Caverne du Dragon, Musee du Chemin des Dames
Caverne du Dragon, Musee du Chemin des Dames
Caverne du Dragon, Musee du Chemin des Dames
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
On the Chemin des Dames, the Dragon’s Lair, a former limestone quarry located nearly 50 feet below ground, offers a poignant insight into the lives of soldiers during the Great War. Through sound, image and archive documents, visitors discover far below the front line what daily life must have been like for the troops.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
327 reviews
Excellent
179
Very good
101
Average
26
Poor
11
Terrible
10
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Rom' Daihache
Soissons, France38 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
3rd visit to the Cavern in 29 years for me.
Yesterday's visit was excellent. The premises are clean, the welcome is friendly. The pace of the visit means that there is little or no waiting (30 minutes is more than reasonable!). Fair price at €10/adult.
The guide was excellent! He lived the visit and had gestures and an oration that made it impossible to get bored! 1h15 of visit passed without a single moment of boredom. Bravo to him!
To do again and again as we learn so much!
Yesterday's visit was excellent. The premises are clean, the welcome is friendly. The pace of the visit means that there is little or no waiting (30 minutes is more than reasonable!). Fair price at €10/adult.
The guide was excellent! He lived the visit and had gestures and an oration that made it impossible to get bored! 1h15 of visit passed without a single moment of boredom. Bravo to him!
To do again and again as we learn so much!
Written August 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Merci pour votre commentaire ! Nous sommes heureux que la visite vous plaise à travers le temps ! Nous vous disons à bientôt alors ;)
Written August 18, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
IanC54
Axbridge, UK251 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
Outstanding museum on the Chemin des Dames reliving the terrible struggle for the CdDin 1914-1918 war. The 1 hour tour takes you underground into the Quarry/ Mine that became an underground fortress and battle zone between the French and German forces plus French Colonial, Russian and British units nearby. Full of real artifacts that have emerged from the ground, still full of evidence of the life and struggle to exist, the visit starts in a modern building and descends into the underground quarry and a life of gloomy half light. Great trip even for non history buffs. Particularly poignant is the underground cemetery. A warning what may happen if we take peace and union for granted.
Written August 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pascal T
Lambres-lez-Douai, France49 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Five years in Verdun, WWI I thought I knew. The Chemin des dames I knew the name and the place, no more.
proper guidance, a clean site, an honest price and a guided tour that marked me (and my 14 year old nephew). group a little too important for my taste but respectful; towards the place, the Guide and the group.
I recommend to spend 2 to 3 hours, because in addition to the cave very nice presentations at the reception.
proper guidance, a clean site, an honest price and a guided tour that marked me (and my 14 year old nephew). group a little too important for my taste but respectful; towards the place, the Guide and the group.
I recommend to spend 2 to 3 hours, because in addition to the cave very nice presentations at the reception.
Automatically translated
Written August 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
16amber
United Kingdom16 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
We visited with our two teenage sons who are both quite interested in history. I e-mailed ahead & pre-booked an English tour after reading some of the other reviews. Our guide was great & although he apologised for his English it was a hundred times better than my French. He made the tour interesting and involved our sons in it, they thoroughly enjoyed it & we all learned a lot. Our guide also gave us a map with some of the other places to visit along the Chemin des Dames which was very useful. Definitely recommend a visit if you're in the area.
Written June 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NikJ
Ascot, UK935 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Went first thing and was able to go on a tour led in French, though we had headset with commentary at each of the stop points. Interesting to see the size and the importance of the cave and how there were multiple owners. There were only 7 in our group, first thing
Written November 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vanessa C
1 contribution
Sep 2024 • Business
A visit rich in emotions! The Chemin des dames is a place full of history that we do not know enough! Our Guide Thibault made us discover with passion and emotion this place that marked the history of the Aisne. Visiting the California plateau and the village of Craonne made us aware of the terrible fighting that took place under our feet. It was a real return to the First World War!
Thank you for this guided tour.
Thank you for this guided tour.
Automatically translated
Written September 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
juliev26
Lille, France253 contributions
May 2024 • Family
Very interesting visit, in particular thanks to the guide who knows how to capture our attention and who gives a lot of information. We learned a lot and had a "good" time despite the sadness of the subject. My 11 year old niece also enjoyed it. Bravo to you and thank you.
Written May 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephane F
Reims, France39 contributions
May 2024 • Family
I went to visit the dragon cave with friends from an association, Corsica based in Reims
Very nice visit, with an exceptional guide who explained everything that happened in the cave, French side, German side
It’s very moving to retrace the footsteps of our ancestors
Very nice visit, with an exceptional guide who explained everything that happened in the cave, French side, German side
It’s very moving to retrace the footsteps of our ancestors
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Boushka
Halifax, UK90 contributions
Aug 2012 • Family
Above ground there is a large, modern glass building with lots of information about the trenches and the location of these can clearly be seen and offering wonderful views of the surrounding area. This is a great place for a picnic. You will also find a range evocative of modern sculptures using barbed wire. There is no charge for looking around the upstairs area.
To go underground on the tour the charge was 4 Euros per adult and 3 for a child. This is using a discount card from a nearby tourist information office. Luckily we arrived a few minutes before the tour in English which was at 12pm.
First you watch a quite confusing film that discusses the area and its use through history. We found this of poor quality really and my husband who is very interested in this period of history commented that there are far better clips and information available elsewhere and that it was of poor quality compared to that found on the history channel/DVD’s such as The Great War etc. Clearly our two children were not impressed either.
Following this 10 minute video you put on a coat and are led into the 'cave'. The only cave art was an image of a saint made many years before to cave was used in the war by a miner.
Following this you are led through various areas and their use was explained. Roughly the French side and the German side and the no-mans land. Little detail was given and it was very hard to get a real feel of how it was as it was practically empty. You look up at where the Germans ran some wires, and the ground rose where the Germans placed rubble from their extension work.
The guide whipped through the tour and there was really very little history on show. The guide seemed disinterested, bored and a little unfriendly. Most of what we expected to see has been removed and replaced by a large concrete floor, with rows of electric candles on stands to signify the loss of life. In many ways the underground tour was like visiting a big underground basement, with a bit of a modern gallery included and there were, very, very few original artefacts. We kept on thinking 'is this it?'
The hospital area for example was shown as a large, modern, three sided hanging bed sheet and a quick flash of the guides torch. What! She really seemed to be going through the motions and wanting to get back to the surface and no doubt back to a warm coffee.
Finally you are shown another room showing where the altar was and where it has been moved t. Crosses on the wall marking where shallow dug graves once lay and a gaudy room I suppose this was to show the tedium of life below ground. At the centre of this was a large upward facing television set out as a table and showing moving cards, mugs etc.
You are not allowed to take photos which seemed completely over the top. Though really there is absolutely nothing that you would want to photograph anyway. It has all been removed.
In modern lit glass cases were a small number of items made by some soldiers using shell casing etc. That was it. Finally you were given the choice of stairs of a lift to get out. We visited many other museums and galleries including the Somme museum, Paris Catacomb and Louvre, where taking photos was acceptable, sometimes with the proviso that a flash was not used.
Further along the road from this site there is a huge forested area that is full of bomb craters from battles, viewing areas, memorials and cemeteries that are absolutely free and reveal so much more. These areas are far, far more emotive than this sanitised underground tour.
To go underground on the tour the charge was 4 Euros per adult and 3 for a child. This is using a discount card from a nearby tourist information office. Luckily we arrived a few minutes before the tour in English which was at 12pm.
First you watch a quite confusing film that discusses the area and its use through history. We found this of poor quality really and my husband who is very interested in this period of history commented that there are far better clips and information available elsewhere and that it was of poor quality compared to that found on the history channel/DVD’s such as The Great War etc. Clearly our two children were not impressed either.
Following this 10 minute video you put on a coat and are led into the 'cave'. The only cave art was an image of a saint made many years before to cave was used in the war by a miner.
Following this you are led through various areas and their use was explained. Roughly the French side and the German side and the no-mans land. Little detail was given and it was very hard to get a real feel of how it was as it was practically empty. You look up at where the Germans ran some wires, and the ground rose where the Germans placed rubble from their extension work.
The guide whipped through the tour and there was really very little history on show. The guide seemed disinterested, bored and a little unfriendly. Most of what we expected to see has been removed and replaced by a large concrete floor, with rows of electric candles on stands to signify the loss of life. In many ways the underground tour was like visiting a big underground basement, with a bit of a modern gallery included and there were, very, very few original artefacts. We kept on thinking 'is this it?'
The hospital area for example was shown as a large, modern, three sided hanging bed sheet and a quick flash of the guides torch. What! She really seemed to be going through the motions and wanting to get back to the surface and no doubt back to a warm coffee.
Finally you are shown another room showing where the altar was and where it has been moved t. Crosses on the wall marking where shallow dug graves once lay and a gaudy room I suppose this was to show the tedium of life below ground. At the centre of this was a large upward facing television set out as a table and showing moving cards, mugs etc.
You are not allowed to take photos which seemed completely over the top. Though really there is absolutely nothing that you would want to photograph anyway. It has all been removed.
In modern lit glass cases were a small number of items made by some soldiers using shell casing etc. That was it. Finally you were given the choice of stairs of a lift to get out. We visited many other museums and galleries including the Somme museum, Paris Catacomb and Louvre, where taking photos was acceptable, sometimes with the proviso that a flash was not used.
Further along the road from this site there is a huge forested area that is full of bomb craters from battles, viewing areas, memorials and cemeteries that are absolutely free and reveal so much more. These areas are far, far more emotive than this sanitised underground tour.
Written August 25, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chrisgale
Sheffield, UK1,197 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
Really wanted to go to this as looked very interesting, but were told very curtly on trying to buy tickets there were no English tours today, no headsets available and you can't go around by yourself. I speak a little French but my Australian visitors didn't. You can book ahead I found out there is about one tour a day. This seems mad as its dedicated to the Tommies.
Written September 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We plan a visit on Thurs, June 27. What time should we arrive for the 12 noon English tour? Do we need a reservation?
Written May 30, 2019
Would like to visit Sunday 12th May, do we need to book a tour in advance? (how?) Thanks!
Written March 4, 2019
Bonjour, existe il un lieux pour se restaurer sur place ? Les bébés de 5 mois sont ils acceptés ? Merci.
Written May 19, 2018
Bonjour. A ma connaissance, l'espace détente ne permet pas une restauration complète. S'agissant du bébé, il convient de le couvrir en conséquence de la fraîcheur et de faire attention aux risques toujours possibles d chute dans les escaliers.
Written May 20, 2018
Hello,
A visit for 20 people costs 6€ a person. It is possible to have a visit in English every day at 12 am (except Tuesday). For a group, I advise you to reserve with the service of the reservations : 0323251410 to know the availability.
I remain at your disposal for any additional information.
Written March 10, 2015
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