Le Linge Memorial Museum

A 1915 battlefield left exactly as it was, at 987 m on the ridge between Orbey and the Munster valley.

Orbey, Collet du Linge (14 km from the gîte)

Era

First World War

Tour length

2 to 3 hours

Location

Orbey, Collet du Linge (14 km from the gîte)

From

€7 adults · free under 16

The site

What to know

The museum sits at the Collet du Linge, at 987 m, on what used to be the front line. The ground was never cleared or landscaped: on one side of the path stands the German defensive system, blockhouses, shelters and observation posts in concrete and dressed stone, built under cover of the forest; on the other, a few metres away, what remains of the French trenches dug into loose earth and sandstone. The visit comes in three parts: a twenty-minute film, the museum, then the walk outside. Three freely accessible routes, from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, let you set your own pace. The site is run by the volunteers of the Mémorial association.

History

The story of the place

Before 1914 the Linge was an unremarkable wooded ridge, on land that had been German since 1871. In the autumn of 1914, after the French pulled back, the German command set about turning it into a major defensive position. A long, hard winter delayed the French plan of attack and gave German sappers time to line the position with concrete, keeping the forest cover intact. When the assault came on 20 July 1915, French chasseurs found a position barely dented by heavy artillery firing at the edge of its range. The fighting lasted until 16 October 1915 and cost around 17,000 casualties, killed, wounded and missing combined, for almost no ground gained. The front then froze until 1918. The ridge was listed as a historic monument in 1921, then forgotten for nearly fifty years, until a veteran and a historian from Colmar reopened the site. The museum was inaugurated on 9 August 1981. Several hundred soldiers still lie in the ground of the battlefield.

The must-sees

What you really shouldn't miss during your visit.

The German defensive system

Blockhouses, fighting shelters and observation posts in concrete and stone. Almost a century on, the structures are still standing.

The French trenches

Dug into loose earth and sandstone, metres from the positions opposite. The contrast needs no explaining.

The museum

Uniforms, weapons, letters, personal effects, photographs and operational maps, most of them recovered from the battlefield itself.

Three walking routes

From 30 minutes to an hour and a half through the original trenches, listed as a historic monument since 1921. Pick one to suit your time and your legs.

The children's booklet

"Sur les traces des soldats", handed out at reception, with interactive terminals inside the museum. French only.

The war cemeteries nearby

The Wettstein national necropolis, over 3,500 French soldiers, and the German cemetery at Hohrod-Bärenstall, around 2,460 graves, sit either side of the battlefield.

Opening hours

Open: Mid-April to 11 November: daily, 9am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6pm
Closed: Closed from mid-November to mid-April

Tickets

Adult (16 and over)
Self-guided, no booking needed
€7.00
Under 16
Discovery booklet handed out at reception
Free
Guided tour (summer)
€5 for under-16s
€10.00
Guided hike or night visit (summer)
€6 for under-16s
€12.00
Groups of 15 or more
Booking required, €10 for a guided tour
€7.00

In pictures

The place from several angles, to prepare your visit.

Our tips before you go

114 km from the gîte, allow 20 to 25 minutes: it is narrow mountain road all the way to the pass.
2Closed shoes are essential. The trench floor is stone, uneven, and properly slippery after rain.
3At 987 m on the ridge it is cooler and windier than down in Orbey. Bring an extra layer, even in August.
4Nothing is sold on site, so bring your own drinks. Three picnic tables sit 50 m away in the woods, and two farm inns are within 2 km, the Glassborn and the Mussmiss.
5The film runs 20 minutes, the museum takes a good half hour, the trenches 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Half a day covers it without rushing.
6Tell children before you go in that soldiers still lie in this ground. No running in the museum, no climbing on the trenches.
7Opening depends on the weather up on the ridge. In rough conditions, call +33 3 89 77 29 97 before driving up.
8Signage is in French, German and English. The children's booklet and the interactive terminals are French only.
9Dogs are not allowed, guide dogs excepted.