Craonnelle: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Memorials and Remembrance

The Nécropole nationale de Craonnelle was established in 1920. It is the resting place of 3,936 soldiers who fell in the First World War on the Chemin des Dames between 1914 and 1918. It is freely accessible from sunrise to sunset and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since September 2023.

The Monument des Basques was inaugurated on 30 September 1928. It is a 14-metre-high obelisk decorated with laurel wreaths and commemorates the 36th Infantry Division, which consisted mainly of mobilised soldiers from the Basses-Pyrénées.

Since September 2017, the Mémorial aux Rugbymen 14-18 has stood beside the Monument des Basques as an international memorial to the rugby players who fell in the First World War. The Monument des Basques is free of charge and freely accessible around the clock.

Historical Traces

The former Sainte-Benoîte church in Craonnelle had a 16th-century floor plan and was designed in the Flamboyant Gothic style. It was almost destroyed by bombardments in July 1917; reconstruction of Sainte-Benoîte church was completed in November 1931. On its south side, a tracery window that survived the bombardments of the First World War was reused.

The Caverne du Dragon offered guided family excursions on the Chemin des Dames on Thursdays in summer. These included the Craonnelle cemetery.

Wine

Domaine Louis de Vauclerc produces traditionally made sparkling wine in Craonnelle. The estate makes its wines from the three grape varieties Pinot noir, Meunier and Chardonnay. It offers five sparkling cuvées and a tasting.

Renting a holiday apartment in Craonnelle can be part of planning a visit to the Nécropole nationale de Craonnelle and the Monument des Basques.

Other destinations in the same area: Puisieux-Et-Clanlieu, Fossoy, Pargny-Filain, Seraucourt-Le-Grand, L'épine-Aux-Bois, Noyant-Et-Aconin, Iviers, Fontaine-Lès-Vervins

To the higher-level travel overview: Aisne.