Travel date
"2.000 years battlefield Champagne"
Travel date:24. - 27. August 2006
Savoir Vivre
There are not that many regions in this world where military history of more than 2.000 years can still be examined. And it is even more fun if one does not have to travel a lot. To enjoy such an area with the beauty of its landscape, the culture, the capital, its history and its savoire vivre one has to travel to Rheims and the Champagne. Rheims, a town that the Romans already made the capital of their province Gallia Belgica will be the fixed point of this trip. From here you will see and understand locations such as Rocroi, Chalon, Craonne, the Chemin des Dames and much more.
Historical Background
There is hardly a landscape which has seen on such a small scale so many decisive battles as the Champagne since Cesar´s Bellum Gallicum. The actual trip starts in Rocroi, a fortress town which demonstrates the genius of Vauban and where the era of the Spanish Tercio ended.
It will carry onto the Catalaun Field near Chalons where the defeat of Attila deidced upon Europe as we know it today. Here you will also experience the fight of Cesar against the Belgesae, the struggle of the old European monarchies versus France´ revolution under the eyes of the poet Goethe, here you will experience again the Battle of Craonne, the last Napoleon won, before Prussia and its allies marched into Paris. You will also experience the horrible trench warfare of World War I at the Chemin des Dames and you will begin to understand the motives of the mutineers who refused to be slaughtered for no good reason. Finally, see the theatre of surrender of the German armed forces in World War II.