In the unofficial capital of the Gaume, watched over by the church of Saint Lawrence, you can not only learn about its history, which was particularly turbulent during the First World War, but also experience its nature walks, Canadian totem pole and museum on the Gaume region.
Surrounded by fantastic sights such as Orval Abbey and picturesque villages such as Chassepierre, Virton is a little treasure trove for those who love following paths winding through lush and peaceful natural environments. That’s certainly the best way to experience Virton, unless you’d prefer to learn about the cultural identity of the Gaume at the Musée Gaumois, which reveals the natural, industrial and artistic features that characterise the region.
Land of History
Virton is above all a land of history, with sites such as the Bellevue Franco-German military cemetery, the origins of which date back to August 1914. A reminder of this dark time, it contains 300 individual French graves and 330 German graves. The French ossuary holds the remains of 2,139 unknown soldiers and the German ossuary 306. You can also follow one of the 10 memorial trails (between 35 and 85 km long!) through the sites of the Battle of the Frontiers. And don’t forget to go and see the Canadian totem pole, a symbol of the friendship between Virton and Canada, which dates back to 1955 when hundreds of Canadian military pilots came here looking for housing with their families before returning home in 1967. In 1992, a copy of the pole was carved to look exactly like the original by Claude Goffinet.
Copyright pictures: VisitArdenne / Visit Wallonia
Explore the surroundings
