Reims & Verdun

On Sunday morning we packed our bags and bid au revoir to sweet and peaceful Épernay. After consulting the map in our guidebook, we realized we were only 20 kilometers from Reims, which is home of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. (I even remember studying this cathedral in college). 30 minutes later we parked the car and started walking towards the Cathedral. Sundays in Europe are demure and serene compared to the more boisterous and bustling weekdays and Reims was no different. A quiet calm permeated the almost silent, sunlit avenue as we strolled to the Cathedral. The view was breathtaking:

We first admired the exquisite craftsmanship of the exterior:

Inside we were astounded by the awe-inspiring artistry:





Construction on the Reims Cathedral of Notre-Dame began in 1211. Even more impressive is that there has been a cathedral on that very site since 401. Joan of Arc attended a coronation of a French King at this Cathedral. Grasping the magnitude of the history of a place is sometimes daunting.

Warmed by the early summer sun and the inspiration of the past, we hopped in the car and headed towards our next destination: Verdun. We both remembered whisperings of "Battle of Verdun" from past history classes, but neither of us really had much knowledge regarding the area. We read from our guidebook as we made the hour drive from Reims to Verdun. During WWI for approximately one year the Germans and French battled at Verdun at the cost of nearly one million lives. Again, grasping the magnitude of this history is overwhelmingly daunting. There are multiple monuments in Verdun, as there should be, and we chose to visit the Douaumont Ossuary, a cemetery and monument located on a former battlefield.

To get to the Douaumont Ossuary we drove through beautifully forested roads more likely to end in a trail head than a powerful monument for young lives lost. As soon as we opened the car doors the heavy silence flooded in around us.

The cemetery is home to 130,000 soldiers who fought at Verdun. The monument names hundreds of brave souls, most not seeing their 30th birthday. It was a powerful and informative experience. As we walked back to the car, hope sprung from the peacefulness of a place that was once so violent.

If you'd like to view all of our photos from our visit from the Champagne Region, please click on this link:
The Champagne Region Photos