The village of Craonne, now famous for the famous Chanson de Craonne, was the scene of bitter fighting between the French and Germans at the beginning of the First World War.
In April-May 1917, what remained of the village was destroyed by French artillery. The site was then classified as a “red zone” and a “new” village was rebuilt below from 1921 to 1927, thanks in particular to the help of Sweden which financed the town hall. The site of “Old Craonne” is managed by the National Forestry Office, and today hosts an arboretum, a micro-walk (punctuated by several information panels that allow you to find the traces of the old village), as well as three Peace Gardens (German, Italian and Moroccan)…