Monument d'Ailles walks

The twenty-fifth stage from the Jura to Hauts-de-France via the Francigena. After passing through the village of Neuville-sur-Ailette, you enter the Domaine du Lac d’Ailette. From every angle, this expanse soothes with the serenity it exudes. Then, the further you go, the more clearly you can make out the silhouette of “the crowned city”, visible for miles around. You arrive in Laon, the departmental capital, with its “airy” cathedral and its numerous openings in the towers, its Templar chapel and its church with the Dutch name Sint Martinus kerk. You will also discover the imposing former episcopal palace as well as the fortifications with their strange leaning tower.

Twenty-fourth stage of the Jura to Hauts-de-France via the Francigena. For this stage, you leave Champagne by crossing the Saint-Thierry massif. Once you reach Cormicy, the terrain becomes a little flatter. You pass through Berry-au-Bac. This is where the Berry-au-Bac National Necropolis is located, which contains 3,972 bodies, 2,014 of which are in individual graves and 1,958 in ossuaries. You then continue on to Corbeny, where you can see the Oratory of Saint-Marcoul. Then you follow the "Chemin des Dames", a major site of remembrance of the Great War, to arrive in the village of Bouconville-Vauclair, where you will find the Abbey of Vauclair, the Château de la Bôve and a network of trenches from the 1914-18 war.