Oradour-sur-Glanes: WW2 memorial

"I have been to many WW1 and WW2 battlefield sites, like The Somme, but this is more moving than any of them and should not be missed"

Oradour-sur-Glane is a village near Limoge, France. Or I should have said was a village.
In 1944, the village was left in ruins after German SS troops murdered 642 men, women, and children before burning the village to the ground.
Since then the village has been left untouched as a memorial to all those who lost their lives.
The crumbling walls, burned-out cars and household belongings are as they were left so long ago.
It is one of the most moving places I have been to, and even though the experience is quite harrowing, it is not to be missed so that such deeds are not forgotten.

Just before entering the village you walk through a corridor showing photographs of the villagers who were killed and listen to their names being read out.
Walking around the village (images shown below) is free but there are also two very moving permanent exhibitions.
The first (for 7€) shows text, images, and audio-visual displays of the events leading up to the tragedy, a timeline of everything that took place and what happened afterwards.
The second display (for another 2€) shows personal belongings recovered from the burnt houses.
We were not allowed to take photographs of the exhibitions but I would not want to have done as some of the images were quite disturbing.

I have been to many WW1 and WW2 battlefield sites, like The Somme but this is more moving than any of them and should not be missed.