The World War II Walk

Duration: 2 Hours (approximately)
Distance: 2.7 Miles or 4.3 KM
No Reservations Required Make a Reservation Back to Tours

The World War II Walk takes us back to Paris’s darkest hours - the Nazi occupation. We will explore subjects such as the invasion of France, the Resistance, life in Paris during the occupation, the D-Day invasion and of course the Liberation itself. Also included are visits to specific Paris sites related to this historical time period.

Tour Highlights

• 
  Deportation Memorial

  The Memorial is located on the eastern tip of the Ile de la Cité and is dedicated to the memory of over 200,000 French citizens that were sent to Nazi concentration camps.

• 
  The Resistance

  Many stories, movies and books have chronicled the important work carried out by regular French men and women that chose to join the Resistance. Even while knowing the penalty, if caught, was death, they tirelessly worked to free France from the grip of Nazi control.

• 
  Germany's Conquest of France

  France capitulated on June 25, 1940 after Germany overwhelmed its defenses. France had relied heavily on the Maginot Line, which Germany avoided by moving its army through the Ardennes forest in Belgium. Approximately 1.8 million French soldiers were captured during the Battle for France and her army was destroyed.

• 
  Charles de Gaulle

  At the beginning of the war, Charles de Gaulle was appointed as a liason between the French and UK governments. He opposed the idea of French surrender and, upon learning that Maréchal Pétain planned to seek an armistice with the Nazis, de Gaulle escaped to the UK that very afternoon with a few other senior officers and 100,000 gold francs. He would lead the Free French forces throughout the war.

• 
  The Liberation

  The Battle for Paris lasted from August 19 - August 25, 1944. The German commander, Dietrich von Choltitz, threatened to destroy Paris since Hitler had ordered that Paris be nothing more than a "barren field of ashes." Thankfully von Choltitz surrendered at the Hotel Meurice.

• 
  Hotel Meurice

  The Hotel Meurice, located on the rue de Rivoli, was the headquarters of Nazi Germany during the occupation. It was also the location where General Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered to the Free French. There is still a bullet hole in the crest of the hotel over the front door.

• 
  Vichy France

  France had a puppet government based in Vichy that was led by Maréchal Philippe Pétain. This government collaborated with the Nazis and betrayed many French citizens. The leaders of the Vichy government were tried for treason after the war and many were executed.

• 
  D-Day

  The operation was the largest single-day invasion of all time, with over 130,000 troops landing on June 6, 1944 on the Normandy beaches. It would take the Allied armies almost 3 months to reach Paris - today that is a 2 hour train ride.