Travelling with MM: 2026

03 July 2026

Bitche France

Day 60 Friday 3 July 2026

Today we drove 195km eastward to Bitche, stopping along the way at the largest American cemetery in Europe, a walk in the forest to see Maginot Line forts and visit the Bitche Citadel before ending the day in Philippsbourg.

This morning we enjoyed our drive through beautiful farm land and quaint villages.

Bournes depicting war activities along the way

The shortest route to our destination took us through the centre of Metz. Due to a tunnel we could not go in (height limit 2.6m) so we had to drive along the bus route past the lovely train station. As we have previously seen the city sights (2013) we kept going.

Further on we did a quick shop in St Avold and popped in at the largest American WWII Cemetery in Europe (also visited in 2013). It contains the graves of approximately 10,500 service members. Approximately 445 names are also commemorated on its walls of the missing. Most of the service members memorialized there were killed while driving the German forces from the fortress city of Metz, France, toward the Siegfried Line and the Rhine River.

Just before Bitche we stopped in the forest to follow a walk taking us to see some of the Simserhof blockhouses built in the 1930’s as part of the Maginot Line.

Next we went to have a look at the Bitche Citadel €8pp outside museum.

Since the 12th century it sits proudly above the town like a ship and was later fortified by Vauban and Cormontaigne, two geniuses of military architecture. It has had tumultuous history especially during the 1870 War. It continued being used as a military post until after WWII when the Allied bombing raids of 1944-1945 put an end to the military use of the fortress.