3-day adventure by bike, between Champagne and Valois, guided by App

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Chateau-Thierry - La Ferte-Milon
5 stops
1
Château-Thierry is the birthplace of the famous poet Jean de la Fontaine. The historic center has several places steeped in history that are worth a visit: - Medieval castle, ramparts and gates - Public monuments: Balhan tower, Hôtel Dieu and Town hall - House of Jean de la Fontaine - Saint-Crépin church (15th-16th century) - Mansions (XVII-XVIIIth) of the Grande rue
1 hour • Admission ticket free
2
The abbey church of Saint-Ferréol (13th century) is a monument of very pure Gothic style with grandiose proportions: the height under the vault is 22m, the width of the transept 30m and of the choir from the apse to the two remaining spans of the nave, the length is 40m. Bell tower with 20m spire covered with chestnut species (restored in December 2010). Look in detail at the 38 stalls of the choir carved in the 16th century (Renaissance style) representing symbolic subjects and scenes of profane life. Temporary exhibitions of sacred art. Imposing 19th century painting recently restored "The Wrath of Noah"
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
3
This museum is worth a visit! Located in the heart of the village of Belleau, it presents the battles of Bois Belleau in June 1918, which opposed German soldiers to Americans. Belleau is very famous for the US Marine Corps since it was their first engagement and their first victory! Two temporary exhibitions related to the Great War enrich this site in addition to a beautiful shop area. Free admission Museum open from May 8 to November 11. Opening time : Thursday to Monday: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Closed Tuesday and Wednesday and November 1) Compulsory health pass Contact : 03.23.82.03.63
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
4
Chateau de La Ferte-Milon
The castle of La Ferté-Milon is an old castle which was never completed and whose remains stand in the town of La Ferté-Milon in the department of Aisne in the Hauts-de-France region. Its construction was decided by Louis d'Orléans in 1393. His death stopped the construction and the project was quickly interrupted.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
5
La Ferté-Milon is a charming little town built on the edge of the picturesque Ourcq canal. It is the birthplace of the famous writer Jean Racine. In addition to its castle and its historic alleys, it presents some very interesting monuments including: - the Church of Our Lady. This church was originally called the Chapelle Fouquet and was part of the large enclosure of the castle. At the request of the Milonese, who found the Saint-Waast chapel too far from the upper town, Catherine de Medici had the architect Philippe de l'Orme (architect of the Louvre) adapt in 1563 a sanctuary with a bedside, semi- circular, pierced by five windows. - The Jean Racine Museum. Jean Racine is present everywhere in his hometown: a street, busts and this museum. He lives in the house of his paternal grandparents, where Jean spent his childhood. Orphaned at three years old, he was taken in by them. He lived there until 1651, when he left for Port-Royal.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 2
La Ferte-Mion - Longpont
3 stops
6
The village of Marolles is located on the banks of the Canal de l'Ourcq, in the heart of lovely nature. The magnificent Sainte-Geneviève de Marolles church, built in the 12th century, then remodeled in the 16th century, is distinguished by its splendid Roman stone bell tower.
Admission ticket free
7
You will discover the charming village of Oigny-en-Valois adorned with its old houses, its picturesque castle and its pretty church.
Admission ticket free
8
Notre-Dame de Longpont Abbey is a former fortified Cistercian abbey whose ruins stand in the town of Longpont in the Aisne department in the Hauts-de-France region. It was founded in 1131 by Bernard de Clairvaux at the request of the bishop of Soissons, Josselin de Vierzy.
Admission ticket free
Day 3
Longpont - Villers-Cotterets
6 stops
9
On July 18, 1918, the Allied armies launched the counter-offensive which was to lead to the Armistice of November 11. It was from the top of his observatory, high in the tall beeches of the place called the Réaumont Tower, that General Mangin led this counter-offensive. The observation tower disappeared, swept away by a storm in October 1924. As part of the centenary of the First World War, the observation tower was rebuilt. Culminating at 220 meters above sea level, it offers one of the most beautiful panoramas in the region. A breathtaking view of the Soissonnais plateaus and the forest massif awaits you. On eight floors, discover in free access, the life of the forest of Retz and its major role during the offensive of July 18, 1918.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
10
The forest of Retz is a national forest of the Aisne in the shape of a crescent of which Villers-Cotterêts would be the center. It is located 80 km northeast of Paris. It is one of the largest French forest massifs of approximately 13,000 ha. The Retz forest belongs to all of the large beech forests of Picardy (string of state forests interspersed with private forests). This forest, also called forest of Villers-Cotterêts, has an area of 13,339 hectares, 13,245 ha without counting the forest houses and their surroundings. Of this total, 12,483 ha are located in Aisne and 742 ha in Oise. The forest was in 1672, according to the Regulation of Reformation, "the noblest and best planted in the Kingdom". A veritable green pearl of historic Valois, the Retz forest is a candidate for the Forest of Exception label.
Admission ticket free
11
The keep of Vez is the name usually given to the castle of Vez, a 14th century French fortified castle located in Vez in the department of Oise. The keep itself was built between 1390 and 1410 by Jean de Vez and probably his brother-in-law Robert de Saint-Clair, himself having remained childless. It never belonged to Louis d'Orléans or a member of his family, but Jean de Vez was his chamberlain and obviously called on an architect from the royal or ducal entourage, presumably Jean Lenoir. The pentagonal keep has four habitable floors, and its only defensive elements are its machicolation on the edge of the summit terrace. It is located on the edge of a vast fortified enclosure, partly contemporary, partly later, and built on older foundations. In its center, there is a chapel from the same period as the castle and the ruins of the house from the 1360s / 1390s.
1 hour • Admission ticket not included
12
The Autumn Valley is the heart of the Pays de Valois. Nicknamed the valley of 35 bell towers, it meanders along a rural valley, dotted with wheat fields, meadows, marshes and poplar groves. But not only... because it is also home to Romanesque and Gothic churches, chapels, abbeys, mansions, castles and old farms.
Admission ticket free
13
The entrance to the castle is a "châtelet" lined with battlements on the front only. It is the dungeon of the manor, habitable in its upper parts, which are accessed by an annex turret of the Renaissance square type. ​ The northwest corner tower, a curiosity with its octagonal shape, served as a defense and dovecote. At the time, only the lord could raise pigeons, a privilege abolished during the revolution. All that remains of the house are the two wings, embellished with circular turrets topped with slate pepper pots. ​ In the park, an alley of remarkable lime trees, and a cart alley which leads to the two vegetable gardens enclosed by walls and to the orchard.
Admission ticket free
14
Villers-Cotterêt castle is a Renaissance castle built in the 16th century by François I. In 2018, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron decided to make it an International City of the French language. The castle opens in 2022, after a major restoration campaign of two buildings: the Royal Logis and the Tennis court.
1 hour • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Trailers are available as an additional paid option for the transport of babies and children from 6 months to 4 years old

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