Tourism Moulin le Cygne – Tourist information from the valley of the Meuse

Fort de Douaumont (The Douaumont Fort)

Jun 8, 2018
497 Views

Fort Douaumont is the mightiest of the forts surrounding Verdun. Captured in a surprise attack four day after the beginning of the Battle of Verdun, it was occupied by the German Army for eight months. They used it as shelter for their troops and as essential back-up for their ongoing offensive. Despite several attempts at retaking the fort, it was not recaptured until 24 October 1916. read more

The wild boar from the sculptor Eric Sléziak in the Ardennes

Woinic, the wild boar

Sep 14, 2018
430

In the parking lot of the A34 (the motorway between Reims and Charleville-Mézières), 10km north of Rethel, this gigantic wild boar is worth stopping for a while. From the highway already visible but its true glory is only to experience when you take the trouble to leave the highway.

Merovingian

The Saint-Dagobert fountain

Jun 11, 2017
651

It is found in the centre of a 1,500- hectare stretch of forest, managed by the National Office of Forests, Departmental Service of the Meuse, Stenay division. The ancient Arphays fountain, now called the Fountain of Saint-¬Dagobert, has been a place of pilgrimage since the end of the 9th Century, This pilgrimage took place without... read more

Roe deer

Nov 8, 2017
560

European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) Video from the vetenarians in Stenay. Deer in the Woods of the North Meuse. The European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), also known as the western roe deer, chevreuil, or simply roe deer or roe, is a Eurasian species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as... read more

Museum

Museum Princerie

Jun 14, 2018
417

The art gallery and museum (musee d’art et d’histoire) has been housed in a 16th-century house in the heart of the old town since 1932. Its very varied collections give insight into Verdun’s rich history from prehistoric times to the eve of the First World War.

Wash houses

Wash-houses – lavoirs

Sep 30, 2017
485

A Lavoir is a public place set aside for the washing of clothes. Communal washing places were common in Europe until industrial washing was introduced, and they in turn were replaced by launderettes. Lavoirs are commonly sited on a spring or beside or set over a river. Many Lavoirs are provided with roofs for shelter.... read more

Castles

Charmois, castle Mouzay

May 10, 2017
533

Château Charmois, 1615. This is an outpost of the Lorraine citadels of Stenay and Jametz, and opposite Villefranche, a French citadel that can be seen from the other side of the Meuse. Evidence of a Gallo-Roman presence was discovered under the courtyard of the higher Choteau (burnt wooden structure, presence of tiles).

Cycling cours 26 km

Jul 26, 2018
350

Cycling course thanks to the “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. A 26 km course via Brouennes, Quincy and Bâalon. Course thanks to the association “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. The “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse” starts every Saturday at 14:00 for a new course from the Tavern of the Beer Museum in Stenay. You... read more

First World War

Battle sites of the Argonne area

Sep 30, 2017
569

In September 1914 the first combats broke out in the Argonne Forest. This fixed-position war lasted until 1918, with the huge Franco-American offensive launched towards Sedan. It was in the Meuse that the American Army was engaged autonomously in Europe for the first time in its history. American remembrance is strongly present in the Meuse,... read more

Côte 304 and le Mort-Homme

Jul 6, 2017
821

The heights of Le Mort Homme or Dead Man’s Hill (German: Toter Mann) lie within the French municipality of Cumières-le-Mort-Homme around 10 kilometres northwest of the town of Verdun in France. The hill earned tragic notoriety for being the scene of bitter fighting in the Battle of Verdun during the First World War.

Monuments

Montfaucon American Monument

Feb 14, 2018
552

The World War I Montfaucon American Monument is located seven miles south of the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial and 20 miles northwest of Verdun, France. It consists of a massive granite doric column, surmounted by a statue symbolic of liberty, which towers more than 200-feet above the war ruins of the former village.

Cemeteries and ossuaries

Marville – St. Hilaire cemetery

Sep 30, 2017
579

The Saint-Hilaire church and cemetery in Marville are in fact a superb museum of funerary art with astonishing and highly moving stone tombs. They enable us to better understand the Cult of the Dead that lasted from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. It still is surrounded by its beautiful graveyard with tombstones and... read more

Festivals

Festival of Puppet Theatres – Festival Marionette

Sep 23, 2017
656

The World Festival of Puppet Theatres includes: •the world’s largest gathering of puppeteers every other year in Charleville-Mézières •the support of artistic creation through the co-production of shows, the hosting of artists in residence, as well as the promotion and distribution of shows

Cycling course 47 km

Jul 26, 2018
349

Cycling course thanks to the “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. A 47 km course via Dun-sur-Meuse, Cléry, Sassey, Wiseppe.

City tour Stenay

Jun 7, 2017
546

A walk through the old town of Stenay. Discover Stenay’s places and most attractive dwellings during a lovely stroll of around 1hour15. Get to know Stenay and its history during a walk passing the main shops and restaurants.

Storks

Jun 30, 2017
580

Lots of storks in the area. Keep your eyes open for higher places. Storks are in the region from march till september. They have 1 nest a year.

Nature

Nature Reserve Raymond Mayné – Torgny

Sep 30, 2017
604

Nature Reserve Raymond Mayné Situated north of the village and facing south, the nature reserve stretches on a nearly-six-hectare surface; it belongs to the association “Ardenne et Gaume” and to the district of Rouvroy. It enjoys a warm and dry climate and consists of old quarries, limy lawns and thickets.

Museum Arthur Rimbaud in Charleville-Mézières

Museum

Arthur Rimbaud Museum

Sep 12, 2017
607

Charleville-Mézières, a town in northern France opened the Old Mill on the river Meuse to house the collection of its most famous poet, the 19th-century poet Arthur Rimbaud. The museum combines objects telling the story of Rimbaud’s short life (he only lived to 37) and his literary legacy in one space but also to demonstrate his... read more

Orval Abbey

Aug 15, 2017
660

Orval Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval) is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 in the Gaume region of Belgium and is located in Villers-devant-Orval, part of Florenville in the province of Luxembourg. The abbey is well known for its history and spiritual life but also for its local production of the Trappist beer Orval and a... read more

Cycling course 27,5 km

Jul 26, 2018
377

Cycling course thanks to the “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. A 27,5 km course via Milly-sur-Bradon, Sassey-sur-Meuse, Saulmory-et-Villefranche.

MUDAM museum– Luxembourg

Aug 2, 2017
665

Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean Mudam is the foremost museum dedicated to contemporary art in Luxembourg, and strives to be attentive to every discipline and open to the whole world. Its collection and programme reflect current artistic trends and appreciate the emergence of new artistic practices on a national and international scale.

Cycling course 80 km

Jul 26, 2018
366

Cycling course thanks to the “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. A 80 km course via Inor, Euilly-et-Lombut, Brévilly, Villers-devant-Mouzon, Belval-bois-des-dames et Beauclair.

Jean-Claude Servais

Sep 26, 2017
524

Jean-Claude Servais, cartonist, loves the Gaume region in southern Belgium. He has been living for many years and loves the nature. The history of the region draws herself into her landscapes, monuments and buildings, making her a dreamed ambassador of the wonderful Gaume. As cartoonist and script writer countless works of his hand has since... read more

Jean-Robert Ipoustéguy – sculptor

Aug 30, 2017
609

Jean-Robert Ipoustéguy (January 6, 1920 – February 8, 2006),a figurative French sculptor, was born “Jean Robert” in Dun-sur-Meuse. His artwork had a distinct style, combining abstract elements with the human figure, often in the écorché style of French anatomists. The American writer John Updike once wrote that he “may be France’s foremost living sculptor, but... read more

Uncategorized

The sacred way (la voie sacrée)

Jun 8, 2018
567

The “Sacred Way” was the only road between thefront line at Verdun and Bar-le-Due in the rear. As such, it was a vital logistical corridor. For ten months, almost 2,400,000 men and thousands of tonnes of munitions and equipment passed along it, day and night.

Museum

Museum ’14-’18 – Romagne-sous-Montfaucon

Sep 30, 2017
602

Millions of men left home to fight for the fatherland. On the home front their women did their best to keep their communities going. Millions of victims, humans as well as animals, lost their lives. Hundreds of square miles of countryside were destroyed and complete villages erased, never to be rebuilt. It was a war... read more

Cycling course 26 km

Jul 26, 2018
317

Cycling course thanks to the “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. A 26 km course via Luzy-St.Martin, Inor, Pouilly-sur-Meuse.

Tour of the old ramparts – Stenay

Aug 8, 2017
560

Follow in the footsteps of the old fortifications of Stenay between the town and the military citadel. This pleasant historic walk of about 1 hour 15 minutes leads you back in time through the meandering lanes and passages of Stenay.

Monuments

Luzy-St.Martin – monuments

Sep 8, 2017
549

At Luzy-Saint-Martin and its surrounding hills, ferocious battles took place between the 26th and 28th August 1914. After the battle at the frontier, the German army pursued its breakthrough and continued advancing across the River Meuse before joining the Marne. It was intercepted at Luzy by French colonial regiments. Violent pitched battles took place resulting... read more

Cycling course 44,3 km

Jul 26, 2018
473

Cycling course thanks to the “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. A 44,3 km course via Malandry, Blagny, Bièvres, Chauvency-St.Hubert.

Beekeeping museum (Maison du miel et des abeilles)

Jun 12, 2018
437

Maison du miel et des abeilles du Val Dunois (Bee keeping museum). Discover the fascinating world of bees. Enthusiastic beekeepers have developed a fun way of sharing their knowledge with visitors. You can access the very heart or of the hive in totally safe modern amenities not found anywhere else in Lorrain.

Cycing course 44 km

Jul 26, 2018
420

Cycling course thanks to the “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. A 44 km course via Vigneul, Chauvency, La Ferté-sur-Chiers .

Trench of Bayonets (la tranchée des Baïonnettes)

Jun 8, 2018
490

This monument, which was built by an American, is based on a legend stating that French soldiers were buried alive, standing in their trench during constant shelling. It has remained in popular memory as a symbol of Verdun’s battlefield.

Museum v/d verdedigingswerken - Montmédy

Fortification museum (Musée de la Fortification)

Jun 14, 2018
404

Musee de la fortification: The aim of the museum is to highlight the richness, diversity and fascinating features of military architecture in Meuse, from the area’s earliest days to the late 18’h century. There are models of systems of defence, old weaponry, aerial views of fortified sites in Meuse …

Les Epargnes

Jun 12, 2018
445

Les Eparges is a ridge overlooking the Woevre Plain opening out towards the town of Metz. It was the scene of terrible fighting, especially in 1915. It was in this sector, which includes the Calonne Trench, that literary conscripts were brought face to face with the Great War.

Butte de Vauquois

Jun 12, 2018
549

The village of Vauquois was caught up in mine warfare and razed to the ground in February 1915 during the bitter fighting that totally changed its landscape. Nowadays, people have complete access to the hillside, the Butte de Vauquois overlooking the impressive craters created by explosive charges and the restored trenches on both the French... read more

Churches and chapels

Mont-devant-Sassey – church

Sep 10, 2017
1013

Église Notre-Dame de l’Assomption in Mont-devant-Sassey. Built in the Argonne foothills during the 11th and 12th centuries, the Church of Our Lady of MONT-DEVANT-SASSEY is one of the most beautiful religious buildings in Lorraine. Despite lengthy periods of construction, wars and plundering, it has maintained its architectural integrity and sober elegance.

Museum

Museum Jeanne d’Arc

Sep 12, 2017
641

Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne d’Arc,[5] IPA: [ʒan daʁk]; 6 January c. 1412[6] – 30 May 1431), nicknamed “The Maid of Orléans” (French: La Pucelle d’Orléans), is considered a heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years’ War and was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. Joan of Arc... read more

Red fox in the Woods – video

Nov 8, 2017
523

Renard(vulpus vulpus)

The World Centre for Peace (Centre Mondial de la des Libertes et des Droits de l’Homme)

Jun 12, 2018
484

The World Centre for Peace, Liberty and Human Rights (Centre Mondial de la Paix, des Libertes et des Droits de l’Homme) is housed in the luxurious archbishop’s palace in Verdun, described by Saint-Simon in his memoirs, as the most splendid such palace in the whole of France.

Castles

Château Louppy-sur-Loison

May 29, 2018
465

Build in 1620, for Simon II de Pouilly, Military Governor of Stenay, in his capacity as representative of the Duchy of Lorraine, build on a vantage point over the Loison valley, this is one of the biggest Renaissance castles in the Lorraine region.

First World War

Montfaucon-d’Argonne – village ruins

Sep 30, 2017
791

Montfaucon American Monument is a monument commemorating the American victory in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I. It is located in Montfaucon-d’Argonne close to Romange-sous-Montfaucon (American cemetery and museum). Immediately behind the Monument you find the ruins of the village with the remains of the church still visible.

Theme parks

Villages des vieux metiers

Sep 30, 2017
458

Azannes, the village of old crafts opens each year on each of the sundays in May. A beautiful experience, where you can walk through history and enjoy the local people working the old handcrafts and trades. An outdoor museum that you should not miss! Unique and full of surprises. Over 80 crafts from the 19th... read more

Literature

Alain Fournier

Sep 10, 2017
902

Henri-Alban Fournier, who later wrote under the pseudonym Alain-Fournier, was born on October 3, 1886 at La Chapelle d’Angillon where his parents were teachers. He spent his chilhood in the Sologne countryside. In 1891 his father became a teacher at Epineuil le Fleurel and young Henri was his pupil until the 5th grade. He then... read more

City

Bar-le-Duc

Sep 9, 2017
588

Bar-le-Duc – A town of artistic, architectural and historic interest. Bar-le-Duc lies midway between Reims and Nancy, 2½ hrs from Paris. It is a “Town of artistic, architectural and historic interest” (Ville d’art et d’histoire) and one of the “most beautiful detours in France” (plus beaux détours de France) surrounded by woodland.

Gastronomy

Torgny – Belgium

Sep 30, 2017
617

Torgny is a village in the municipality of Rouvroy, in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium, close to the French border. It has about 200 inhabitants and is the southernmost place of Belgium. Till 1977 Torgny was a municipality. Torgny is one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Wallonia”.

Cycling course 39 km

Jul 26, 2018
378

Cycling course thanks to the “Cyclos du Ciel de Meuse”. A 39 km course via Murvaux, Doulcon, Saulmory.

Museum

Museum Barrois in Bar-le-Duc

Jun 12, 2018
511

Located in the Renaissance district of Bar-le-Due, a “Town of Artistic, Architectural and Historic Interest, the delightful museum (Musee barrois) is built in the late 15’h century for Rene II of Anjou.

Nativity scenes Museum (Musée des crèches)

Jun 14, 2018
434

The scenes come from Africa, America … or from closer to home, like the famous Nativity scenes for which Provence in Southern France has been famous for the past two hundred years. They show a variety of settings (a barn, a byre, an entire village, a mill) and, of course, they’re peopled with figurines known... read more

A day with Jean-Robert Ipoustéguy

Sep 23, 2017
554

To spent a beautiful day in Dun-sur-Meuse en Dun-Haut with modern art, nature and history we recommend the one day tour “a day with Ipoustéguy”. Visit the permanent exposition known as the ‘Gallery Ipoustéquy’ and the temporary exhibitions in the other rooms. Find the birthhouse of Ipoustéquy. The house was hit hard during the First World... read more

Moulin le Cygne - Résidence de Tourisme

Museum

Literature

Moulin le Cygne - the best holiday apartments

First World War

Abbeys and monasteries

Festivals

Rivers and waterways

Merovingian