Best Base for Battlefield Exploring
 

I am planning on a few days checking out the Maginot Line and Verdun sites. Which would be a better base, Thionville or Metz (or other suggestion)? Also, I heard that there is a tour available from the Verdun TI office. Anyone know about this?

The Verdun battlefield is well worth a visit, at least a couple of days if you can. I went for the first time in September last year and was surprised at just what a small area the action covered. We stayed in Marre, a few km outside Verdun city, but there would be several options nearby. If your bases were either Metz or Thionville the travel would add about 3 hours driving to your day. I don't know about the Verdun TI tour but I recommend these 2 threads:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ern-france.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ttlefields.cfm

The second contains a brief report from me. I do recommend you do a some research beforehand, it will make the visit much more meaningful as there is a lot to absorb when you get there.

As for the Maginot Line I have no experience. Is there much to see these days?

Thanks, stfc.

Nick4, if I were trying to see both the Verdun battlefields and the Maginot Line, I'd stay one or two nights near Verdun and then one or two nights in Thionville or Metz.

But if you base yourself near Metz or Thionville, you can certainly "commute" to Verdun for a day trip or two, as stfc points out. I'd find it a bit of a drive, though.

There is a reference to guided tours on the Verdun tourism site. I find it a bit odd, though, as the prices are for the guides but not the tourism bus itself. I guess you'd have to contact them to find out if there are regularly scheduled tours.

http://tinyurl.com/yejjgpx (This will take you to Verdun Tourisme.)

Anselm

Interesting information on both areas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/verdun http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line

Very helpful, thanks! I didn't realize the distance was that far. Great report stfc. Think I should spend at least one night in Verdun.

Glad to see Anselm answered your question on Verdun. Perhaps I can help a bit on the Maginot Line. The area I visited is near the town of Bitche, in Alsace.

I visited the fort Hackenberg some years back. This is one of the larger forts and has a functioning electric train, rotating turrets, and diesel generators. They now give tours in English which lasts about an hour or two. I believe it is held on weekends mainly in summer. It's quite cold down there, so bring a sweater. http://www.maginot-hackenberg.com/

A few years later I returned to the area to visit a smaller shelter, Freudenberg, and a larger fort, Schiesseck, against which my father had led his platoon as part of a larger assault on the then German-held line in the winter of 1944-45. Freudenberg is not open to the public, but someone had failed to secure the door . . . We found our flashlights inadequate and had failed to bring hard hats and gloves, but explored a couple of floors anyway. Most of Schiesseck is on French army property and is not accessible. I may return with better equipment and try for some of the places you can reach. It was very moving to look over the terrain where my father had spent such a miserable time. (He was quite annoyed with me for going in, thinking it was too dangerous. I told him they weren't shooting at us anymore.)

In the immediate area is another fort, Simserhof, which was about to open as a museum. I've heard it is the best museum on the line and would like to return and see it. http://www.simserhof.fr/site/

A website I found very useful in planning the trip was http://webspace.webring.com/people/g...nut/index.html
The guy who runs the site is quite an adventurer -- he explores abandoned forts with group of like-minded spelunkers.

While in the area you might want to visit some of the Westwall forts constructed in Germany. They are on a smaller scale but are similarly ingenious.

I think you will find it a very rewarding visit.