Discover the captivating battlefield stories of yesteryear at these destinations around the world
By Pamela Chow
Photo: Everett Historical / Shutterstock.com
The world is a beautiful place, but it’s not without its grim pasts.
We take a look at some of the most significant war sites around the world, and remember their stories, heroic battles and explore why you should visit them.
Visitors can walk around the ghost town of Oradour-Sur-Glane, where some 650 civilians were massacred during World War II. (Photo: Shutterstock)
France: Oradour-Sur-Glane
This small ghost town in western France is a husk of one of the largest Nazi massacres in France during World War II. In 1944, Nazi officers swept the village and massacred some 650 civilians before razing the village to the ground. Only an estimated 21 villagers managed to escape.
The modern Oradour-Sur-Glane has been officially reconstructed a few kilometres away, but former President Charles de Gaulle ordered the original site to be left untouched as a memorial and museum. Visitors can walk through the ruins of this village and pay their respects.
A memorial museum, the Centre de la mémoire d’Oradour, is located near the entrance to the village. It displays items recovered from the burned-down buildings, like watches stopped at the time their owners were burned alive and glasses melted from the intense heat.
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