The best traffic-free bike rides around Villers-Cotterêts

The Château de La Ferté-Milon is an unfinished castle in La Ferté-Milon, France. It was commissioned by Louis of Orléans at the end of the 14th century but was never completed due to his death. The castle is known for its long façade and the remains of a gateway, which are now a popular attraction. The castle is a reminder of the grandeur Louis of Orléans envisioned, but also of the ravages of time. It is a popular destination for tourists and history and architecture enthusiasts.

Nestled on the banks of the Ourcq River, in the shadow of the ruins of the impressive fortress, lies the charming town of La Ferté-Milon. La Ferté-Milon Castle was founded at the end of the 14th century but was never completed due to the assassination of the Duke of Orléans in 1407. Nevertheless, you'll find interesting remains here, such as the impressive façade with its window openings, the machicolations, and the low reliefs, the most remarkable of which depicts the Coronation of the Virgin. Magnificent views over the Ourcq valley can be admired from the castle's forecourt... Other monuments you can visit in La Ferté-Milon include the Saint-Nicolas Church, with its 16th-century stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Christ and a vision of the Apocalypse, and the Church of Our Lady, dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries, where the famous fable writer Jean de La Fontaine married Jean Racine's cousin. Literature enthusiasts should definitely visit the Jean Racine Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the famous playwright, which houses many memorabilia from his paternal grandmother's house, where the writer spent his childhood.

This war memorial is located in the village of Vez, in the Aisne, near Villers-Cotterêt.

The Saint-Martin-et-Saint-Léonard church is located in the village of Vez, in the Aisne, near Villers-Cotterêts. The Saint-Martin church is especially interesting for its beautiful and sober choir from the beginning of the 13th century, whose high silhouette seems to rival that of the bell tower that flanks it to the north. The oldest part is the long nave, built around 1150 and of which only the façade has been preserved intact. In the centre of this nave opens a beautiful gabled portal decorated with three rows of small columns. The south wall, too altered, no longer has any character and the north wall was underpinned in the 16th century when the church was given a side aisle. https://www.eglisesdeloise.com/monument/vez-eglise-saint-martin-et-saint-leonard/

This monument to the dead of the Great Wars is located in the village of Haramont, in the Aisne, near Villers-Cotterêt. https://fr.geneawiki.com/wiki/02368_-_Haramont_-_Morts_aux_guerres

The towpath that crosses La Ferté Milon is a must. As the section is closed to bicycle traffic, it is a must-see hiking trail, rather than a must-see mountain bike trail; and given the terrain, it would even be more Gravel than mountain bike, if bicycles were allowed to circulate. The Ruins of the Castle is a good place to stop: for the history, the panoramic view and the restaurant.

While strolling along the Canal de l'Ourcq, you will pass by the Marolles lock with an interesting view of the canal, the lock, an island, the church and the castle. https://aufildelourcq.org/index.php https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marolles_(Oise)

On the banks of the Ourcq, the ruins of the castle of La Ferté Milon (this is the facade of the old castle) dominate the city. Started in 1399 on the orders of Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Valois and brother of King Charles VI, this castle should have been the great work of this patron and builder prince. The project was conceived as a response to his castle of Pierrefonds then under construction. But at Pierrefonds Louis d'Orléans had made do with what already existed; at La Ferté-Milon he made a clean sweep of the previous castle and began from scratch the construction of what should have become the most grandiose castle in Western Europe! Alas, in 1407, the assassination of Louis by the partisans of his uncle and sworn enemy John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, abruptly interrupted the work. Only one facade was completed. A facade that in itself already constitutes a marvel of 15th century architecture! Despite appearances, the old expression of "castle-fort" does not apply to this colossus intended to be much more of a palace than a defensive site. It is then designed and decorated in such a way as to affirm the wealth, power and faith of one of the greatest lords of his time. https://lafertemilon.fr/fr/rb/795966/le-chateau-ses-remparts