EXPLORE THE BATTLEFIELD OF SEDAN

Follow in the footsteps of the combatants and experience the daily lives of soldiers and civilians during the three great conflicts of the 20th century that left their mark on Europe.

HERITAGE AND WARTIME MEMORIES TOURS

From 1870 to 1944, the fate of France, and indeed of Europe, was played out on several occasions in the Ardennes. As witnesses to history, Sedan and its neighbouring communes tell poignant stories through the memorial sites that dot the battlefield. As you go through it, you'll be doing your duty to remember, but you'll also have the chance to contemplate our beautiful landscapes and remarkable heritage. On sale at the Sedan Tourist Office.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN HISTORY!

Visit a museum or fortification to immerse yourself in history: the Maison de la Dernière Cartouche houses bullet holes, the Fort des Ayvelles and the Ouvrage de la Ferté recount the tragic fates of their garrisons, and the Musée Guerre et Paix en Ardenne retraces 100 years of war, presenting national and local military aspects of the wars of 1870, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.

1870

Less well known than the next two conflicts, the war of 1870 was the detonator that upset the balance of the world.

Mémoire Augustin Trébuchon

World War I

Between 1914 and 1918, Sedan was occupied by the German army. It became a hospital town, and the population suffered oppression, requisitioning and repression.

World War II

In May 1940, the German army's "coup de faux" fell on the French army during the Battle of Sedan.

SEDAN: THREE WARS, ONE BATTLEFIELD

Three major conflicts have turned Sedan into a battle field in the past. The memorial sites testify to the tragic stories of the war of 1870, the Great War, and World War II. They are places of memories, rooted in the past, that recount chapters of different wars today.

Réconciliation franco-allemande, paix France Allemagne

Walk in the Footsteps of the Soldiers

On a free or on a guided visit, relive the fate of men and women, military and civilian, occupiers and occupied, to better understand the history and birth of Europe.

A LAND MARKED BY THE WARS

A land of thoroughfare and invasion since the dawn of time, the Ardennes, holds in its land, many traces of combat. It is a land of memory on which history is told and shared. The region of the Ardennes Metropolitan Urban Area includes battle-field sites, strategic locations, and areas where significant historical events occurred such as the capitulation of Napoleon III in 1870 or the transformation of the fortified castle of Sedan into a prison during World War I.

The destiny of France, even of Europe, has played out many times in the Ardennes. Charleville, Sedan and the communes of the Ardennes Metropolis remember these wars. To visit these places full of history (to avoid history repeating itself) is to realise the need for memory. It is also to appreciate the peace that has been regained and rediscovered, and to get beyond the military context to see the beautiful countryside out of which has developed the heritage of Charleville/Sedan in the Ardennes.

Détail du panorama de la bataille de Sedan en 1870

The Battle of Sedan in 1870 can be seen at the Fortified Castle

The name of Sedan remains associated with the Prussian victory on the 1st of September 1870. A room in the fortified castle is dedicated to the war of 1870. The Panorama of Sedan by Louis BRAUN is shown there: a canvas of 11.30 metres wide by 1.57 metres high.

Kommandantur Sedan, Am Fuße der Ardennen, Leipzig Klischees und Druck von Dr Trenkler, [1914-1918], coll. Musée municipal de Sedan

Come hear the Tale of Sedan during the Great War

Between 1914 and 1918, Sedan was occupied by the German army. It was transformed into a hospital-town, and the population were oppressed, subject to requisitions, and general repression. Thanks to the Heritage service of the City of Sedan, you can listen to the story of Sedan during the Great War on a free or guided tour.

Download the leaflet
Patrimoine_Culturel-Details_Architecture-Sedan-©Ville_de_Sedan-014

World War II and the Reconstruction of Sedan

In May 1940, Sedan was one of the points by which the German army crossed the Meuse, known as the breakthrough of Sedan. To slow their progress, the Franco-British forces bombarded the town. After the war, a whole neighbourhood located on the bank of the Meuse was rebuilt by Jean de Mailly. Here there are guided tours by the Heritage service.

La Maison de la Dernière Cartouche à Bazeilles
Certaines pièces de la Maison de la Dernière Cartouche conservent la trace des derniers combats de 1870.

La Maison de la dernière cartouche (House of the Last Cartridge)

During the 1870 war, soldiers from the Infanterie de Marine stationed themselves in this inn to put up a last stand against the Bavarian soldiers during the fighting on 1 September. The structures of the building still bear witness to these events.

The Great War 1914-1918

The Mission du Centenaire has accredited a number of visits, tourist sites and events in the communes of Ardenne Métropole. From the Fort des Ayvelles to Vrigne-Meuse, where Augustin Trébuchon, the last soldier to die in battle, fell, fulfil your duty to remember by visiting these must-see sites.

Le Fort des Ayvelles entre Charleville et Sedan

The Fort of Ayvelles: on the Frontline during the Invasion of August 1914

Séré de Rivières' initial military objective was to stop the enemy from having access to the railway system, the fort witnessed the meteoric advance of the invader.

Practical information
Augustin Trébuchon cycle mémoriel Ardenne Métropole

Augustin Trébuchon, the last Frontline Soldier Killed in Combat in 1918

Augustin Trébuchon fell at the last military operation of the Western Front of World War I. He is the emblem of the memorial cycle organised by the Ardennes Metropolitan urban area community.

Monument allemand de Sedan
Le monument allemand impressionne par ses dimensions : 10 mètres de long sur 4 de large !

The German monument in Sedan, a witness to the Great War

This monument to the dead, built by the German army in 1915 in the Saint-Charles cemetery, is one of the most important in the former occupied zone. Restored in 2017-2018 thanks to French and German funding, it is now a symbol of reconciliation.

Practical information
Teaser Augustin Trébuchon, dernier poilu tombé lors de la Première Guerre mondiale
See the video on the fate of Augustin Trébuchon, last frontline soldier killed in combat in 1918.

Charleville, an Occupied Town

Charleville, during World War I, was the rear base of the German military staff that occupied it throughout the conflict. All the factories, mansions and produce was requisitioned by the occupying forces, and the local population was starved.

Charleville, ville occupée - Kronprinz

MÉZIÈRES AND CHARLEVILLE, FRENCH CAPITALS OF GERMANY 1914-1918

A booklet to discover Charleville and Mézières during the Great War. Available at Charleville's tourist office.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945

The Second World War left indelible marks on the landscape and in the memories of the people of the Ardennes. To mark the "Sedan Breakthrough" of 1940, a number of special events are scheduled.

Ouvrage de la Ferté (Fort of la Ferté)

For four days in May 1940, the 105 French soldiers in the garrison of the La Ferté fortress put up heroic resistance to the Germans, before dying of asphyxiation 25 metres underground. A fortified element of the powerful Maginot Line, the fortification was the very first fort to fall into German hands.

Contact the fort of la Ferté
Char Sherman Deuxième Guerre mondiale

Les Libertés retrouvées 2023

Created in 2009, the "Libertés retrouvées" festival will bring the town of Donchery to life over a weekend. The event will be held in early September 2023. Programme to follow.

Signature de l'Armistice de la Première Guerre mondiale à Rethondes

Musée Guerre et Paix en Ardenne (War and Peace Museum)

The Musée Guerre et Paix en Ardenne aims to present the history of the Ardennes during the three wars of 1870, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. Its approach is highly original, since it is devoted to three major conflicts, whereas museums concerned with the history of contemporary wars generally focus on a single conflict.

Contact the War and Peace Museum

REMEMBRANCE ROUTES AND PLACES OF REMEMBRANCE

Charleville, Sedan and the communes of the Ardenne Métropole conurbation bear witness to conflicts. They bear the traces of history in its darkest hours. Each place of remembrance preserves the memory of the deeds and exceptional acts of soldiers or civilians of whatever nationality. By visiting these places of remembrance, you become aware of courage, suffering and the need to preserve peace.

Maison Forte de Saint-Menges

Memorial Sites

Monuments, museums, high forts, cemeteries and burial grounds. Click to access a list of memorial sites referenced in the Ardennes Metropolitan urban area.

Topoguide Circuit de mémoire en pays sedanais

Heritage and Wartime Memories Tours

The heritage and wartime memories tours presents the events and the history of the war and provides 5 mapped routes to follow in order to discover the battle sites. Book available at the tourist board of Sedan.