CHARLES-DE-GAULLE MEMORIAL

While the Charles de Gaulle memorial was removed from the Troyes train station while the area was being redeveloped, the Memorial, a must-see museum of ^20th-century history in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, will appeal to young and old alike. This is the village of the General's memories, and the one where you can see his grave, guarded by a guard. Set against the horizon by an immense 44-metre-high Lorraine cross built in pink granite from Brittany by architects Marc Nebinger and Michel Mosser in 1972, the Memorial stands at the foot of this colossal monument in a contemporary building with futuristic lines, offering 1,600 m² of permanent exhibition space for a journey through the ^20th century. The site covers every facet of the figure: the soldier, the visionary, the family man, the politician, the writer. Visitors are transported into different atmospheres: the din of the trenches in the First World War or the joy on the Champs-Élysées when Paris was liberated, and more lightly, the General's meals with some of his colleagues. Whether or not you're a fan of this historical phase, this is a museum that's fun for young and old alike. The museum is laid out according to an itinerary that makes use of multimedia terminals, films on giant screens, sound archives, reconstructed sets... to make the visit accessible and lively for everyone. For a number of years now, a sound and light show has been organized for the summer season.