Travel Guide Craonne

Craonne is located at the east end of the Chemin des Dames. The village you will be crossing today is a village with less than 100 inhabitants built between 1921 and 1927 with Swedish party funds, about 500 meters from the original village completely destroyed during the fighting. Before the arrival in the current village by the north (D 18), a sign indicates Old Craonne. At the site of the old village, on the cellars and unrecognizable shells, vegetation took over the top and an arboretum of remembrance was erected. A forest road allows to reach the observatory tower of the California Plateau and the Old Craonne cemetery. This is where the writer Yves Gibeau is buried. He was the author of the novel Allons z 'enfants (1951), whose film adaptation was made in 1981 by Yves Boisset. Craonne remains in memories for the Battle of the Chemin des Dames (also called the offensive Nivelle) but also for the famous song Song of Craonne, sung by soldiers of 14-18 warriors of fighting where hope of survival no longer existed. It was forbidden by the military command of the day for its anti-militaristic aspects. During events, protests in regiments were severely repressed. In total, the military courts pronounced 3,427 convictions, 554 of them to death. 54 soldiers considered to be mutins were finally executed.Every year on April 16, a march of remembrance is organized at 5:15 a. m. She commemorates the Battle of the Chemin des Dames, which began on April 16, 1917 at 6 a. m. Also every year, around November 11, the Craonne Book Days are held.Take the time to walk through the Old Craonne before proceeding on the Chemin des Dames (D 18 CD, with a possible variant by D 18).