The best running trails around Laon

Hidden in the middle of the forest, this Cistercian abbey, founded in 1134 by Bernard of Clairvaux, appears like a mirage. Its majestic ruins bear witness to a turbulent past. From the Hundred Years' War and the French Revolution to the First World War, the abbey suffered considerable destruction. In the 1960s, the site was overgrown with brambles and forgotten. Thanks to the archaeological excavation group "Sources" led by Father Courtois, it experienced a rebirth.

The observation tower, inaugurated on April 16, 2013, overlooks the Plateau de Californie, a strategic site of the battles of the Chemin des Dames. The 20-meter-high, freely accessible tower offers a historical insight into the landscape and recalls the importance of the heights during the war. It also offers visitors who climb it an unparalleled view of the village of Craonne below, but also of the Chemin des Dames and the Champagne plain... The observation tower is topped with a blue beacon that is activated at night, thus forming a monument in the landscape. During the day, it allows one to survey the plain of Reims, while at night, conversely, it is visible from this plain. The structure of the tower consists of a spatially modular wooden Mikado, whose arrangement has been chosen according to the configuration of the terrain and the orientation of the viewpoints. The dimensions of the steps and handrails facilitate the climb and mitigate the feeling of vertigo that may arise. For this structure built amidst trees, wood was the obvious material. Renewable materials were selected: glued laminated timber from pine for the long supports, posts and beams from larch, larch wood for the steps, and tropical woods (Massaranduba, Cumaru, Ipé, Doussié…) for the platforms and railings. These woods, originating from French Guiana, are certified and their extraction is controlled. Source and further information: https://www.chemindesdames.fr/

On the eastern side of the 'Promenade de la Citadelle', a viewpoint with an information board has been created. Near the playground on the promenade, reclining benches have also been installed, from which one can enjoy the view even in a resting position.

Inaugurated on April 16, 2013, the observation tower overlooks the Plateau de Californie, a strategic location during the war on the Chemin des Dames. Standing at a height of 20 meters and freely accessible, it offers a historical perspective on the landscapes and serves as a reminder of the importance of high points during the war. It also offers visitors who climb it an incomparable view of the village of Craonne below, as well as the Chemin des Dames and the Champagne plain. Equipped at its summit with a blue lighthouse, put into operation at night, the observation tower constitutes a beacon of memory in the landscape. Allowing a view of the plain of Reims during the day, it is, in a reverse movement, visible at night from this plain. 

On the Plateau de Californie, above the former village of Craonne, stands a 20-metre-high watchtower that was inaugurated in 2013. This tower offers a panoramic view of the battlefield of the Chemin des Dames and allows visitors to understand the strategic importance of this height during the First World War. The tower is freely accessible and equipped with information panels that historically explain the landscape.

The ramparts

In the forest south of Saint-Nicolas-Aux-Bois, we encounter a small sacred monument, which, based on its intention, can be classified as a memorial cross. The metal cross located at the top of the monument, surrounded by trees, is comparatively small in relation to the towering, divided shaft. The base of the "Croix Sézinne" consists of two (three if you count the transition) stone elements: a square shaft at the bottom, a slightly projecting, tapered connecting piece in the middle section, and above it, a round shaft that supports the actual cross.

IUT of Aisne