I am going to Paris for approximately 4 days at the end of June. I have been there before and have been to Versailles, Louvre, catacombs, Eiffel Tour, Arc de Triumph, etc. (and I hope to revisit some of these places again), but this time I would like to go off the beaten track for a bit.

As someone with a Jewish background with a deep interest in history, I would like to understand more about the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup that occurred in July of 1942. I have researched the Vélodrome d'Hiver's ("Winter Velodrome") and the Drancy Concentration Camp's history quite a bit, and would like to visit these places to pay my respects to all those who experienced atrocities that occurred in these places during the Holocaust.

However, I do not know what the current status of the Vélodrome d'Hiver & Drancy Concentration Camp is. I know France (understandably, like any other nation), is not proud of this part of their history, so I'm not sure if the public are able to go to pay their respects? Are they transformed into quality museums worth going out of the way for? Or is there just a tiny plaque that mentions it off to the side and it's largely abandoned?

I've been to Auschwitz, Dachau, and others and they have been able to turn these places of horror and hell into a place to not only teach history (instead of ignoring it), but to commemorate and acknowledge the individual lives of the people that lost their lives there. Places like these are heavy on the heart to visit, but the museums and the degree to which they garner respect at these places is quite remarkable. I don't expect the Velodrome and the Drancy Concentration to be at that level -- but I just wanted to make sure that it's worthwhile to attend, and it's not just an abandoned piece of land with an old broken down plaque.

I just want more insight into what visiting these places would be like before I dedicate one of my 4 days in Paris to them (instead of going somewhere like the Beaches of Normandy, etc).

I am going to Paris for approximately 4 days at the end of June. I have been there before and have been to Versailles, Louvre, catacombs, Eiffel Tour, Arc de Triumph, etc. (and I hope to revisit some of these places again), but this time I would like to go off the beaten track for a bit.

As someone with a Jewish background with a deep interest in history, I would like to understand more about the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup that occurred in July of 1942. I have researched the Vélodrome d'Hiver's ("Winter Velodrome") and the Drancy Concentration Camp's history quite a bit, and would like to visit these places to pay my respects to all those who experienced atrocities that occurred in these places during the Holocaust.

However, I do not know what the current status of the Vélodrome d'Hiver & Drancy Concentration Camp is. I know France (understandably, like any other nation), is not proud of this part of their history, so I'm not sure if the public are able to go to pay their respects? Are they transformed into quality museums worth going out of the way for? Or is there just a tiny plaque that mentions it off to the side and it's largely abandoned?

I've been to Auschwitz, Dachau, and others and they have been able to turn these places of horror and hell into a place to not only teach history (instead of ignoring it), but to commemorate and acknowledge the individual lives of the people that lost their lives there. Places like these are heavy on the heart to visit, but the museums and the degree to which they garner respect at these places is quite remarkable. I don't expect the Velodrome and the Drancy Concentration to be at that level -- but I just wanted to make sure that it's worthwhile to attend, and it's not just an abandoned piece of land with an old broken down plaque.

I just want more insight into what visiting these places would be like before I dedicate one of my 4 days in Paris to them (instead of going somewhere like the Beaches of Normandy, etc).

I am going to Paris for approximately 4 days at the end of June. I have been there before and have been to Versailles, Louvre, catacombs, Eiffel Tour, Arc de Triumph, etc. (and I hope to revisit some of these places again), but this time I would like to go off the beaten track for a bit.

As someone with a Jewish background with a deep interest in history, I would like to understand more about the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup that occurred in July of 1942. I have researched the Vélodrome d'Hiver's ("Winter Velodrome") and the Drancy Concentration Camp's history quite a bit, and would like to visit these places to pay my respects to all those who experienced atrocities that occurred in these places during the Holocaust.

However, I do not know what the current status of the Vélodrome d'Hiver & Drancy Concentration Camp is. I know France (understandably, like any other nation), is not proud of this part of their history, so I'm not sure if the public are able to go to pay their respects? Are they transformed into quality museums worth going out of the way for? Or is there just a tiny plague that mentions it off to the side and it's largely abandoned?

I've been to Auschwitz, Dachau, and others and they have been able to turn these places of horror and hell into a place to not only teach history (instead of ignoring it), but to commemorate and acknowledge the individual lives of the people that lost their lives there. Places like these are heavy on the heart to visit, but the museums and the degree to which they garner respect at these places is quite remarkable. I don't expect the Velodrome and the Drancy Concentration to be at that level -- but I just wanted to make sure that it's worthwhile to attend, and it's not just an abandoned piece of land with an old broken down plaque.

I just want more insight into what visiting these places would be like before I dedicate one of my 4 days in Paris to them (instead of going somewhere like the Beaches of Normandy, etc).

I am going to Paris for approximately 4 days at the end of June. I have been there before and have been to Versailles, Louvre, catacombs, Eiffel Tour, Arc de Triumph, etc. (and I hope to revisit some of these places again), but this time I would like to go off the beaten track for a bit.

As someone with a Jewish background with a deep interest in history, I would like to understand more about the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup that occurred in July of 1942. I have researched the Vélodrome d'Hiver's ("Winter Velodrome") and the Drancy Concentration Camp's history quite a bit, and would like to visit these places to pay my respects to all those who experienced atrocities that occurred in these places during the Holocaust.

However, I do not know what the current status of the Vélodrome d'Hiver & Drancy Concentration Camp is. I know France (understandably, like any other nation), is not proud of this part of their history, so I'm not sure if the public are able to go to pay their respects? Are they transformed into quality museums worth going out of the way for? Or is there just a tiny plaque that mentions it off to the side and it's largely abandoned?

I've been to Auschwitz, Dachau, and others and they have been able to turn these places of horror and hell into a place to not only teach history (instead of ignoring it), but to commemorate and acknowledge the individual lives of the people that lost their lives there. Places like these are heavy on the heart to visit, but the museums and the degree to which they garner respect at these places is quite remarkable. I don't expect the Velodrome and the Drancy Concentration to be at that level -- but I just wanted to make sure that it's worthwhile to attend, and it's not just an abandoned piece of land with an old broken down plaque.

I just want more insight into what visiting these places would be like before I dedicate one of my 4 days in Paris to them (instead of going somewhere like the Beaches of Normandy, etc).