The best city hikes and walks around Charleville-Mézières

The train station in Charleville-Mézières is well-maintained and worth a visit. Built in 1858, its original facade has been preserved to this day. The capital, Paris, can be reached in 1 hour and 45 minutes by TGV, or Sedan in 15 minutes. Place Ducall is also close to the city center (a 10-minute walk). The large station forecourt is equally well-maintained and beautiful. Restaurants, hotels, and shops are available.

Arthur Rimbaud is considered one of France's most influential poets. He was a highly gifted student and was already writing poetry at the age of seven. He consistently received prizes and awards at the end of his school year. He became an adventurer who explored many countries and a businessman. The pride of the city of Charleville-Mezieres (birthplace) in the renowned poet of his time can be felt everywhere. There is, among other things, a worthwhile museum in the city: the Rimbaud Museum

The original stained glass windows disappeared during bombings in 1815, 1870 and 1918. Today the basilica has an exceptional collection of contemporary stained glass windows, created between 1954 and 1979 by René Dürrbach, a friend of Picasso. Over 25 years, this artist has created a colossal set of 68 stained glass windows, unique in Europe, which honor the former 'Black Virgin' and the 'Virgin of Light' by referring to the universal symbols of colors, shapes and numbers, inspired through his collaboration with Henri Giriat. Since 2018, the former sacristy of the church has housed the Trésor d'art sacré des Ardennes, which contains around fifty masterpieces (ancient statues, precious relics, etc.) that were previously inaccessible to the public.

This artwork is a result of a number of organisations working together, and was revealed in October 2011. Michel Goulet, the sculptor from Québec, made these eighteen 'chair-poems' in stainless steel as a link between the Musée Arthur Rimbaud and the Maison d'Ailleurs. Here, there are eighteen extracts from Rimbaud's works, each one followed by an unpublished poem by a contemproary Francophone writer. Vandaag staan deze stoelen er niet meer.

The construction of the Basilica of Notre-Dame-d'Espérance took more than a century between 1499 and 1615. The work was interrupted several times, for example during the siege of Mézières in 1521. The building is listed as a monument and is a masterpiece of the flamboyant gothic. However, the main portal and the tower break with the Gothic style and are built in Renaissance style, recognizable by the round arch and the coffers in the vault. The bell tower was built in the 19th century. The south portal is particularly opulent. King Charles IX and Elisabeth of Austria, grandniece of Charles V, entered through this door in 1570 for their wedding ceremony, even though the construction of the church had not yet been completed. The choice of Méeières had a strong symbolic value: reconciliation could be achieved through this strategic alliance.

An emblematic monument of the Cours Briand, the so-called “castle” of the Ardennais. This building built at the end of the 19th century was the headquarters of the newspaper l'Ardennais.

The Arthur Rimbaud Museum is located in the Vieux Moulin, the old mill listed as a monument, built in 1626. This mill then supplied the city with flour, but it is also the highlight of the monumental perspective that extends from Rue Saint-Charles to the Maas leads - that is why he designed this remarkable architecture with the pediment and the Charleville coat of arms supported by a colossal order of Ionic columns. This monument, also called the Porte de Liège, together with the Porte de France, forms the city's ramparts in a symmetrical manner. Behind it runs the Meuse and the island of the vieux Moulin. On the other bank, a castle was built on Mont Olympe in the 17th century to protect the city.

The Île du Vieux Moulin, or the Island of the Old Mill, is a beautiful park located on the River Meuse, between the city center and Mont Olympe. This island offers a relaxation area at the foot of the Rimbaud Museum. You can enjoy a walk at the viewpoint which offers a pleasant view of the Meuse and the water sports center on one side, and a rest and relaxation area on the other side with benches and the sculpture “Le Défrichement”, originally 2 ox drivers depicted pulling a plow pulled by 6 oxen. Only part of the original work remains (inaugurated in 1931) which was looted and destroyed during the occupation. The island is connected to Mont Olympe by a pedestrian bridge inaugurated in September 1934. It is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the area, with stunning views of an unspoilt natural landscape in the middle of the city.