Fey-En-Haye: Cultural Route and First World War Heritage

Fey-en-Haye has a local history closely tied to the First World War. The Route du Saillant de Saint-Mihiel passes through the village as a cultural route, following the former front line. The village is also home to the Saint-Gorgon-Sainte-Croix Church, the Croix des Carmes stained-glass window, and the monument of the same name. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip focused on history, Fey-en-Haye offers several specific themes: its position on the front, destruction and reconstruction, and different forms of remembrance.

A cultural route for orientation

The Route du Saillant de Saint-Mihiel passes through Fey-en-Haye and follows the former front line of the First World War. Specially installed signs link the route’s most significant historical sites. If you would like to use the route as the guiding thread of your trip, check the signs on site before relying on them. The route and the individual memorial sites complement each other, but answer different questions: the route provides context for the historic landscape, while each site focuses on a specific theme.

Destruction and reconstruction

From 1914 to 1915, Fey-en-Haye lay between the French and German lines. During the First World War, the village was completely destroyed and rebuilt a few hundred metres from its original location. The relocation is part of the story just as much as the destruction: the original site and the rebuilt village mark two stages in the village’s history. This makes it easy to keep the timeline clear: the dates 1914 to 1915 describe the village’s position between the front lines; after its destruction, it was rebuilt at a different site. This distinction is particularly useful when visiting if you are exploring the former village and its later form.

Monument and stained-glass window

The Croix des Carmes monument at Le Grand Buisson in Fey-en-Haye was created by Emile Just Bachelet in 1923. It depicts a stone cross carried by two French soldiers. The motif gives the monument a specific, figurative form: the depiction includes not only the cross but also the two men carrying it. The date and artist’s name help identify the work precisely when exploring the village’s memorial sites.

A Croix des Carmes stained-glass window is located in Saint-Gorgon Church. It was designed to be viewed from both outside and inside. The Saint-Gorgon-Sainte-Croix Church in Fey-en-Haye is significant as a memorial site and for its architectural heritage. The monument and the window are therefore two different works with the same name: one depicts a stone cross being carried, while the other is a window designed to be viewed from two directions. If you are interested in forms of remembrance, comparing them offers a clear distinction between sculpture and stained glass.

Another point of interest at the former village

A description from 2014 mentions an information board at the site of the former village for a botanical trail. Before your visit, check whether the sign is still there, as its condition may change. This point of interest differs from the focus of the route and memorial sites: it points to a botanical way of exploring the former village. If you would like to include this topic in your trip, consider the board an orientation point whose presence should be confirmed on site.

Discover more destinations: Ancy-Sur-Moselle, Neuves-Maisons, Crévéchamps, Cerville, Puxe, Longuyon, Nancy and Thiaucourt-Regniéville.

For the broader travel overview: Meurthe-Et-Moselle.