World War 1 was characterised by death and misery along the Western Front, a stretch of land that covered around 400 miles of France and Belgium. Soldiers fought one another in mud-filled trenches, greatly suffering from the poor conditions. 

Nowadays, this part of Europe has been transformed into a number of thriving towns and villages that live at peace with one another, no doubt thanks to the efforts of our valiant fighters. However, what took place here during the First World War has not and will not be forgotten.

The former Western Front is now the home of numerous moving and evocative memorials, which allow the soldiers that gave their lives for freedom to be crystallised in the annals of time.

Those with an interest in history or who would like to learn more about family members involved in the war often choose to visit WW1 sites in France and Belgium, where there are various memorials. While this is certainly a sombre and sobering experience, it can help travellers find peace regarding what happened or even enlighten them as to the fate of their loved ones. Of all the WW1 sites, these are some of the most popular.

 

Thiepval Memorial

This touching memorial is dedicated to the British and South African troops that were reported missing in the Somme. Roughly 72,000 individuals are commemorated by this monument, the average age of who was roughly 25 years old. To this day, the remains of many of the soldiers lost in the Somme have still not been recovered and of those that have been found, the majority of the remains have not been identified.

 

Thiepval Memorial World War I sites in France

The magnificent arch towering over the graves at the Thiepval Memorial (Photo: cheviotbob, Flickr)

 

Vimy Ridge Memorial

One of France’s most striking memorials and undoubtedly the most impressive of Canada’s overseas tributes, the Vimy Ridge site is a truly humbling place. The memorial pays homage to the Canadian troops that gave their lives during the battle of Vimy Ridge. Although the battle was a success for the Canadian soldiers, the death toll was heavy. Today, the monument sits proudly on top of a hill, looking out over the Douai Plain, and is inscribed with over 11,000 names of Canadian soldiers deemed "missing, presumed dead."

 

Vimy ridge memorial World War I sites in France

The striking WWI memorial at Vimy Ridge (Photo: pxhere)

 

The SOMME American Cemetery 

Just outside of the village of Bony is the beautiful yet haunting Somme American Cemetery, the burial ground of almost 2,000 American soldiers. On site there is a chapel, which boasts an elaborate American eagle and which contains the names of over 300 missing troops. The memorial is immaculately maintained and the fields of white crosses are a tasteful tribute to America’s sacrifice.

 

Somme American Cemetery World War I sites France

 (Photo: Gary Dee, Wikimedia Commons)

 

Verdun Memorial

The Verdun Memorial takes the form of a museum and recounts in detail what happened during the Battle of Verdun. Fought between French and German troops, the battle lasted around ten months and left 700,000 victims in its wake, 305,000 of which were fatalities. Today, the museum teaches visitors what took place on the battlefield and is careful to look at the battle as Franco-German rather than only showing what happened from a French perspective.

 

The beautiful Verdun Memorial (Photo: Pixabay)

 

Menin Gate

The Menin Gate, also known as the Ypres Memorial, is situated in Belgium and is one of the most important war memorials in the country and indeed the world. The colossal arch bears the names of around 54,000 soldiers who died prior to August 16th 1917 and were not officially buried. It is a poignant tribute to the 200,000 commonwealth servicemen that were slaughtered in the Ypres Salient.

 

The Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium (Photo: Johan Bakker)

 

Visiting one of the WW1 memorial sites in France or Belgium is an experience that will stay with you forever, regardless of your connection with any of the troops. If you would like to include a visit to one of these memorials during your vacation, be sure to let us know and we can weave it into your itinerary.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Naomi
Our trip was arranged and detailed well in advance, with reservations for activities and places of special interest, and free days with suggestions for things to see and do. We fell in love with Dordogne and the Paleolithic caves for which we had reserved tours, and were able to take in another cave the next day at the suggestion of our B&B hostess …
Clemmer & David
France Just for You - Emile and Laura - accomplished the task with skill and knowledge. Accommodations were excellent with lots of local color, suggestions for parking a large SUV were helpful, solving on the spot problems was handled with expertise and courtesy, sites were overwhelmingly beautiful. The guide book is the best. All the guides were …
Roger
The planning and coordination of our holiday was quite awesome and far exceeded all of our expectations and indeed our imagination. The 300 odd page personalised guide book with maps, times and distances, restaurants on route and at our destinations, recommended places to visit on route and the accomodation itself and hosts at each location were …
Valerie
Emilie deserves every 5 (actually I give her 10!) star review since we never dreamed our 2 week trip through the Loire, Normandy and Paris could be so perfect. One of the many steps above and beyond was arranging a full-day private tour in Normandy since my husband's uncle (who is still alive) was there on D-Day. Our guide, Noémie, knew in advance …
Chuck
Emilie was a great help in planning our trip and the accommodations and recommendations were excellent and well thought out. Unless you speak French and know the countryside, this is the best company for you to use to have a superb vacation and I would use them again anytime. They give you options so you can do what you like, but help with the …
Cat & Family
One would think driving in a different country where cars are on the wrong side of the road and you don’t speak the language for 11 day trip would not be a smart decision. France Just for You is definitely the travel consultant you go to. Emilie’s very quick replies to queries, personal knowledge of having been to places recommended and …

What are you looking for?