The Memorial at Oradour-sur-Glane

A few days ago, we tried to visit Oradour-sur-Glane on the way to Beynac from Amboise. Unfortunately, we were just a few minutes too late, and the site was closed. I didn't actually know that there was a closing time. Additionally, it seems that the actual driving always takes longer than the map program says it will. We were disappointed we were unable to visit the memorial.

Oradour wasn't exactly on our route to Beaune from Amboise, but it wasn't too far out of the way, so we decided to try again today. We left in the morning under rainy skies. After that first day of nice weather in Paris, the weather has been terrible. It has been cold and rainy for days. We weren't surprised that we had to endure the rain today.

Oradour-sur-Glane is a small town southwest of Paris that has a tragic history. On June 10, 1944, over 600 men, women, and children were massacred by the Nazis. The village was left as it was that day and the survivors rebuilt the town nearby. The remains of the destroyed village have been maintained as a memorial.

The abandoned, ruined city was haunting. G and I walked along streets and peered into homes and businesses. We saw abandoned cars and sewing machines and even old signage. It wasn't difficult to imagine how the city might have looked before the event that took place all those years ago: kids riding bikes, cars putting along the narrow streets. The rusted bicycles among the rubble were a reminder of how horribly things turned out.

The most sobering sight was the village cemetery, filled with victims of the massacre.  Oradour was worth the stop, as sad and somber as the experience was.