French Ardennes what's new for 2014.docx

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The French Ardennes prepares for 2014

The region of France which has been at the crossroads of Europeanhistory for centuries has launched a Battlefields and Memorials leafletin time for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of theoutbreak of the First World War.

Seventeen different locations covering the impact on The FrenchArdennes of the Franco-Prussian War, First World War and SecondWorld War are included in the leaflet - copies of which are available inEnglish.

Amongst its greatest claims to fame from the First World War is thefact that the regional capital, Charleville, was turned into the German

HQ during the First World War. The (then) opulent Castle Renaudinabove Charleville became the Headquarters for Kaiser Wilhelm II andthe Kronprinz in 1916, through to the end of the war.

Perhaps most famously of all, however, is the story of Sergeant AlvinYorks heroic actions in Chtel-Chhry, which - according to thecommander of the Allied armies, Marshal Foch - was the greatestfeat ever achieved by a single soldier of all the armies in Europe.

One of the most decorated American soldiers in World War I,Sergeant York received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on aGerman machine gun nest in Chatel Chhry, in the south of the

French Ardennes, single-handedly taking 32 machine guns, killing 28German soldiers, and capturing 132 others. Not surprisingly, the storywas turned into a Hollywood movie, which even earned Gary Cooperthe Oscar for Best Actor.

Far less well known, however, is the fact that The French Ardennes isalso where the last official victim of the Great War, Augustin JosephTrebuchon, fell - just fifteen minutes before the cease-fire at 11am onNovember 11th, 1918.

Trebuchon is buried in the cemetery of Vrigne-Meuse, an Ardennesvillage of 220 inhabitants, where visitors today will find a church with18 white crosses surrounding a memorial - in honour of the men of the415th Infantry Regiment who all died on November 11 th during the lastoffensive while attempting to cross the River Meuse.

Augustine Trebuchon - unmarried and childless, and mobilized onAugust 4, 1914 - had fought on all fronts and was wounded twicebefore being killed at 10:45am on November 11 th, 1918, fifteenminutes before his friend and solider-in-arms Delaluque had thehonour of sounding his bugle here, in The French Ardennes, to markthe ceasefire.

Invaded, bombed and devastated during three wars, The FrenchArdennes is nevertheless today one of the quietest and most ruralcorners of France. As well as a fitting location for Retroscapade - anew company offering visitors the chance to get behind the wheel of aCitren 2CV.

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Packages can be tailor-made to suit the holiday maker, but some ofthe off-the-shelf ideas include a one-day-minimum Mandres et

valles (a meanderthrough the valleys) from 149. Simple four-hourtours are also available, from 99.

But new for 2014 is the introduction of a 1954 2CV - and the chancefor anyone celebrating their 60th birthday to hire the model madeexactly 60 years ago. For full details, visitwww.retroscapade.com.

Sticking to four wheels, The French Ardennes will also be promotingtwo further innovations during 2014: some breathtaking red letterday experiences - including the chance to be driven at exhilaratingspeeds in the passenger seat of a Ferrari - on the Pole Mcaniquedes Ardenneswww.pmardennes.fr/; and an altogether gentler

experience on a new self-drive car trail through both Belgium and TheFrench Ardennes, which is themed around legends and beer!

Further details on all of the above will also be available in the 2014edition of the Discovery Guide to The French Ardennes which can beordered by [email protected], or by telephoning +33 32456 06 08.

And for further information, visithttp://gb.ardennes.com.

-ENDS-

For press information, contact:Djamila DaoudTEL: +33 (0) 3 24 56 67 77E-MAIL:[email protected]

or,

Ian WeightmanTEL: 01782-680963E-MAIL:[email protected]
http://www.retroscapade.com/http://www.retroscapade.com/http://www.retroscapade.com/http://www.pmardennes.fr/http://www.pmardennes.fr/http://www.pmardennes.fr/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://gb.ardennes.com/http://gb.ardennes.com/http://gb.ardennes.com/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/[email protected]://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/[email protected]://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_2/[email protected]://gb.ardennes.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.pmardennes.fr/http://www.retroscapade.com/

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French Ardennes what's new for 2014.docx