All the displays are in french however the replica train does have a english audio if you ask them for it
Very simple but beautifully done. I loved the slides which looked 3d and gave a wonderful view of what it was really like in the trenches. Well worth a trip.
Very peaceful; and well run, set in a glade in the Compiegne forest.English voice over and leaflet,guided tour is in French.Well signposted off the main road to Compiegne
This is a very unusual museum in the 21st century, somewhere that doesn't sugarcoat or glorify what happened, nor does it put a spin on the events. It is simply a case of "this is what happened in 1918, this is what happened in 1940" and nothing more, which for a site of such international significance is quite refreshing. The collection of trench art is certainly one of the best I have ever seen and the collections of WW1 and relevant WW2 artifacts are truly amazing. The memorials themselves are understated, quiet and surprisingly also free to visit (you only have to pay to visit the museum itself), although I suggest having a reasonable grasp of the French language before visiting. The pictures say it all although if you are taking children I would strongly suggest you audit the slides in the upright displays before allowing them to have a look they are quite graphic, going back to my original comment about not sugar coating anything. The other surprising thing I saw displayed was the full pictorial display taken during the surrender of France to Germany in 1940 and the account of the original carriages trip round Europe courtesy of Hitler. The picture of the 1918 memorial draped in swastika emblazoned flags is also quite upsetting. Finally in the corner you see all that remains of the original coach (2 burned door frames, twisted handrails and some brass work off the side) and they explain that the original coach was destroyed by the SS in the dying days of WW2.
An amazing place to visit - to walk the spot where the WW1 armistice was signed and also the same spot where the French surrendered to Hitler in WW2. Some fantastic footage from the time.
We enjoyed the visit, and the history, disabled access is a bit uncomfortable to start as you enter via a wooded path. But it was level. The entrance to the museum was taking your life into your own hands, not the best disabled lift, but at last we got in! Exhibition was good.
Some of the most amazing stereo photos I have seen of the front line of WW1. There are many relics from WW1. While most of the signs and information is in French there is a lot to see. And it is located in the most beautiful forest.
Peaceful, respectful and very moving.The photos in particular illustrate the effect of war on civilians as well as the combatants
We visited because my son wanted to see where WW1 had ended. We knew there wasn't much to see before we went and so were prepared for that. What we hadn't expected was that such a simple and basic site could be so atmospheric. It really felt as if you could feel the historic events that had taken place there. The museum itself was small, but packed with so much to see, thanks to the photo collection they had, and the films that were being shown. The footage from 1940 when Hitler forced the French to surrender, and the symbolism of that humiliation inflicted upon the French, and the subsequent dismantling of memorial by the Nazis, was both mesmerising and awful to watch, and gave its restored state extra poignancy. Well worth a visit.
We saw the wagon which is a replica of the original one used for signing the armistice in 1918. This museum is full of interesting memorabilia pertaining to the first world war. The presentation of the story of the wagon is available in French, English and German. But all other information is mostly in French.