Givenchy-en-Gohelle: Vimy Memorial and Forest

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is located on Route D55, Chemin des Canadiens, in Givenchy-en-Gohelle. Here, memorial sites and cemeteries shape the visit as much as the traces of the First World War in the Forêt domaniale de Vimy. If you’re looking for a hotel in Givenchy-en-Gohelle, you can plan your stay around the history of Vimy or the forest landscape and its routes.

The Vimy Memorial and the historic site

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial honours all Canadians who served in the First World War, especially those whose graves are unknown. It was designated a national historic site in 1997. The Lieu historique national de la Crête-de-Vimy historic site includes, in addition to the Memorial, two Commonwealth military cemeteries, reconstructed trenches, the Grange Tunnel, and a house. Paths and roads connect these features. The site therefore tells the story not just of a single monument, but of several elements of a memorial site.

At the Memorial’s visitor centre, you can get information about the role of Canada and Newfoundland in the First World War, as well as the main sights at the historic site. Check the current opening arrangements before your trip. There is also a historical interpretation trail along Chemin des Canadiens: 17 panels provide information about the capture of Vimy Ridge and the special relationship between Givenchy-en-Gohelle and the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders). Check on site whether the panels have been installed.

Cemeteries and distinct commemorative associations

Canadian Cemetery No. 2 was established in 1917 and contains 2,965 graves. It is in the heart of the Vimy memorial site, a few metres from the Memorial. The Cimetière canadien de Givenchy-en-Gohelle is a separate cemetery. The Cimetière canadien de Givenchy-en-Gohelle is a different cemetery from Canadian Cemetery No. 2. The Canadian Corps established it under the designation CD 20 in March 1917 and used it until May of that year.

The Cimetière canadien de Givenchy-en-Gohelle contains the graves of 109 Canadians who fell in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Cimetière canadien de Givenchy-en-Gohelle also commemorates more than 150 victims of the 1914–1918 war. Special memorial stones at the Cimetière canadien de Givenchy-en-Gohelle commemorate 15 Canadian soldiers believed to be buried there. This distinction is important for understanding the site: the 109 Canadians are described as having graves there, while the burial of the 15 soldiers is presented as an assumption.

Forest landscape and trails

The Forêt domaniale de Vimy is both a place of remembrance and a setting for nature and recreation. Trenches, bunkers, shell craters, saps, and the ruins of destroyed farms remain there, recalling the battles of the First World War. The La Vignette route passes through the forest. Along the way, you can see remains of trenches and uneven terrain shaped by shelling. As trail conditions may vary, check them before setting out.

On the La Vignette route, the Canadian National Vimy Memorial offers a wide view over the landscapes of the mining basin and the hills of Artois. Visibility depends on conditions. The view and the surviving traces in the forest give the route different points of interest: one section foregrounds the landscape, while another shows how the terrain was shaped by the history of war.

More ways to explore the region

The Musée de la vie en plein air du Chemin des Canadiens is also available virtually through a GIS geocache. This provides a digital way to learn about the historic sites, alongside visiting them in person.

For the “Grands sites de la mémoire” cycling route, a tourism map version updated in June 2023 describes 10- or 15-kilometre routes with substantial elevation gain. The route leads to the Monument à la division marocaine in Vimy or Givenchy-en-Gohelle. Both distances involve substantial elevation gain, so the kilometre count alone does not convey the full character of the route. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Blingel, Izel-lès-Équerchin, Ruminghem, Beuvrequen, Fresnicourt-Le-Dolmen, Beaumont, Wismes, Bapaume.

For the broader travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.