1914-1918 Trail: the First World War in the Marne

The Marne was one of the areas most severely scarred by the First World War, both in the west because of the war of movement with the two battles of the Marne and in the north because of the trench warfare and the fighting during the Argonne and Champagne offensives. 

Providing an understanding of the First World War in the Marne is the reason behind this itinerary lined with monuments, ruins, cemeteries and ossuaries, evidence of the fierceness of the fighting, as well as museums which ensure that the First World War, which finished on 11 November 1918, exactly 90 years ago, is never forgotten.

An itinerary in 4 routes:

1st route: the battles of the Marne (60 km)

• The National Monument to the Victory of the Marne in Mondement
• Dormans, the memorial of the battles of the Marne

2nd route: Around Reims, the martyred city (60 km)

• On the road, the Italian cemetery of Bligny-Chambrecy and themilitary cemeteries of Marfaux
• Reims, the martyred city
• On the road, the German cemetery in Berru
• The Fort of Pompelle
• On the road, the military cemetery of Sillery and the Mont Sinaï Observatory in Verzy

3rd route: Suippes and the Champagne front (40 km)

• Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand, the Russian Chapel
• The Great War interpretation centre of Suippes
• The military cemeteries of Souain
• Souain, the Navarin War Memorial
• Sommepy-Tahure, the Blanc-Mont American Monument

4th route: Argonne and the red zone (40 km)

• On the road, the German cemetery in Séchault
• The Hand of Massiges and the Bee Virgin
• On the road, the military cemetery of Minaucourt-le-Mesnil-les-Hurlus
• Vienne-le-Château, the Gruerie Wood and Camp Moreau
• On the road, the Harazée military cemetery in Vienne-le-Château
   

The stages: