The château of Balleroy, the design of which inspired the design of the palace of Versailles, was built ex nihilo in 1631 at the request of the duke of Choisy by the architect François Mansart (1598-1666).

The architect gave the structure the first spiral staircase ever seen in France. Works by other masters, such as Baudry, Delaroche, Géricault, Gros and Van Loo add to the brilliance of the place named after count Albert of Balleroy, a talented animal painter a student of Schmitz, who exhibited his works at in the hall from 1853 to 1870.

The reception hall has a series of royal portraits of Juste d'Egmont crowned by a ceiling painted in trompe-l'œil style by Charles de la Fosse.

During the course of the renovation of the interior, the dining hall is fitted with Régence panelling from a private hotel in Paris.

The library, built in English style around 1850, houses more than 3600 works.

The park is lies between romantic gardens built in 1856 and French-style panels designed according to the plans of André Le Nôtre and altered by Henri Duchêne in the 19th century.

The property was acquired in 1970 by media magnate Malcolm S. Forbes (1919-1990).

He was a world-renowned balloonist who set six hot-air ballooning world records, and was the first to successfully cross the United States, from east to west, with a single hot-air balloon. He wass also a member of the consultation committee of the Naval College.

He decided to create an international balloon museum on his new property. The wealthy, passionate individual gradually built up the collection, collecting photographs, sketches, dioramas, genuinely unusual objects and unique documents on the history of air ballooning, in particular on the role of air balloons during the sieges that took place during the war of 1870.

Château de Balleroy - Musée des Ballons

F-14490 Balleroy

Tél. : 02.31.21.60.61 - Fax : 02.31.21.51.77

E-mail : reservation@chateau-balleroy.com

Château de Balleroy

Located at the heart of the old city centre of Nancy, the Musée Lorrain lies close to the Palais Ducal and Église des Cordeliers. Work on the oldest part of the palace began under René II (1473-1508), the conqueror of Charles the Reckless, and continued under his successors until early in the XVII century.

Nowadays, the first level of the structure contains the reception and dining room used by the dukes of Lorraine, known as the "Galerie des Cerfs". On the ground floor, there is an open-vaulted gallery overlooking the garden, while a portal marks the Grande Rue entrance. Also built in Gothic style, its décor suggests that it is one of the earliest examples of work from the Renaissance period in eastern France.

In 1850, the first hall of the Lorrain Museum opened its doors to the public. From then on, the museum expanded and now has some 4 500 m2 of exhibition areas scattered across a number of sites in the old city. These structures, with their powerful history, house rich collections assembled over more than 150 years, the most notable items of which include the tables of Georges de la Tour and the work of Jacques Callot, but also reference collections, art collections and collections of popular traditional items. Since 2000, the renovation of the Lorrain Museum has taken the form of a joint initiative involving the City of Nancy, the Historical Society of Lorraine and the Musée Lorrain, the French government and the Lorraine regional government. It is managed by the City of Nancy, which is also the project supervisor, in partnership with the French and regional governments under the terms of the contract for the 2000/2006 plan.

The aim of the project is to rebuild the museum, while at the same time preserving historical buildings and creating new areas in which to host exhibits by modern museums in line with the expectations of modern audiences. Thanks to the creation of these areas, the Lorrain Museum will become « the museum for all peoples of Lorraine», a cultural reference point not only at a regional level but also at a national and international level. A plan for for reserves common to the museums of Nancy is currently in progress. This plan is a joint initiative between the City of Nancy and the urban community of Grand Nancy. The objective of the plan is to create an area for the storage, conservation and analysis of collections, and to have a permanent community tool for the development of these facilities. The renovation of the Lorrain Museum is thus now under way. It will continue to welcome members of the public for the duration of the renovation process.

By way of an introduction, the archaeology halls highlight the characteristics of the different peoples that have inhabited this region: everyday objects, fine clothing, armaments and sculptures bear witness to the wealth of prehistoric, Gallo-Roman and Merovingian civilisations in the east of France. Collections from the Middle Ages are displayed in the vaulted gallery of the ground floor of the Palais Ducal. Religious and funeral sculptures and pieces of silverware sit next to ceramics, glasses and stained-glass windows from the Medieval period, as well as armaments from the XIV and XV centuries. Renaissance art finds its expression in particular in works by Ligier Richier (Eglise des Cordeliers) and a set of remarkable stained-glass windows and sculptures, such as Christ in the Olive Garden and the Passion of Christ series.
The Femme à la Puce painting, the famous masterpiece by Georges de La Tour, is surrounded by paintings of his surroundings. The brass works and etchings of Jacques Callot are another highlight of a visit to the Museum. Among the objects emblematic of the reign of Stanislas you will find the statue of Louis XV. A small-scale version of this statue adorned the royal palace before it was destroyed during the Revolution and replaced by a statue of Stanislas. The collection of regional earthenware from the XVIII and XIX centuries is a reference collection.

The armaments and evocation of Lorraine military chiefs recall the role of this strategic and patriotic region during the XIX and XX centuries. A hall with miniatures and another hall with Jewish play at the Museum. The everyday life of the inhabitants of Lorraine from the late XVIII century to the early XX century is illustrated by collections of popular art and ethnography housed in the convent of the Cordeliers : regional furniture, popular earthenware and domestic objects are displayed in settings reminiscent of traditional Lorraine home interiors.
The Museum's education service, an association governed in accordance with the law of 1901, has been in place at the Museum since 1961. The service offers the following all year round: Schools: from kindergarten to final-year students Teachers, children and young people from specialist education institutions MJCs, FJEPs, rural homes a wide range of activities: - free or guided visits : Musée Historique Lorrain, Musée des Arts et Traditions, Chapelle des Cordeliers, Porte de la Craffe - Pantomimes for and by children - Workshops on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and during school holidays : linocut, costumes, etching, masks, models, photography - The use of educational tools, videos, slide films - Access to cultural education service : conferences, exhibitions - Preparation and holding of cultural heritage classes and workshops. Contact : Mireille Canet Telefax: 03 83 37 25 55
 

Musée Lorrain

Palais Ducal - 64 Grande Rue - 54 000 Nancy

Tel. : 03.836.32.18.74 - Fax : 03.83.32.87.63

e-mail : museelorrain@mairie-nancy.fr

How to get there by CGFTE shuttle service. Stop: Musée Lorrain. Hours The Museum is open every day from 10h00 to 12h30 and from 14h00 to 18h00, except Tuesdays. Closed 1 January, 1 May, 14 July, 1 November and 25 December. Pricesfor permanent collections Single : ?3.10 Group (more than 10 people) ad concession rate : ?2.30 Pricesfor exhibits Single : ?5 Group (more than 10 people) and concession rate : ?3 Pricesfor combined visits (Musée Lorrain and Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires) Single : ?4.60 Group (more than 10 people) and concession rate : ?3.10 Pricesfor combined visits and access to temporary exhibits Single : ?6 Group (more than 10 people) and concession rate : ?4

The Landing Museum, built in 1954 next to the beach of Arromanches, is located on the same site where the artificial port, traces of which can still be seen, was built, several hundred metres from the shore. "Mulberry B" is the official code name given to the artificial port of Arromanches ("Mulberry A" being the name given to the artificial American port that runs along Vierville-sur-Mer and Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer ). This port had to allow the transport of dfferent types of cargo (live and material) for the troops involved in the battle of Normandy.

- Open 1 February to 30 December : Winter : 9h30 to 12h30 and 13h30 to 17h30. Summer : 9h to 19h. Annual closure : 1 January - 31 January - Four-language reception, trilingual guided visit, visit aids - Boutiques-souvenirs - Duration of visit :1h15 - Prices : Adults : 6.00 Euros / Children, students : 5.00 Euros. Reduction if visiting several museums on the history of the battle of Normandy : 5.50 Euros - Sale to groups only (more than 20 people) of tickets that include admission to the Arromanches Museum and the Pegasus Memorial in Ranville. Adults : 6.50 Euros. School students : 5.00 Euros - Label Normandy Quality Tourism

Maison de la Manufacture d'Armes Blanches 2, rue de l'École 67530 Klingenthal Tel.: +33 3 88 95 93 23 e-mail : Adolf.Marc@wanadoo.fr

The establishment is a joint effort by the Departmental Association of Deportees, Prisoners and Resistance Fighters, the Departmental Association of Patriotic Deportees, Prisoners and Resistance Fighters, and the town of Varilhes.

Decorated with the Cross of War on 11 November 1948, it was described as a "town that during the Occupation played an active part in the fight against the enemy.”

The great services provided by the population to the Resistance and the Allied cause provoked reprisals from the Occupier who carried out a huge number of deportations. Twenty-two of its sons gave their life for France. (Max Lejeune, Secretary of State for the War Armed Forces).

This tribute to history and remembrance gives an illustrated and comprehensive vision of the major steps of deportation and internment between 1933 and 1945.

Four tableau present the concentration camp system to visitors:

A first part is dedicated to the emergence of the Nazi concentration camps between 1933 and 1939.

A second part highlights the beginnings of the deportation of the Jews in France from 1940 to 1942 (the Vichy Regime, the exclusion of the Jews, the roundups and imprisonment, the repression of the opponents).

A third part explains the organisation of the Deportation between 1942 and 1944 (the turning point of 1942, the departure from France, the organisation of the concentration camps, the camp: a place of order without entitlement, omnipresent death, the final solution, the Resistance).

The last theme is the end of the camps and the period of the trials (evacuation and liberation of the camps, the homecoming to France, the trials).

Ariége Museum of Deportation and Internment

Hôtel de Ville de Varilhes

Tel: 05.61.60.73.24

Museum website

Opening times

The Museum is open Wednesdays and Saturdays (2-6 pm) 

Open to school groups on weekdays, please enquire

Tourist Information Office

3 avenue Louis-Siret - 09120 Varilhes

Tel: 05.61.60.55.54

Fax: +33 (0)5 61 60 55 54

Email: office-tourisme.varilhes@wanadoo.fr 

Nicknamed the Dragon's Cave ('Drachenhöhle') by German soldiers, this former quarry dates back to the 16th century and was operated until the 19th. In January 1915, German units began converting it into a complete underground barracks with both firing and command posts.

But the cave was much more than that; it provided the soldiers with a haven of peace, a place where they could rest and relax away from the fighting above ground. It included dormitories, a first aid post and a chapel. It was fitted with electricity and water, for basic comfort and hygiene. From mid-September to 2nd November 1917, German and French troops both lived in the cave. Walls built during the German Occupation to prevent access to the cave and defend against gas attacks separated the two sides inside the cave.

The new building overlooks the Aisne Valley, offering breathtaking views. Converted into a Remembrance Museum, the Dragon's Cave recreates the daily lives of the soldiers through modern animation methods, objects, sounds, videos and archive images. Now enlarged and brought to life by the staging design, the Cave's secrets are ours to share.

The Dragon's Cave

Chemin des Dames 02160 Oulches-la-Vallée-Foulon

Tel.: +33 (0) 3.23.25.14.18 Fax: +33 (0) 3.23.25.14.11

E-mail :caverne@cg02.fr Visiting dates and times

Caverne du Dragon

The Dragon's Cave can only be visited as part of a guided tour.

Reservations are strongly recommended for weekends and public holidays.

Opening times

February - December: 10am - 6pm

July and August (every day): 10am - 7pm

Tours begin every half-hour:

February - December: 10am - 4.30pm

July and August (every day): 10am - 5.30pm

Length of tour: 90 mins

Background

In 1988, the association of the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle was created to conserve and promote maritime heritage. It acquired, for the purpose, the meteorological frigate France 1.

The Museum was expanded in 1995, setting up in-land exhibitions in the former Halle à Marées, which had been left empty with the departure of the fishing harbour. A redevelopment project began in 2005, which allowed the museum to spread out over five hectares, based on three sections:

• A 6,000 m2 ocean section in the inland area, comprising reception areas and services (café, restaurant, bookshop, boutiques), on the one hand, and the museum areas and administrative spaces on the other.
• An on-board section on the docks and boats in the museum's flotilla.
• A restaurant and boat maintenance section.

Collections

The association of the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle mainly adds to its stock by acquiring vessels.

This consists of:

• France I (1958), the last French meteorological frigate, 76.5 metres long, a listed historical monument. The vessel carried out its missions for 27 years, until meteorological satellites came into use in 1985.

• Angoumois (1969), a stern trawler, 38 metres long, a listed historical monument.

• Duperré (1952), staff boat of the French Navy, a wooden vedette boat.

• Capitaine de Frégate Le Verger (1954), lifeboat, 15 metres long. 

• Joshua (1962), red ketch belonging to Bernard Moitessier, a listed historical monument.

• Steam-powered dredger (1906), a listed historical monument.

• Saint-Gilles, sea-going tug (1958), a listed historical monument.

The slipway.

This harbour equipment, which stands at the entrance of the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle, was built in 1942 during the Second World War by the Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO - Compulsory Work Service) under authority of the German occupying troops. It was used by the Germans during the war, and then to maintain the fishing fleet of La Rochelle. It was installed at the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle in 1996 in the Bassin des Chalutiers.  This piece of machinery is unique in France and is currently in the process of being listed as a Historical Monument.

The slipway consists of:

- a bunker housing an electric winch dating back to 1938 and requisitioned in Holland,

- a main slipway to hoist 700-tonne ships to dry docking.

Non-material heritage

The Musée Maritime de la Rochelle has undertaken work on non-material maritime heritage. Every year, as part of the Heritage Days, the team organises "Alors Raconte !", an event based on maritime memory.

These two days consist of projections of pictures, recorded interviews with witnesses, visits of boats and, for children, events based on life as a sailor. Former employees provide their accounts, take visitors round and revive life on board the ships and on the dock.

Musée Maritime

Place Bernard Moitessier

BP 3053

17031 LA Rochelle Cedex 01

Tél. : 05 46 28 03 00

Fax : 05 46 41 07 87

e-mail : contact@museemaritimelarochelle.fr

Musée maritime de la Rochelle

Late openings

24th July and 7th August 2013 from 10 am to 11 pm, non-stop.

Guided tour at 9 pm subject to booking on 05 46 45 46 57

Getting there
 

The ships of the Musée Maritime which can be visited are located:

Quai Sénac de Meilhan (Bassin des Chalutiers near the Médiathèque)

Nearby car parks: place Bernard Moitessier (free) Aquarium and Médiathèque (paying)

Bus: illico line, stop at Aquarium, bus No. 19, then cross the Bassin des Chalutiers using the footbridge.

Ferry: crossing from Vieux Port to the Médiathèque.

In the Middle Age , Ypres was with, Bruges and Gand, one of the most important commercial cities of Flandres. The Sheet Hall in the big Market Place, the market hall is the storage place of the textiles of Ypres, this is an example of the enormous richness of this town in the XIII century. During the First World war Ypres was the center of the salient of Ypres and one of the bloodiest zones of the west front. Between October 1914 and October 1918 on five battlefields 500 000 victims were counted. The Germans never besieged the old medieval town, except for one day only. It was completely devastated by the different fights.

After the war the city was completely rebuilt and became one of the biggest centers of Memory of the war. In the new Sheet Hall, the Flandres Field Museum was constructed on 1998. Here the history of the 1914 - 1918 War is proposed to the 21st century public, with the use of a current technology. Take notice of: - The Ypres Centre with the Sheet Halls and the Saint Martin church - The Flandres Field Museum on the first floor of the Sheet Hall - The town of Ypres received the Military Cross from Mister Poincaré on January 28th 1920.
The front line towards Ypres has a half circular form encircling Ypres. Northwards you can find the flooded plane of Yser and the Belgian sector. Southwards, the line follows Wijtschate and Messines to come back down towards the Lys valley and the French border. On this soil five bloody battles took place. During the first Ypres battle (October 17th - November 22nd 1914), the French and British try to fight against the German breakthrough towards the channel harbours. The second battle of Ypres ( April 22nd - May 24th 1915), started with the first toxic gas attack in history. Another time, the French and English broke the German offensive, but this time the front line was far too small.
Two years later, in 1917 the great British attack took place and ended 100 days after in Passendale. This third Ypres battle (July 31st - November 10th 1917) was the bloodiest among the five. During the German offensive in springtime (April - May 1918) the terrain conquered by the allies was lost and in Kemmel the front was pierced. Thus the positions remained until the end of August. At the end of September 1918 the allied liberation offensive broke through the salient of Ypres for good. Today more then 140 cemeteries and three big Memorials point out the great presence of the Commonwealth troops. The French presence was also very important and sometimes even crucial. One of the biggest German necropolises is situated near Langemark.
- The Menin Gate in Ypres counting nearly 55 000 names of missing soldiers of the Commonwealth. Every evening at 8:00 p.m. the Last Post is played in memory of the victims. - The Tyne Cot Cemetery in Passendale, is with more then 12 000 graves and 35 000 names of missing soldiers the biggest military cemetery of the Commonwealth. - The necropolis of Langemark preserves the Memory of 44 500 identified German soldiers and of 11 800 unknown soldiers.
The Flandres Field Museum is open every day from April to September, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from October to March from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday included. The Museum is closed during the three weeks of the end year festivities. Phone number : 00 32 57 22 85 84 Website : flandersfields@ieper.be, www.inflandersfields.be Streekbezoekerscentrum Ieper - 0032 57 22 85 84 email : toerinsme@ieper.be Website : http://www.ieper.be

Built during the reign of Louis XV, la chapelle St-Louis de l'Ecole Militaire is original evidence of the architectural heritage of the 18th century.

In 1751, Louis XV decided to build a royal military school on the plain of Grenelle. The project was entrusted to his favourite architect, Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Work on the school began in 1753 and lasted more than thirty years, during the course of which financial problems disrupted the initial project. The original plans provided for the construction of a majestic chapel in the middle of the enclosure. In 1768, Gabriel proposed a second project, in which the chapel was to form part of the interior of the main building. Louis XV laid the foundation stone of the chapel on 5 July 1769. Upon its completion in 1773, the chapel was dedicated to Saint Louis, the patron saint of the army. Until 1788, it was open for worship and welcomed students and staff from the military school. Bonaparte received his confirmation there in 1785. Devastated during the Revolution, the chapel was turned into a canteen and then a feed and weapons depot. Its furnishings were dispersed. During the funeral of Marshal Joffre in 1931, the chapel was definitively cleared of all the items kept there. Its furnishings were recovered during the course of the 1930s and it was restored as a Catholic place of worship in 1951.
The chapel is 35 metres long and 13 metres wide. It consists of a unique rectangular nave divided into eight equal spans, the last of which forms the chancel. The spans are separated by Corinthian columns that support a lowered arch-shaped vault. The windows of the ground floor have been blinded and now hold paintings representing the life of Saint Louis. These nine works illustrate the main events in the life of the king. The chapel also has one of the panes of a triptych from the Renaissance period. Above the main entrance and along the full width of the chapel there is a gallery supported by four ionic columns on which a modern organ has been placed.
The back wall, which is located behind the chancel, is decorated with two Corinthian columns similar to those of the nave. The altar includes a tomb made of white marble, decorated with a gilded bronze wreath. Two low reliefs attributed to the sculptor Pajou are detaching themselves from the walls above the tribune and behind the altar. The reliefs depict child angels lifting a cross in the clouds and the scene of the Apocalypse of Saint John. On either side of the chancel are two doors that provide access to the sacristy. Above these doors, two walled-up openings indicate the site of the galleries where important hosts previously sat to listen to mass. Nowadays, flags representing the colours of the French army since the reign of Louis XV and have been installed there.
The current throne is decorated with raised patterns gilded with gold leaf and a medallion representing an eagle with outstretched wings. Under the chapel there is a crypt in which contains the bodies of the first governor of the school and of Pâris Duverney, an adviser to Louis XV. The chapel is open on rare occasions only, for religious ceremonies or concerts organised by the ministry of defence.
The restoration of this unique monument, for which the Department of Defence is responsible, was included in a Culture and Defence protocol signed on the 17th September 2005.
La Chapelle Saint-Louis de l'Ecole militaire 1 place J'offre Paris 7° Metro station: Ecole militaire

Gateway to the sites and museums preserving the memory of the last three wars in the Ardennes department, the Museum of War and Peace in the Ardennes is located at Novion-Porcien.

Built by Agence Trois Arches at the initiative of the Ardennes Departmental Council, this site was inaugurated in July 2003.

Occupying four thousand square metres in two complementary spaces on the ground floor and on the first floor or mezzanine, national and local military aspects of the wars of 1870, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 are presented.

The visitor reaches the museum from the East through an enclosed, semi-underground space.

The ground floor lets you experience the main events of the conflicts through ten large scenes, each accompanied by an explanatory video. The tone is set with the charge of Prussian infantry, the best trained and best equipped army of the day when Napoleon III declared war on Bismarck and Wilhelm I’s Germany after the Ems Dispatch. Then comes the fighting at the house of the last cartridge in Bazeilles, a village 8 km from Sedan where commander Lambert’s group of seventy men stood up to 2,300 Germans in September 1870.

World War I is depicted through the life of German and French troops in the trenches. The soldiers had left home with "flowers in their gun barrels", but found themselves in a war of positions in which men on both sides dug underground to protect themselves, giving rise to the figure of the French “Poilu” who suffered the rigors of the seasons, shortages and bloody attacks, which in the end led to mutiny.

This visit through five tableaux gives an idea of the military aspects of the last war. Everyday life on the Maginot Line during the Phoney War between September 1939 and May 1940, a fortified underground system desired by the French Army staff headquarters who were convinced that the Ardennes could not be crossed. Then "Case Yellow" is presented, the plan for invading France following the principle of the Blitzkrieg, a joint attack by armoured units and aviation that led to the Allied rout at Dunkirk and the establishment of the Vichy government after the armistice was signed on 22 June 1940.

Everyday life: STO (Service du Travail Obligatoire – Compulsory Work Service), deportation and resistance fill the next scene dedicated to the Allied landing in June 1944. The ups and downs and the importance of the logistical resources deployed to win the Battle of Normandy and the re-conquest of Europe form the narrative framework for the display of Anglo-American equipment such as jeeps, Sherman tanks, amphibious trucks and movable bridges.

Upstairs, the mezzanine lets you contemplate the scenes on the ground floor from a distance, but especially provides an initiation to the evolutions in warfare throughout history and the main progress made in weaponry. As before, information kiosks provide the scientific and technical explanations necessary for understanding each exhibit. The windows dedicated to changes in soldiers’ lives presents them in their uniforms, which trended toward keeping them invisible for the enemy, from red trousers to khaki outfits, not to mention the German feldgrau and the French bleu horizon, from the Pickelhaube (spiked helmet) and ceremonial uniforms to the Adrian helmet and the American M1 helmet, but also show their everyday life – packs and supplies, entertainment – and the progress made in health and hygiene – collective showers, toothpaste, shaving cream, etc.

The visit finishes with a look at the changes made in warfare through progress made in military techniques. Each main type is presented. You can take your time to delve into the revolution of rifled arms, cartridges, smokeless powder, shells, automatic arms and the machine gun (Maxim, Chauchat, M1 Garand), but also the continuity of ancestral battle techniques: knives, sabres, bayonets, and the headaches of cleaning out the trenches during World War I.

Museum of War and Peace in the Ardennes

Route Sery - 08270 Novion Porcien

Tel.: +33 (0)3.24.72.69.50

Fax: +33 (0)3.24.72.97.30

Motorway access, A4 to A34. Route de Sery.

Ardennes Departmental Council / General Directorate of Departmental Services /

Departmental Directorate of Tourism and Leisure Centres

Hôtel du Département

08011 Charleville-Mézières Cédex

Tel.: +33 (0)3.24.59.60.60

Fax: +33 (0)3.24.37.76.76 / +33 (0)3.24.52.48.02

Opening hours

The museum is open every day from June to September from 10 am to 7 pm

From 10 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm from October to May, every day except Tuesdays

Annual closing: 15 to 31 January, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December

Admission

Adults: €5 Under 18, military personnel, job seekers, veterans: €3 Families (2 adults and up to 3 children): €14 Groups (at least 20 people) Adults: €3.50 Schools: €2 Children under 6: free

Audioguide services available in French, English, German and Dutch.

Guided tours by reservation. The Museum is fully accessible to the disabled

Other resources – A temporary exhibition room is used to expand upon and round out the permanent exhibit – An auditorium can hold 70 people for conferences and projections – A leisure area

Ardennes Departmental Council