The departement of Meuse is located in the north-east of France, within the region of Lorraine. The area is popular with nature tourists, attracted by its beautiful scenery and the opportunity for outdoor activities such as walking, mountain biking and even water sports. Meuse is also popular with history buffs, as the area was the scene of much of the fighting on the Western Front in the First World War. There are monuments, museums and war cemeteries throughout the region, especially around the town of Verdun, which is a must-see for anyone visiting the area.
The town of Verdun was once synonymous with World War One, but has now been named the “World Capital of Peace”. The pleasant old town is always full of tourists in the summer months who have come to visit the town's memorials and cemeteries, as well as the World Centre for Peace, Freedom and Human Rights which is now established there. Verdun is also home to plenty of open, green spaces, should you want somewhere to take a break from sightseeing, while there is also a large indoor swimming pool with slides to keep the kids amused.
The main war memorials, cemeteries and an interesting museum are all on the outskirts of the town. You can visit the village of Fleury which was so effectively destroyed by German artillery that it has never been rebuilt, or the Douaumont Ossuary which was built for the remains of 130,000 unknown soldiers. There is also a museum near this site, which tells the story of the Western Front, a more general history of World War One and some of the personal stories of those who lived in the area.
For a more light-hearted museum, head north to the old town of Stenay where there is a museum dedicated to European beer. Housed in a former malting plant, the museum explains how all the various different types of European beer are brewed, as well as displaying some of the weird and wonderful machinery used to make the drink in years past.
The Lorraine Regional Nature Park, in the east of the departement is a huge open space, featuring meadows, forests and lakes. Crossed by hundreds of kilometres of walking and biking trails, the Nature Park is an ideal place to spend a sunny day. Further west is the Vent des Forest, an unusual marked footpath through woods that are filled with outdoor contemporary art sculptures!
Looking for self catering holiday accommodation in Meuse? Then below is a selection of gites in Meuse and villas in Meuse that can be rented direct from their owners. You can either click on each listing for further details or you can use our search engine on the left if you are looking for something in particular.
