The best gravel rides around Fumay

The Château des Comtes de Bryas stands on a site where the history of Fumay has layered itself. In the 17th century, the de Bryas family built their residence here, on the remains of an older fort demolished under Louis XIII. A vaulted hall from that fort still exists beneath the current esplanade — a silent reminder of the domain's military origins. The brick façade, accented with blue stone, and the characteristic pavilions with inverted-tulip roofs and violet slates from Fumay, make the building a prime example of regional aristocratic architecture from the last quarter of the 17th century. In the 19th century, the castle took on an industrial role: first as a ceruse factory (1815), then as the headquarters of the Société ardoisière du Moulin Sainte-Anne (1835–1946). Miners reached the slate quarry directly via a staircase next to the building — a tangible link between the castle and the centuries-long slate extraction around Fumay.

The Passerelle de Saint‑Joseph, a modern, beautiful cycle bridge, is located in a place where Revin still clearly shows its industrial past. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, this part of the Meuse valley was a hub of the timber industry, hydropower, and rail transport. The footbridge connects the old Saint‑Joseph working-class district with the bank where the railway line and later the Voie Verte were built. Also, pay attention to the beautiful surroundings.

The Voie Verte Trans-Ardennes is the long, flat cycle path that follows the Meuse valley between Charleville-Mézières and Givet. It is built on old towpaths and service roads along the river, giving you a route that is almost entirely car-free, with a constant view of water, forests, and the steep Ardennes walls.

The Anchamps railway bridge is part of the 19th-century Maas Valley line, built between 1857 and 1863 under the French Second Empire. Its stone arches are typical of the period: heavy, durable, and designed to defy both the river and the steep Ardennes walls. More than a century and a half later, the bridge still carries trains daily between Charleville‑Mézières and Givet.

Along the Voie Verte, you glide into Monthermé, a village that still carries its history in its facades. For centuries, the Meuse was a workplace here: log drivers, ironworks, and small industries set the rhythm. Today, you mainly see the quiet echo of that – natural stone houses on the slope, wide staircases that workers once climbed up and down daily, and a village center that has formed around the river.

Along the Voie Verte, you glide into Monthermé, a village that still carries its history in its facades. The Meuse was a workplace here for centuries: wood rafters, forges, and small industries set the rhythm. Today, you mainly see the quiet echo of that — natural stone houses against the slope, wide stairs that workers once climbed up and down daily, and a village center that has formed around the river.

Semi-buried washhouse covered with a timber-framed roof decorated with festoons. In the 19th century, washhouses served an important social function. They were one of the few places where women could exchange ideas. Washing clothes was also physically very strenuous. Therefore, practicing this activity collectively made it more bearable. Contrary to popular belief, washhouses most often allowed washerwomen not to wash clothes, but to rinse them.

Cool tunnel with lighting. interesting experience!