Vauxaillon – History and Nature on the Chemin des Dames

Vauxaillon lies at the western entrance to the Chemin des Dames. Specific landmarks in the village include the French military cemetery, the “Autour de Vauxaillon” walking trail and the Marais de Longchamp wetland. This gives you a range of themes to consider when planning your trip: remembrance and military history, as well as the ecological restoration of a wetland.

Military Cemetery and Remembrance

The French military cemetery lies at the edge of the village, alongside the railway line. The French military necropolis is the final resting place of 2,078 French war dead. Most of the remains from the First World War are those of soldiers who fell in the battles on the Chemin des Dames. The figures and historical context highlight the necropolis’s importance in commemorating the war dead.

The cemetery is open to visitors from sunrise to sunset, with free admission. As visiting conditions may change, it is best to check them before your visit. Its location at the edge of the village and the recorded history of the necropolis offer a tangible way to connect with Vauxaillon’s past, without conflating the cemetery with the various battle sites.

Sites on the Chemin des Dames

Some of the events recorded in history can be traced to specific names and dates. On 16 April 1917, the 61st Battalion of Senegalese Tirailleurs stormed Mont des Singes, south of the Ailette Canal. During the Chemin des Dames offensive in April 1917, the Vauxaillon-Laffaux salient was also a target of the 1st Colonial Army Corps.

Heavy fighting involving the 370th US Infantry Regiment took place at Mont des Singes near Vauxaillon in September 1918. Mont des Singes was captured by the French Army during the Battle of La Malmaison. These accounts refer to different military events and points in time; together, they give the name Mont des Singes a specific place in the area’s history.

A walking trail also passes a named landmark in Vauxaillon: “Autour de Vauxaillon” runs by the Église Saint Médard de Vauxaillon. The church’s name offers another local point of reference alongside the memorial sites and historic battlefields. If you are planning your stay around particular themes, you can consider these landmarks as a focus in their own right, without combining them into a single route.

Marais de Longchamp and Nature

The Marais de Longchamp is a wetland on the site of a former poplar plantation. Its ecological restoration aims to restore a notable hillside marsh habitat. This gives this part of Vauxaillon a distinct focus from its military history: here, the wetland environment and its restoration take centre stage.

A 2020 report describes the Sentier de la demoiselle at the marsh as part of an educational nature area equipped with information panels. According to the report, an insect hotel was also incorporated into the trail. The 2020 report also mentions sightings of Orchis négligé and Ophioglosse, as well as a community of wetland invertebrates that includes the uncommon spider Epeire alsine. Species sightings may vary seasonally.

When choosing a focus for your trip, Vauxaillon thus offers two clearly distinct perspectives: the necropolis and the sites on the Chemin des Dames lead into military history, while the Marais de Longchamp draws attention to the wetland, restoration and nature sightings. The walking trail by the Église Saint Médard adds another local point of interest to these themes. When planning your stay, you can consider which of these perspectives interests you most.

Discover more destinations: Coucy-Lès-Eppes, Coincy, Pernant, Boue, Vadencourt, Puisieux-Et-Clanlieu, Buironfosse, Guise

For the wider travel overview: Aisne.