The best cycling routes around Berrieux

Perfect camping, friendly staff. You can indeed choose your spot. Wifi subscriptions. And a small restaurant/bar. Everything you need.

This memorial stone, located on the Plateau de Californie above the old Craonne, commemorates the fierce fighting of April-May 1917 during the Nivelle Offensive. It stands on the spot where the French army suffered heavy losses in the battle against the German defenses. The stone also pays tribute to the destroyed village of Craonne, which was not rebuilt after the war. The site is closely linked to the famous “Chanson de Craonne”, the pacifist song of the French soldiers

The town hall of Guignicourt, now part of the merged municipality of Villeneuve-sur-Aisne since 2019, is located in the historic heart of the village. The building reflects the classic style of French rural municipalities and serves as the administrative centre for the region. Situated on the Aisne River, Guignicourt has a long history as a railway junction and trading centre in the former Laonnois.

In 1924, this memorial was erected in memory of the 22 soldiers and 12 civilians from Guignicourt who died during the First World War. The monument, located near the church, shows in relief a peasant couple mourning at a grave – a rare human and modest image rather than a classic military symbol. It recalls the deep suffering that the war left in this hard-hit municipality.

This church, built between the 11th and 13th centuries, is a fine example of transitional architecture between Romanesque and Gothic. It was built on the site of an earlier wooden church and possibly even a Gallo-Roman sanctuary. The construction was partly financed by the Abbey of Saint-Hubert (Belgium), which owned land in the region. The church has been protected as a historical monument since 1921.

On the eastern edge of the Chemin des Dames plateau lies the Ferme d’Hurtebise, a place that played a crucial role during both the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War. In 1814, it was the scene of the Battle of Craonne, and exactly a century later it again became a strategic junction in the struggle between French and German troops. From September 1914 onwards, fierce fighting took place here. The farm overlooked the Ailette and Aisne valleys, making it a fiercely contested observation post. French units, including Zouaves and the 12th and 49th Infantry Regiments, tried to hold or retake the farm, often with heavy losses. The family that owned the farm sheltered in the cellar for days while the building was under fire. After months of fighting and bombardment, the farm was reduced to ruins, crisscrossed by trenches. Today the site is a symbol of resistance and sacrifice, and is part of the Chemin des Dames memorial landscape.

During the First World War, Cerny-en-Laonnois was a strategic point along the Chemin des Dames, a ridge fiercely contested by French and German troops. In September 1914, the village was taken by the Germans, who used it as a defensive post. They dug deep underground networks in the limestone, which served as shelters and munitions stores. In the spring of 1917, the area became the scene of the Nivelle Offensive, a large-scale French attack that resulted in heavy losses and eventually led to mutinies within the French army. Cerny-en-Laonnois was completely destroyed by artillery fire and fighting. After the war, the village was rebuilt a little further south. Today, the military cemeteries, the memorial chapel and the “Lanterne des Morts” bear witness to the immense human suffering that took place here.

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