Charleville-Mézières (One city, two destinies )
Charleville and Mézières, now united for the better, have experienced two great destinies. One was built on the orders of an Italian nobleman; the other was born of the work of its craftsmen and the determination of its tradesmen.
A child of Charleville, Arthur Rimbaud was not kind to his home town. ‘Atrocious Charlestown’, as he called it, very soon weighed heavily him. He wanted just one thing: to leave. Rimbaud, a little rascal with the face of an angel in perpetual exile, was to embody this contradiction throughout his short life.
À Charleville-Mézières
A - Information and services for cyclists
Set at the starting point of France’s longest green path, Charleville-Mézières is by no means lacking in attractions: first and foremost, of course, there is the magnificent place Ducale, the gem of the city and scene of the famous puppet festival. The Rimbaud Museum and the fortifications of Mézières are also well worth visiting before you join the asphalt ribbon that forms the green path leaving the built-up area.
To reach the green path
From Charleville-Mézières station and the city centre, you can join the ‘Trans-Ardennes’ green path in Montcy-Notre Dame by crossing the Mont Olympe leisure centre and following the pathway along the Meuse.
Hire points:
ADA Holiday Bikes Voir sur la carte
59 avenue Charles de Gaulle
08000 Charleville-Mézières
Tel. : 03 24 37 15 54
Cycle hire: wide range of bicycles, mountain bikes.
Carolo Cycles Voir sur la carte
19 place de Mohon
08000 Charleville-Mézières
Tel. : 03 24 35 88 02
Tuesday to saturday: 9h-12h / 14h-19h.
Cycle hire: wide range of bicycles, mountain bikes and trailers.
ARENAM – Garage solidaire Voir sur la carte
Tel. : 03 10 07 51 92
Cycle hire : Charleville-Mézières Tourist Office, Snack du Mont Olympe (close to the camp site) , Café de la Marine in Montcy-Notre-Dame (opposite the start of the Trans-Ardennes bike path).
Hosts labeled
The facilities available from these service providers include a secured bicycle shelter, an area equipped to clean bicycles, etc.
Bed and Breakfast « La Ferme de Saint-Julien » Voir sur la carte
30 place de la Basilique
Tel. : 03 24 33 24 75 – 06 07 94 41 35
Hôtel Kyriad Voir sur la carte
Place Bozzi
Tél. : 03 24 26 32 32
http://www.kyriad-charleville-mezieres.fr/en
Charleville railway station / train + bicycle formula Voir sur la carte
À Charleville-Mézières
C - The Place Ducale Voir sur la carte
1606. One Louis de Gonzague, an Italian nobleman, wanted to move closer to France. On his wife’s land, he created a new city from start to finish, designed in the Italian style! His son Charles, a worthy heir, dreamt up Place Ducale, with its draughtboard pattern and its fine symmetry. He gave his name to this beautiful city and it quickly supplanted Mézières, which had become dated.
08000 Charleville mezieres
Tel : 0033(0)3 24 55 69 90
Web : www.charleville-mezieres.org
Did you know?
The Place Ducale was designed by Clément Métezeau, brother of Louis, who created the Place des Vosges in Paris. The twenty-four pavilions in ochre stone from Dom-le-Mesnnil, with blue-tinted slate roofs, clearly reflect the Ardenne region.
Tip.
How can you fail to be captivated by the charm of Place Ducale, now a pedestrian precinct, and enjoy its many café and restaurant terraces?
À Charleville-Mézières
D - Rimbaud, the child of the land. Voir sur la carte
This brilliant poet was born in Charleville and spent his childhood and adolescence there before moving to Paris and discovering the world.
Learn about his life and work at the Rimbaud museum, the Maison des Ailleurs – the poet’s family home - and the “Voyelles” media resource centre, or by following the Rimbaud tour laid out by the Charleville tourist office (Place Ducale).
Info : The museum will be closed in 2014 for maintenance. Pending reopening a sapce dedicated to the poete is open at the Museum of the Ardenne
À Charleville-Mézières
E - Museum of the Ardenne Voir sur la carte
Visitors enter the museum through a lovely inner courtyard, hidden from sight, as it were. But once inside, what a discovery awaits! The museography is extraordinary. Combining glass, ochre-coloured stone from Dom and metal, it tells the story, the Great Story of the Ardenne, covering every age and evoking the major periods of its construction, including the 19th century which saw the birth of the Industrial Revolution. This museum also recounts the recent history of the city, among other things through a fine collection of puppets.
31, Place Ducale
08000 Charleville mezieres
Tel : 0033(0)3 24 32 44 60
Tip
Admission to the Rimbaud museum is combined with admission to the Maison des Ailleurs, both of which are dedicated to the genius of the Charleville’s adolescent poet.
Did you know?
As of the 17th century, Charleville was one of the arsenals of the kingdom. In 1812, the arms factory produced over 50,000 weapons a year and employed more than 1,700 workers. These weapons were used by La Fayette’s troops during the American war of independence.
À Charleville-Mézières
F - The fortified city Voir sur la carte
Mézières in the 9th century... The quays along the Meuse were bustling with activity. A lot of trading took place: Burgundy wines passed through the city. At this crossroads of the economic world in northern Europe, trading posts and processing workshops sprang up on all sides. The city became rich on 500 years of trade. Many people from Liège brought their know-how to Mézières. Henceforth, iron was to be hammered out along the Meuse. This wealth had to be protected. Mézières took steps to ensure that it was encircled and fortified…
08000 Charleville mezieres
Tel : 0033(0)3 24 55 69 90
Web : www.charleville-tourisme.com
Tip
Guided tours of the ramparts are organised by the Charleville tourist office in season.
Walk
A “medieval” tour of the city reveals Mézières’ glorious past (Information from the Charleville tourist office)
Did you know?
One of the world’s first cars, the Clément-Bayard, was built in the Macérienne factory in Mézières. This small racing car was born of the determination of its designer, Gustave-Adolphe Clément, who had engaged the best foundry skills of the time. These buildings still stand today and can be seen along the ramparts.
À Charleville-Mézières
G - Walk Voir sur la carte
The Mont Olympe leisure area
Just a stone’s throw from Place Ducale, a small footbridge over the Meuse leads to the heart of a natural area dedicated to relaxation and leisure activities, organised around the city’s mooring station. There you can be sure of a holiday atmosphere!
Did you know ?
Needle weir
This type of dam can be used to reduce the flow of the river by using thin “needles”. The gatekeeper regulates the flow by removing or adding long poles. The Meuse is the only river on which this ancestral technique is still practised.
Find out about this type of dam by following a narrow path along the Meuse, starting from the Mont Olympe leisure area.
Walk Voir sur la carte
The Mont Olympe leisure area links up with the “Trans-Ardennes” green track which follows the old towpath along the Meuse for over 80 kilometres.
> Green track - RAVeL hiking link
Bicycle hire points:Infos>
De Mont Olympe Voir sur la carte
The sleeper in the Valley
It’s a green hollow, where a river is singing
Crazily hanging on the grasses rags
Of silver; where the sun, from the proud mountain,
Is shinning: it’s a little valley bubbling with sunlight.
A young soldier, his mouth open, his head bare,
And the nape of his neck bathing in cool blue watercress,
Is sleeping; he is stretched out on the grass, under the skies,
Pale in his green bed where the light falls like rain.
Feet in the gladiolas, he is sleeping.Smiling like
A sick child would smile, he takes a nap:
Nature, rock him warmly: he is cold.
Fragrances do not make his nostrils quiver;
He sleeps in the sun, hand on the breast,
Peacefully. He has two red holes in his right side.
Tip Voir sur la carte
À Charleville-Mézières
H - Event Voir sur la carte
The world marionette festival
The marionette (or puppet) established its reputation in Charleville-Mézières: the city is the reference point for this art dedicated to both the young and the not-so-young. Every two years, the World Festival of Marionette Theatres brings together 250 troupes, acclaimed by over 250,000 people! See you on September 2017.
Did you know?
The city is home to ESNAM, the National College of Marionette Arts, one of the few puppeteers’ schools in the world.
À Charleville-Mézières
I - Meet and savour
Charleville has good taste! Voir sur la carte
The carolo, a confectioner’s speciality of the city, crunchy ardoises (nougatine), terrines and other cold meats … to be savoured with the local beer produced by the Petite Brasserie Ardennaise established here.
A real delight!
The barge Voir sur la carte
On the Meuse, in Charleville-Mézières, you will meet Philippe, in the barge from Mawhot, a place where legends are lived and shared around a good beer.
À Charleville-Mézières
J - Reception and tourist information site
Tourist office of Charleville-Mézières et sa région Voir sur la carte
4 place Ducale - BP 229
08102 Charelville-Mézières cedex
Tél. : + 33 (0) 3 24 55 69 90
La vitrine des Ardennes Voir sur la carte
22-24 place Ducale - BP 419
08107 Charelville-Mézières cedex
Tél. : + 33 (0) 3 24 56 06 08
À Charleville-Mézières
K - All aboard the 2CV!
The indestructible 2 CV ... Take a ride in a Citroen 'Deux Chevaux', the French motoring icon that symbolised low-cost, reliable motoring for over four decades. Rétroscapade's 2CV will take you along the roads of the Thiérache region, over the Rocroi plateau and through the Meuse and Semoy valleys: for a day, a weekend, or a week, from the station of Rethel, as you wish, and for as long as you wish. It's the ideal solution to explore the French Ardennes Regional Nature Park and discover the local gastronomy while you are about it.
Tel. +33 (0)3 24 53 54 73
Plus d'Info : www.retroscapade.com
