School visits at Hartmannswillerkopf Proposed visits
A class visit at Hartmannswillerkopf
The Franco-German Great War Historial
Take your time and visit the interpretation center. Start your visit with a short documentary film about the origines of the First World War and then take a look at the different exhibits of the permament exhibition with the aid of interactif and digital aids. Find out about the main aspects of the war but also the peculiarities of mountain warfare. Don't forget to visit the temporary exhibition which, with the use of our digital tablet application, will add another dimension to your visit of the Historial.
On-site lunch
Groups may picnic outside and, in the event of bad weather, can take shelter under the Historial. A small lougne area is also available at the Historial's cafeteria.
Don't forget that there are also many farmhouse taverns dotted along the Route des Crêtes!
The battlefield
After all that preping, time to take to the field! Discover the exceptional battlefield of Hartmannswillerkopf and dive into the trenches on the footsteps of the French and German soldiers of the Great War. Accompanied by our guide, you will be immersed into the stories of this major First World War battlefield and the daily life of the soldiers that fought here. Indeed, you'll be walking in a fully-fldged open-air museum!
How can one visit the site?
You can start your visit by either the Historial or the battlefield. There are many different types can be proposed depending on your desires and of the amount of time you have available. Ideally, please put aside at least a day or half a day in order to have time to visit the site locations.
A half-day visit could be carried out in the following manner: Arrive on site at 9:30am, visit of the Historial with supporting teaching aids. Lunch break at noon then tour of the battlefield and national monument. Tour finished at around 4pm and then head home. In the event of several groups visiting at the same time, it might be better to change the order of the visit in order to allow everyone to have a more pleasant visit.
- For the Historial: Allow an hour for a visit with the teaching aids and 30 minutes more for a visit with a tablet.
- For the National Monument: Allow 30 minutes with a guide.
- For the battlefield: Allow between 2 hours and 3.5 hours depending on the trail you wish to take.
Don't forget to take into account the time needed for you to get to the site as well as the time put aside for lunch!
Guided tours of Hartmannswillerkopf
Recommendations
Visting the Hartmannswillerkopf is no ordinary visit. Respectful behaviour is demanded at all times in respect of the men who fought and died on these slopes during the Great War. No inappropriate or disrespectful behaviour will be tolerated.
- We ask that you do not let your pupils run all over the place. Indeed, it is worth noting that only the marked trails have been vetted as being safe.
- Hartmannswillerkopf is now a place of peace and friendship. Insults, shouts and inappropriate responses have no place here.
- As a mark of respect for this site, and to avoid any potential excesses, you will need to adequately brief your pupils of what is expected of them.
- Appropriate clothing and footwear for a mountain hike are not only recommended but crucial.
Please receive our thanks for your appropriate actions with regards to the respect of these rules and we wish you a most pleasant visit!