Fort de Vaux

The basics

A ticket to Fort Vaux includes an information leaflet or multilingual audio guide, which explains the background of the 1916 Battle of Verdun, the siege conditions, and the outcome. If you want to visit several Verdun battle sites and memorials, buy a combination ticket that grants you access to Fort Vaux, Fort Douaumont, and the Verdun Memorial. Fort Vaux sometimes features on battlefield tours and day trips from Verdun or Reims, which make it easy to visit scattered sites without a car.

Things to know before you go

• Plan for a visit of around an hour at the Fort de Vaux.

• Dress in warm clothes with sturdy footwear; the footpaths and corridors around the fort are often slippery and cold.

• There are no on-site restrooms or eateries, however, there is a café at the Verdun Memorial (10 minutes away by car).

How to get there

The site of Fort de Vaux is in Vaux-devant-Damloup and is easy to reach by car from Verdun via the D603 and D913 highways. Car journeys take around 15 minutes, and there’s a free parking lot on-site. If you don’t have transport, consider a taxi from Verdun as there are limited public transport options in the area.

When to get there

Fort Vaux is open from early February through early January. Aside from the annual closure in January, the site is open daily from mid-morning ‘till early evening. Since much of the site is outside, avoid visiting the site when it’s raining or bitterly cold.

What to see nearby Fort Douaumont

Less than 15 minutes away from Fort Vaux is Fort Douaumont, the larger of these two significant Verdun battlefields. Visits to both forts complement each other, as they each have different stories to relay about the Battle of Verdun. Unlike Fort Vaux, the heavily fortified Fort Douaumont fell to the Germans earlier and with relative ease, becoming a significant base during the following battles.