The best cycling routes around Saint-Thierry

The cycle path offers the possibility to park outside and cycle into the city in a relaxed manner.

Under the central arch is a calendar depicting the activities and tasks of agriculture and viticulture: grape pressing, harvesting, etc. A calendar can be seen here through the carved reliefs. Under the eastern arch, we can see a she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. According to legend, it was Remus who founded Reims. Finally, under the western arch, we can see Leda being seduced by Jupiter.

This ancient monument is one of the longest in the Roman world: it is approximately 32 meters long and 12 meters high! The Mars Gate was built towards the end of the 2nd century and is the only one of the four monumental arches providing access to the city of Durocortorum that has survived. It consists of three arcades. The central arch carried the city's major north-south axis, intended for the passage of carriages. The two side arcades were used by pedestrians.

While staying on the asphalt, you can cover more than 24 km. From the St. Brice Courcelles side, you can go up to La Neuvillette, then to Courcy, it's an unpaved road (passable but not for road bikes). After Courcy, there's asphalt up to Berry au Ferry (this allows you to discover the Sapigneul Owl, about 150 m on dirt road). On the other side, after Sillery, you can continue to Beaumont (asphalt). Then, on a dirt road passable by mountain bike, you can go to the Billy Arch, where the canal passes through a tunnel.

This canal is lined with a cycle and footpath. If I read the signs correctly, it's about 60km long in total. Here's a section in Reims.

The monument survived destruction because it was walled up inside the Archbishop's castle in the 13th century, which inadvertently preserved it for future generations.

The Porte de Mars is a 3rd-century Roman monument in Reims, France, representing the widest arch in the entire Roman world at 33 meters long and 13 meters high. Originally built as one of four monumental arches at the cardinal entrances to ancient Durocortorum, it's the only surviving example of these grand structures. The arch features three decorated archways with intricate relief carvings, including scenes of Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf, agricultural calendars showing Gallic harvesters, and mythological figures like Leda and Zeus.

The abbey served as the guardian of the Holy Ampulla (Sainte Ampoule) used in the coronation ceremonies of French kings, and Reims was known as Durocortorum when it served as the capital of the Roman province of Belgica.