Orandour Sur Glan

The History Behind Oradour-sur-Glane

Oradour-sur-Glane is best known for the tragic events of June 10, 1944. On that day, a Nazi Waffen-SS company destroyed the village and massacred 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children. The village was left in ruins as a stark reminder of the horrors of war.

The French government decided to preserve the original village as a memorial rather than rebuild it. This decision allows visitors to walk through the remains and experience the silence and stillness that speak louder than words.

I had been planning to visit this place for a long time, but there always seemed to be something that blocked or cancelled it. Flight options, especially post high season, are somewhat limited. So, I had to bite the bullet and, for the first time in over 25 years, booked with Ryanairr. Many reasons here and I won't go into them and I'm not one of the many who expect far too much for what is usually a low basic price, read the small print about what is included - yes that does currently include a seat and you'll be fine.

Another blast from the past was flying from Stansted which had also been a long time, it's not too bad a train trip from London with usual high £ v mile fare but far better than attempting the M25/M11 on a Friday afternoon. I made the customary Wetherspoons visit, with the added entertainment of Essex/East London Stag/Hen parties. The flight was fine; I've been in worse seats. We landed in Limoges early, and it took under 45 minutes to get from the airplane to the hotel, which is key for a one-night strategy

Short wander - it was freezing and sought refuge in a French bar with Irish music - why not, food and drink pretty good and after a while the music sounded good. Hotel great value for less than 50 euros.

I had looked at bus options to to to Orandour but with a service worse than our local village in Kent and on a deadline I called the same Taxi man used last night. He was great and let me try my best in French to advise hotel location before he introduced himself as Dave from Worthing!

30 Min drive and we'd agreed for him to meet me in 2.5hrs time rather than wait for the bus , just one flight a day back to the UK so for once sensible option.

Walking through Oradour-sur-Glane is like stepping back in time. The village remains frozen in the moment of destruction, with houses, shops, and the church left as they were after the attack. After a five-minute walk through a small gate, I was in the village. There were no other visitors, no bird song, just silence and a clear blue sky.

• The Church: The church is one of the most haunting sites. It was the place where many villagers were locked inside before the massacre. The charred remains of the wooden doors and the empty pews create a powerful atmosphere.

• The Ruined Houses: Many homes still show the damage from bullets and fire. You can see personal belongings left behind, such as shoes and household items, which add a deeply human element to the visit.

Each ruined shop/house had the name of the owner and nature of their business

2hrs went in minutes and time to get back into Limoges for a spot of lunch and walk around town.

A very interesting 24hr visit.