by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:24th March 2026
The martyred village in western central France
The next overnight stay on our incredible French road trip is in Poitiers in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. However, we’re not heading there directly, as we want to visit the extremely poignant martyred village of Oradour-sur-Glane.
During our EV French road trip, we kept to the back roads of France as much as possible. After rolling off Le Shuttle at Calais, we visited the delightful medieval towns of Provins in Île-de-France and Semur-en-Auxois in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. We explored Sisteron, located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, then visited Antibes and Sète on the Mediterranean coast, and also took in a little detour to the walled city of Aigues-Mortes.
While in the South of France, we squeezed in a stay at one of our favourite places in Provence, Saint-Remy-de-Provence. From here, we headed off on a mini road trip to experience seven more Provence towns and villages.
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After visiting the UNESCO city of Albi and the charming town of Bergerac, we continue our journey north through France. We only have one night in Poitiers, then we wiggle northward to our final overnight stay in Le Mans.
Did you catch our inspiration for this French road trip?
Where is Oradour-sur-Glane?
How to get to Oradour-sur-Glane
- By Car
Departing from the UK to France, there are various options. You can either jump on Le Shuttle and arrive in Calais in 35 minutes or enjoy a leisurely cruise on the open waves with Brittany Ferries, DFDS or P&O.
- By Air
If you’re flying into France, search for your flights within your preferred travel search engine for your favoured routes and chosen dates. Pre-book your hire car from Rental Cars, and your adventure begins.
Stay informed
You will find us across many forms of social media. You will find our latest posts, some throwbacks, links to historic events with our 'On this day' posts, across Facebook, X, Bluesky & Threads. Each week, themed visual content on Instagram, and our narrated travels on YouTube. Collections of the images in our posts are also collated into boards on Pinterest.
In memory of Oradour-sur-Glane
10th June 1944, four days after D-DayOradour-sur-Glane is a small village in the Haute-Vienne department of south-west France, near Limoges. Unfortunately, today the commune is known as one of the most powerful World War II memorial sites in Europe.
The ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane
Prior to the war, Oradour-sur-Glane was a peaceful rural community with traditional stone houses, a community church, shops, and a close-knit population typical of the French countryside. Its history was shaped by everyday provincial life until June 1944, when Oradour-sur-Glane became the scene of one of the darkest atrocities committed in occupied France by Nazi Germany.
Old Saint-Martin Church
Now, forever etched in the world’s history, on the 10th of June 1944, the village was destroyed by the Waffen-SS Das Reich division, and heartbreakingly, 643 men, women, and children were murdered. The village was burned to the ground and left in ruins as a permanent reminder of the massacre.
Memorial in Oradour-sur-Glane cemetery
Plaque inside Le Martyrium
After the war, Charles de Gaulle ordered the remains of Oradour-sur-Glane to be preserved as a “village martyr,” and a new settlement was later built nearby.
Today, the original ruins remain a haunting open-air memorial, supported by the Centre de la Mémoire, ensuring Oradour-sur-Glane is remembered as a symbol of Nazi brutality and the suffering endured by civilians in France during World War II.
If like us, you love visiting different regions of France, then this 'DK Eyewitness Road Trips France' guide will definitely assist in your planning.
We regularly use DK travel guides, and this book is ideal for cross-country road trips through France. Grab yourself a recently revised edition and start plotting your route.
The unforgotten village of Oradour-sur-Glane
The massacre unfoldsAs you wander into the Centre de la mémoire d'Oradour, the events on that horrific day in June 1944 are unfurled before your eyes. The emotive storyboards, touching tales and the heartbreaking images of the brave families, young and old, are poignantly displayed on the “Gallery of Faces”.
“Gallery of Faces”
It’s extremely difficult to try to comprehend how one human being could inflict such horror and pain on another, and the fact that the SS carried out this repulsion four days after D-Day is even more sickening.
Just a few steps into the memorial village, on the right, is an open area surrounded by ruined walls. Ensure you walk inside, as it is here where the village well can be seen and within the well where bodies were found. A remembrance stone is placed in front and says, “Here, inhabitants were buried; pay your respects”.
The horrors of the village well
On the 10th of June 1944, at around 2pm, the SS Nazi Germans rounded up every man, woman and child they could find from around the village of Oradour-sur-Glane and gathered them on the fairground. People were marched in from the surrounding fields, and even those who were merely passing by or cycling through were captured.
An abandoned bicycle
Firstly, the SS troops separated the men from the women and children; there were 197 men, 241 women and 205 children. The men were escorted into six separate barns and sheds throughout the village. A signal was then given to the SS men, who simultaneously opened fire and massacred the men lined up. They then doused them in petrol and set the barns on fire.
Cross outside Oradour-sur-Glane Church
Inside the ruins of Old Saint-Martin Church
The fate of the women and children was equally horrifying. They were herded and locked into Oradour-sur-Glane’s village church; grenades were then thrown into the church. Chaos ensued inside, and the SS troops then proceeded to set fire to the sacred building. Anyone who attempted to escape through the doors and windows was met with a barrage of machine gun fire.
The SS troops then began to loot and raze the rest of the French village to the ground.
France Tourist Information
If you’re tempted to tour France and discover all the delightful things it has to offer, take a peek at the official French Tourism website. The local tourist offices dotted around towns and cities provide some extremely useful information and handy pointers for around each region.
The brave survivors of Oradour
They lived to share their storiesOnly six people are known to have survived the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, five men and one woman. A seventh initial survivor was later seen walking down a nearby street and was shot dead.
Personal family memorial
Madame Marguerite Rouffanche, the sole survivor from the church massacre, spent over a year recovering from her injuries. After jumping from the church window, she was shot five times before crawling into a nearby garden, where she hid until she was rescued the following afternoon. In 1953, Madame Rouffanche gave her testimony at the Bordeaux trial, recounting the events she witnessed on that day in 1944.
The main route through Oradour
The last living survivor, Robert Hébras, who was 18 years old at the time of the massacre, was later known for his activism for reconciliation between France, Germany, and Austria. Robert Hébras died on 11 February 2023, aged 97.
It’s through the testimonies of the survivors that historians were able to piece together the atrocious events that unravelled that summer’s day.
Razing of Oradour-sur-Glane
The village of Oradour-sur-Glane was never rebuilt. A completely new village was built nearby after the war. President Charles de Gaulle ordered that the ruins of the old village be maintained as a permanent memorial and museum.
Looted garage
The ruins of the village have been classified as a “historical Monument” since 1946.
I love nothing more than planning a trip through France and so often I use the DK Eyewitness books. I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our French road trips, now you can grab the revised copy.
The massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane
Remembering the familiesAs we strolled through the decimated village on a bright sunny day in September, it was extremely difficult to visualise how daily life on the peaceful French streets of Oradour-sur-Glane would have been prior to 10th June 1944.
The old Oradour-sur-Glane Post Office
The solemn air that blankets the martyred village today catches the back of your throat, and you almost have to pinch yourself to comprehend that this memorial town has been shaped by the hatred of man.
Tramlines passing through
The tracks of time
Oradour-sur-Glane once attracted people from miles around for its agricultural and commercial supplies, and with the Limoges to Saint-Julien rail service passing through, it became a welcoming place to settle. The main route had several local shops and four schools. A far cry from the ghost town that remains today.
Tram station
As I look at the plaques at the entrance to the homes of the Oradour residents, I gain a profound understanding that this was just a normal, everyday village. Name plates indicating the professions of the inhabitants, including hairdressers, seamstresses, mechanics, the doctor and the local mayor.
Entering the ruined church was incredibly touching, and the silence that was respected by all was echoed in volumes.
Abandoned sewing machine
I urge you to visit the memorial village of Oradour-sur-Glane. It stands as a symbol of national remembrance, and the horrific events that took place that day should never be forgotten.
Crit'Air vignette required for driving in France
If you’re heading to France from the UK with your own vehicle, you’ll need a Crit’Air ‘clean air’ car sticker.
Just like our low-emission zones in the UK, France now legally requires the display of a Crit’Air vignette. The good news is, these stickers are readily available and affordable online through the official French government website.
The Crit’Air sticker lasts the lifetime of the vehicle, so it’s a one-off purchase. The RAC website offers an in-depth guide to everything you need to know and your requirements.
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