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Park in the free car park at the Citadel (120 spaces) in front of the Public Finance Centre.
(S/E) Head north, descend to the right, down a narrow staircase located immediately after a picnic table, which leads to the pedestrian entrance of the Finance Centre. Turn right and walk down Allée Jean Martinot for about 100 metres
(1) Turn left onto Promenade de la Citadelle. Follow this promenade, located at the foot of the ramparts, for 650 metres before joining Promenade Yitzhak Rabin (tarmac road). Take the pavement that follows for 250 metres.
(2) Turn left and climb the stairs that lead back to Place Aubry. On the left is the former episcopal palace, newly restored and now occupied by the Palais de Justice (July 2024). Continue straight ahead on Rue de la Charpenterie to arrive in front of the main entrance to Notre-Dame Cathedral.
(3) Leave the cathedral behind you and turn right onto Rue Pierre Abélard. At the junction with Rue Sérurier, turn left and, after 50 metres, turn right into Ruelle du Chemin de Fer to reach Rue du Rempart Saint-Rémy 80 metres further on. Cross it and go down to the left to find Promenade Yitzhak Rabin, which overlooks the old funicular railway line. Walk along the right-hand pavement for about 100 metres until you reach the old bus station.
(4) Enter the building and go down the various levels to exit onto Rue Franklin Roosevelt below. Cross it and turn left, then immediately right to enter a cobbled street. At the end of this street, turn left to reach Square du Père Marquette 40 metres further on: walk along it and cross the car park that extends beyond it. Continue along the narrow pavement, bordered by a low stone wall at first and then a metal guardrail.
(5) At the end of the guardrail, turn right onto the access ramp that descends towards Rue Milon de Martigny. Follow this street for 100 metres until you reach a crossroads: take the left-hand lane opposite (Rue du Rempart Saint-Just, indicated by a "one-way traffic" sign). Use the pavement on the right, which is narrow in places, for about 200 metres. At Rue de la Congrégation, take the access ramp on the right to descend to Promenade Saint-Just.
Follow it for 1,700 metres, keeping the ramparts on your left, until you reach Rue de la Libération. Turn left and walk up the left-hand pavement for 150 metres.
(6) Turn left and, after a few metres, cross Rue Pascal Ceccaldi to enter the grounds of the Centre Hospitalier (Hôtel Dieu). Then turn right and, after 50 metres, at the paved path, follow the sign for "Bibliothèque". Enter the Cloître Saint-Martin and walk around it.
Retrace your steps to the entrance of the Hospital Centre (porch), turn left to visit the Saint-Martin Church if you wish. On the right-hand side of the church, cross a small square, go down a few steps, cross Rue Saint-Martin, turn right, then left to walk along the houses on Place Robert Aumont (opposite Lycée Julie Daubié).
At the end of the houses, turn right onto a staircase.
(7) Go down opposite towards the Porte de Soissons, pass underneath it, continue for 60 metres to Rue Pierre Curie (the Leaning Tower is on the left). Cross this street.
(8) Turn left onto Chemin des Creutes (signposted "Voie à circulation unique" or "one-way street"). Follow this road for 800 metres until you reach a green space (with wooden barriers, rocks, etc.).
(9) Continue straight ahead across the green space for 100 metres to reach the Batterie Morlot. Climb the stairs to the left of the building and, from the top, enjoy the superb view over the lower town of Laon and the Chemin des Dames.
Turn around and, after going down the stairs, turn right to reach Rue Gabriel Hanotaux. Walk up this street for 120 metres.
(10) Turn right onto Promenade de la Madeleine (signposted "voie sans issue" or dead end). Follow the path for 1,000 metres, which runs alongside the entire defensive wall of the former Saint-Vincent Abbey. At the end of the path, climb several staircases to reach Rue de la République.
(11) Continue straight ahead on this street and, after 500 metres, you will reach Boulevard Michelet. Cross it and take the pavement opposite, which has a metal guardrail on the right.
(12) At the end of the guardrail, cross the Rampe Thibezard and turn right onto the street of the same name (cobbled street with no entry). After 300 metres, turn right and then immediately left onto a staircase leading down to Boulevard Michelet. At the bottom of the stairs, turn left onto Rue des Chenizelles (tarmac on the first part, cobbled on the second).
(13) At the top of a fairly steep climb, turn left into a passageway under a porch: the Porte des Chenizelles to reach Rue du Bourg. Take the pavement on the right and head towards Rue Châtelaine, opposite (to the right of a pharmacy). Continue along this street for 100 metres and turn right down Ruelle des Neufliers (with its many trompe-l'oeil paintings). At the bottom of the alley, turn left and then immediately right onto Rue Cerjot. At the bottom of this street, turn right onto Rue de Signier and continue for about 70 metres (on the left are the buildings of the Hôtel du Département de l'Aisne and the Préfecture de l'Aisne).
Cross Rue Paul Doumer, then go down the steps opposite, which lead back to Rue des Chenizelles.
(14) Turn left and walk up the cobbled street to reach Rue Paul Doumer 120 metres further on. Continue along the pavement for 250 metres until you reach a staircase on the left, which you should climb after crossing the street.
(15) At the top of the stairs, turn left, pass under the Porte d'Ardon, and immediately turn right onto Rempart Guillaume de Harcigny. Continue for 200 metres until you reach Ruelle du Pavillon des Œuvres on the left (ignore Ruelle du Champfleury on the left).
Go up Ruelle du Pavillon des Œuvres. At the end, turn left onto Rue Vinchon, then, after about 70 metres, turn into Ruelle Sainte-Geneviève. At the top of the alley, turn right onto Rue Georges Ermant. At the municipal archaeological museum (after number 30), you can visit the Chapelle des Templiers.
After visiting, if you wish, continue along Rue Georges Ermant for about 100 metres, turn right onto Rue Vinchon, then left to return to Rempart Guillaume de Harcigny. At the intersection, turn left and, 200 metres further on, you will find the Citadelle car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
Association / Club / Walk leader
