Nécropole nationale de Berry-au-Bac walks

Discover a unique hike steeped in history, starting from Berry-au-Bac. This route invites you to immerse yourself in the landscapes that marked the First World War. By skirting the famous Côte Cent Huit, a major battleground, you will walk in the footsteps of history, where the memory of the vanished hamlets of Sapigneul and La Neuville is omnipresent. The hike is varied, alternating between quiet forest trails, vast stretches of countryside and the tranquillity of the greenway along the canal linking the Aisne to the Marne

Escape on this route that combines natural tranquillity and historical resonance. Your walk begins along the peaceful Canal latéral à l'Aisne, offering a bucolic interlude. Then, history reveals itself. You will come across the Saint-Rigobert Chapel, a thousand-year-old place of worship that served as an observation and rescue post for General Mangin during the relentless Great War. Finally, the route takes you to the Berry-au-Bac National Necropolis, a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made on the nearby Chemin des Dames.

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.