Experience the best of Verdun

Verdun sits on the Meuse in north-eastern France. The Battle of Verdun lasted for most of 1916, one of the longest and costliest battles of the First World War, and the hills north of the town are still marked by trenches, forts and shell craters under young forest. The Douaumont Ossuary holds the remains of unidentified soldiers of both sides, and the nearby forts of Douaumont and Vaux can be explored.

A memorial museum stands at Fleury, and the battlefield also holds the Trench of Bayonets, nine villages that were never rebuilt and rows of white crosses. In the town, the underground citadel is where the Unknown Soldier of 1920 was chosen, and the Victory Monument overlooks the river. The Treaty of Verdun, signed in 843, divided Charlemagne's empire among his grandsons.

Verdun is also known for its dragées, sugared almonds made in the town since the Middle Ages. Lorraine's mirabelle plums turn up in tarts and brandy, and quiche lorraine is on many menus. The mood of a visit is quiet and reflective, and spring and autumn light softens the landscape.