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Bayonet Trench Memorial

Bayonet Trench Memorial

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Bayonet Trench Memorial

Recommended by 21 hikers out of 22

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Location: Douaumont, Verdun, Great East, France

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Best Hikes to Bayonet Trench Memorial

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1. The trenches of the First World War — loop from Bras-sur-Meuse

13.7km

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270m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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4.5

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2. Fort de Douaumont – Fleury-devant-Douaumont loop from Douaumont

14.7km

04:04

250m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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4.6

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3. Fleury-devant-Douaumont – Fort Douaumont loop from Douaumont

9.52km

02:37

150m

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Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

April 1, 2025

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

Translated by Google •

Nico

December 5, 2022

Funded by an American patron following a rumor that soldiers were buried alive here

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 340 m

Weather

Thursday 25 December

3°C

-3°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

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See hikes here

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Location: Douaumont, Verdun, Great East, France

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Bayonet Trench Memorial

1. The trenches of the First World War — loop from Bras-sur-Meuse

2. Fort de Douaumont – Fleury-devant-Douaumont loop from Douaumont

3. Fleury-devant-Douaumont – Fort Douaumont loop from Douaumont

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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