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We will have about 3 hrs to visit the Museum and Napoleons Tomb
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Our next stop
will then be the Hôtel National des Invalides. Founded by
Louis XIV - the Sun King - in 1670
Construction of the dome began in 1706
1840 / The return of the body of Napoléon
8 October 1840
19 years after the death of the Emperor his coffin was exhumed
and opened for two minutes before transport to France aboard the
frigate La Belle Poule. Those present claim that the body
remained in a state of perfect preservation
3 April 1861
Napoléon I came to his final rest in the crypt under de dome |
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From
there we will drive to the Hotel in the city, get some rest and
prepare for the evening
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Evening
out in Paris
After
dinner you shouldn’t miss the Eiffel Tower at night, a Seine
river cruise and after that a visit to the amusement area
Montmartre, maybe even at the Moulin Rouge.
The Metro is fast and gets you everywhere in Paris. When you
return to the hotel at night I recommend that you take a taxi. |
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After
Breakfast we will leave Paris and head for
Cantigny where the US 1st Division fought the 1st battle of the
AEF in WWI.
The 1st Division lost more than 1,600 casualties
including 199 killed.
We will visit the AEF Monument in town and the surrounding
battlefields.
The 28th Infantry
Regiment, attacked the town on May 28th 1918, and within 45
minutes it captured the town along with 250 German soldiers and
earned the special designation
"Lions of Cantigny".
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Compiegne
Place where the railroad carriges stood
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After
visiting the battlefield of Cantigny that became known as the
first US offensive and victory we will then drive to Compiègne to
visit the site where the Germans signed their capitulation on that
cold and wet day of November the 11th at 05:05 hours.
The German Erzberger signed the document on behalf of the German
Government. Signals were immediately sent out to the Allied
commands.
The Armistice was to take effect at 11 o'clock, on the 11th day,
of the 11th month.
In
1940 the Hitler forced the French to sign their defeat also there. |
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US 4th Division WWI Memorial
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From
Compiègne we then drive up to Soissons.
Soissons was heavily fought over and in 1918 the Germans succedded
in taking the town.
This victory was costly – more
than 7000 men were killed or wounded when the American
Units retook the town on August 6th 1918.
This makes Soissons an important place of US military history in
WWI. |
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 Reims
during WWI
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From
Soissons our route takes us via Fismes, where the 28th Division
crossed the river Vesle and the State of Pennsylvania later built
a bridge to remember their heros and where the 32nd Division earned the nickname of “Les Terribles”,
to Reims where we stay for the night.
Those interested have a chance to visit the Cathedral in which all
French Kings were crowned. |
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Day 3 |
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French WWI Cemetery at St. Menehould
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This
morning we drive to St. Menehould (Close to the Argonne Forest)
where we leave the highway to drive to Varennes en Argonne. |
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At
Varennes we visit the local Museum dedicated to the American
Expeditionary Forces have lunch and have a look the impressive
Pennsylvania Monument from 1927. |
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Montfaucon
1916
"Sammies" Memorial at Montfaucon
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Our next stop will
then be the Montfaucon Monument and the World War I Meuse-Argonne
American Cemetery and Memorial near by. It holds the largest
number of WWI American Dead in Europe, a total of 14,246. 
Pershing square at Montfaucon
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 Mort
Homme
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From the cemetery
we will then drive along the Meuse river to Verdun. On our way we
will see "Mort Homme" the dead man ridge that the French
and Germans fought over and over again from 1916 to 1918 before we
arrive at Verdun, from where we then return to the Highway to
drive back to Germany. |
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Book
me to guide this tour for your group
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Add another day
to see Verdun and St. Mihil
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