The Montfaucon American Monument stands on the hill north of Verdun where the 1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive — the largest American battle of WWI and to this day the largest in US Army history — began. The 60-metre Doric column is visible from miles around, topped by a statue of Liberty pointing toward the front line.
Visitors can climb the 234 steps to the top for a panoramic view of the Argonne battlefield. At the base, the ruins of the medieval village of Montfaucon — destroyed in the battle and never rebuilt — lie scattered in the grass. About 30 minutes' drive northwest of Verdun.