# Ghost Village



## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

Hi all, a while ago (3/4 months) someone posted about a village in France that was destroyed by the Germans in 1944 (just after D_Day I think) it shows a picture of a burnt out doctor's car.
I have searched as well as I can but cannot find it,can anyone help me please.
Thanks,Gary


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi;

Oradour Sur Glane..

http://www.oradour.info/

pete


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## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

Thanks Pete,thats the one.
Gary


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

Too late now Garry, if its spares your after, the car will be long gone :lol: 
Geo


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

Hallo Sersol - we visited the village last year and the effect is still as strong as it was when we left. They say even the birds stop singing near it and although we were there with lots of "tourists" all were vry quiet and respectful. It still sends shivers down my spine when I think of it, but it is somewhere I think every one should visit if possible.

Sue


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Nice Aire just on the edge of the village - N 45degree 56' 129" E 001 deg 01' 531" 
2 euro, Rue de Stade - well signposted to 'Aire de Repos' 
Big new museum and information centre on the history of the village, well worth a visit but very sobering and a feeling of sadness & despair


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## 103066 (Feb 20, 2007)

This is a subject very close to my heart. I've been to Oradour sur Glane three times now, and it is a sad, thought provoking place. The first time I went was about 10 years ago, when it was still just the village remains with a few burnt out rusted cars, and a very small museum / memorial by the graveyard. At the time of the atrocity the French govenment decreed that the village would be left unbuilt on as a memorial 'lest we forget' until it was dust and a new town was built further down the river. There was no charge to get in, just donations. 

The last time I went, (3 years ago), it had changed completely. They had built a new car park, a huge museum, some of the buildings were propped up and bolstered to stop them disintegrating, there seemed to be more vehicles, and every house had a strategically placed singer sewing machine. We even saw a store where they were keeping lots of old cars, one of the builders had inadvertantly left a gate opened. They were charging a fee to get in to see it, and souveniers were being sold. In all honesty, it didn't feel right, somehow more staged than it used to be. It had almost turned into a tourist attraction rather than a memorial. 

I can see the need to ensure future generations are aware of what happened and man's inhumanity to man, and I assume this is the reason it has been 'modernised' and maintained, but I felt this was almost betraying those few who had lived through it, and the memory of those that didn't.


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## AlanVal (Aug 17, 2005)

We visited this village 3 weeks ago on our way back up France.Very sad but interesting the quietness was unreal and the cars and the babys pram in the church all so sad.The museum was very good ,we stayed in the aire at he other end of the town,the service stand water etc was closed ? but you could fill up from the dish washing place the aire was full when we were there very busy .We walked to the village from the not to far ..

Val


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## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

Thankyou for all your replies.
This sounds as if its well worth a visit, & thanks to whoever posted the topic first of all. I think we all need a "wake up call" from time to time.
Gary


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

We were there last week - very moving and thought provoking. We got there early in the morning (9am) when there were only a handful of visitors there. 

Admission to the village is still free but you have to go through the visitor centre (although there is an access gate via the town cemetery) and the interpretation centre exhibition is 7 EUR and is optional. The souvenir shop only had books and DVD's for sale as far as we were aware, not the usual tat.

The aire was full including a "gens de voyage" caravan with genny and the borne has been en panne for months although the waste drains can be used but not the drainage grill. It's a crazy layout with marked concrete bays some very wide so two vans could fit in one bay. 

Steve and Sheila


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