.com The Vosges Front +33 (0)3 29 82 83 12 / tourismevosges@vosges.fr / +33 www.front-vosges-14-18.eu and www.haute-alsacetourisme.com
Along the way Obélisque à la Dover Patrol – Sangatte Etaples Military Cemetery Bay of the Somme City of Arras Thiepval Franco British Memorial and Visitor Center Wellington Quarry (Arras) City of Amiens and its Cathedral Somme 1916 Museum in Albert Medieval city of Laon Epernay, The Champagne Tourist Route Battles of the Marne Memorial in Dormans Visit of a Champagne House in Aisne and the Champagne Ardenne region Pays de Meaux Great War Museum Art Nouveau in Nancy Douaumont Ossuary Dragées Braquier traditional sugar almond factory in Verdun City of Troyes Bar-le Duc Renaissance heritage The Alsace Wine Route… ATOUT FRANCE
19
Ring of Remembrance
LIVE A MOVING EXPERIENCE ON THE WESTERN FRONT
SUMMARY BY MYRIAM THOMPSON BATTLEFIELD TOUR SPECIALIST FOR WW1 The feeling and understanding of what occurred on the Western
memorial park where the Newfoundland regiment went over the
Front is overwhelming and even more so when you are standing
top to lose over 80% of their men within a few minutes are such
on a battlefield overlooking the landscape. Canadian actions
places, with further actions in areas such as le Quesnel and Monchy
through this war have left their marks and have forever been
le Preux.
engraved in the France’s history. Poignant memorials have been erected to mark the multiple areas where Canada gave her
Visiting the grave or following the footsteps of a relative brings
whole; the stunning Vimy Memorial remembering Canada’s fallen
the emotions to another level. So many stories are to be told
and their missing but not only. Visiting the French Battlefields will
such Canada’s most heroic Piper James Richardson buried at
open one’s mind to what these soldiers had endured in taking
Adanac Cemetery or one of world’s most famous war poets, john
their objectives under all imaginable conditions one can think of.
McCrae, who wrote In Flanders Fields who rests at Wimereaux British cemetery. Each and every soldier far from their homeland
Places such as Courcelette Canadian memorial where an un-
gave their best for freedom and peace that is so precious and
preceded 24,000 men went down in casualty, the Newfoundland
fragile to this day.
Walkabout Digger Tours – WW1 Battlefield Tour Specialists walkaboutdiggerstours.free.fr Find more guides of the Somme Battlefields’ Partner network on www.somme-battlefields.com
20
A NETWORK
OF PROFESSIONALS AT YOUR SERVICE
Nearly 460 tourism professionals make up the Somme
providing you with a top-quality welcome year round. They
Battlefields’ Partner, Northern France Battlefields Partner and
are well versed in the major events and sites of the First World
Aisne 14-18 Passing on the Memory networks: accommoda-
War, and, to help you make the most of your trip, are happy
tion providers, restaurateurs, tourist offices, visitor sites, guides,
to offer advice, share tips, and provide comprehensive tourist
taxis, merchants, etc. All are enthusiastic and committed to
information.
Northern France Battlefields Partners www.remembrancetrails-northernfrance.com Somme Battlefields’ Partner www.somme-battlefields.com Aisne 14-18 Passeurs de Mémoire www.aisne14-18.com
ATOUT FRANCE
21
CONTACTS NORTHERN FRANCE
SOMME
Tourist Office Agencies / Regional or Departmental Tourist Boards
Tourist Office Agencies / Regional or Departmental Tourist Boards
Tourist Office Agencies / Regional or Departmental Tourist Boards
Northern France Regional Tourist Board
Somme Tourism
Aisne Tourism
+33 (0)3 20 14 57 57 www.remembrancetrailsnorthernfrance.fr
+33 (0)3 22 71 22 73 r.gambier@somme-tourisme.com www.visit-somme.com Sales Contact: Richard Gambier
Specialized Guides and DMCs
Specialized Guides and DMCs
+33 (0)3 23 27 76 76 contact@aisne-tourisme.com www.aisne14-18.com Tour operator and Press contact: Christelle Clément +33 (0)3 23 27 76 77 c.clement@aisne-tourisme.co
Arras Tourist Board
Myriam Thompson
+33 (0)3 21 51 26 05 contact@explorearras.com www.explorearras.com
+33 (0)6 64 54 16 63 walkaboutdiggertours@free.fr French / English
Lens-Lievin Tourist Office
Carl Ooghe
+33 (0)3 21 67 66 66 groupes@tourisme-lenslievin.fr www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr
+33 (0)7 88 24 59 01 carl.ooghe@gmail.com French / English
Lille Tourist Board +33 (0)3 59 57 94 00 contact@lilletourism.com en.lilletourism.com Trott’in Nord +33 (0)6 82 87 78 89 trottinnord@gmail.com www.trottinnord.com
Olivier Dirson +33 (0)6 31 31 85 02 contact@cheminsdhistoire.com French / English Jackie and Rod Bedford +33 (0)3 22 76 29 60 jackie@battlefieldsexperience.co.uk English Upper Somme Tourist Office +33 (0)3 22 84 42 38 accueil@hautesomme-tourisme.com www.hautesomme-tourisme.com Poppy Country Tourist Office +33 (0)3 22 75 16 42 officedetourisme@paysducoquelicot.com www.somme-poppy-albert.com
Find more guides on www.somme-battlefields.com
22
AISNE
Specialized Guides and DMCs Olivier Dirson +33 (0)3 23 67 77 64 +33 (0)6 31 31 85 02 contact@cheminsdhistoire.com www.cheminsdhistoire.com French / English Murielle Castier +33 (0)6 67 75 47 11 info@hctp.net www.hctp.net French / English Gilles Lagin +33 (0)6 23 28 92 08 gilles.lagin@wanadoo.fr French / English Jennifer Bulot +33(0)6 09 66 52 44 jen.bulot@gmail.com www.visitesguidees-paris-autrement.com French / English Aisne Tourism – for groups +33 (0)3 23 27 76 80 reservation@aisne-tourisme.com www.aisne14-18.com Pays de Laon Tourist Office – for groups and individuals +33 (0)3 23 20 28 62 info@tourisme-paysdelaon.com www.tourisme-paysdelaon.com
CHAMPAGNE ARDENNE
THE VOSGES FRONT
MEUSE
Tourist Office Agencies / Regional or Departmental Tourist Boards
Tourist Office Agencies / Regional or Departmental Tourist Boards
Tourist Office Agencies / Regional or Departmental Tourist Boards
Champagne-Ardenne Tourist Board
Meuse Tourism
Haute-Alsace Tourism
+33 (0)3 26 21 85 80 contact@tourisme-champagneardenne.com www.tourisme-champagneardenne.com
+33 (0)3 29 45 78 40 contact@tourisme-meuse.com www.meusetourism.com Sales contact: e.giannini@cdt-meuse.fr Press contact: Christel Rigolot c.rigolot@cdt-meuse.fr
+33 (0)3 89 20 10 50 adt@tourisme68.com www.haute-alsacetourisme.com Sales contact: Cathy Heller
Greater Verdun Tourist Office Specialized Guide
+33 (0)3 29 86 14 18 info@verdun-tourisme.com www.verdun-tourisme.com
Patrick Gielen (CATGAP) +33 (0)6 89 97 55 93 catgap@neuf.f French/ English / Dutch / German
Lorraine Tourist Board +33 (0)3 83 80 01 80 Sales Contact: christelle.velut@tourisme-lorraine.fr www.tourisme-lorraine.fr/en/home
Specialized Guides and DMCs Florence Lamousse +33 (0)6 89 22 10 43 florence.lamousse @lorrainetouristique.com www.lorrainetouristique.fr French / English / Spanish Guillaume Moizan +33 (0)7 70 06 66 61 guillaume.moizan.guide@gmail.com French / English / Spanish Ingrid Ferrand +33 (0)6 79 45 30 98 ingrid.ferrand@nordnet.fr www.ingrid-tourisme-verdun.com French / English / German
CANADIAN WHOLESALE AND TOUR COMPANIES OFFERING FRANCE
Sonia Boudrot +33 (0)6 45 65 34 70 boudrot.sonia@gmail.com www.visites-guidees-verdun.fr French / English
Vosges Departmental Tourism Committee +33 (0)3 29 82 83 12 tourismevosges@vosges.fr www.tourisme.vosges.fr Sales contact: Maryse Côme
Specialized Guides and DMCs Professional tour guides of the Alsace region www.guides-alsace.fr/en Destination Haute-Alsace +33 (0)3 89 30 35 30 reservation@tourisme68.com www.destination-haute-alsace.com Sales contact: Virginie Meyer Senones Tourist Office +33 (0)3 29 57 91 03 ot.abbayes@orange.fr www.paysdesabbayes.com Sales contact and guides: Stéphanie Masset Raon l’Etape Tourist Office +33 (0)3 29 41 28 65 info@ot-raon.fr www.ot-raon.fr Sales contact and guides: Adeline Hairaye
Trafalgar
www.trafalgar.com/can
Alio?
https://www.alio.ca/
Globus
www.globusfamily.ca
Connaissance Travel
www.connaissancetravel.com
EF
www.eftours.ca
Victours
www.victours.ca
Insight Vacations
www.insightvacations.com
www.omnitour.ca/
Gerogia Hardy
www.ghardytours.com
Omnitour? (groupe scholaire)
Craig Travel
www.craigtravel.com
Objectif Terre (groupe scholaire)
www.objectif-terre.ca
Gateways International
www.gateways-international.com
ATOUT FRANCE
23
WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO FRANCE
WITH KLM IN THE WESTERN FRONT
ŠP. Fruitier - CG88/JL Delpal - Somme Tourisme/N. Bryant - Main picture: Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada. From left to right: La Fontenelle cemetery, Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, Le Linge museum.
Click here to download the brochure: WWW.FRANCE.FR
NORTHERN FRANCE
THE VOSGES FRONT
Along the Remembrance Trails of the Great War in Northern France, Vimy Ridge National Memorial is surely one of the most important and beautiful sites. We offer you a stay of 3 nights in a top-class B&B, not far from Vimy and Arras, which will allow you to discover the cultural destination that is Northern France.
Protected by its extreme climate and the relative neglect it experienced, the Vosges Front formed a mountainous area between the Donon, to the north and the Grand Ballon, to the south. We propose a stay for you to discover the Vosges Front, the only altitude battlefield of World War I in France, a fascinating place to explore.
FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WESTERN FRONT ON WWW.FRANCE.FR
ATOUT FRANCE
24
WWW.FRANCE.FR WWW.CENTENAIRE.ORG
25