At the eastern tip of the island is the symbolic tomb of the 200,000 French who died in Nazi concentration camps during World War II – Resistance fighters, Jews and forced labourers among them. The Mémorial de la Déportation is scarcely visible above ground; stairs hardly shoulder-wide descend into a space like a prison yard and then into the stifling crypt (gates to crypt open daily 10am–noon & 2–5pm; free), where thousands of points of light represent the dead. Floor and ceiling are black, and it ends in a black, raw hole, with a single naked bulb hanging in the middle. On either side are empty barred cells. Above the exit are the words "Forgive. Do not forget." In contrast, the little green park surrounding the memorial is more of a celebration of life and a popular hang-out on a fine evening.
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