The best road cycling routes around Ribemont-Sur-Ancre

The Étang Saint-Ladre Nature Reserve in Boves is located at the gates of Amiens, in the Avre Valley, a tributary of the Somme. In 1979, it became the first site in Picardy to be classified as a State Nature Reserve. The extraction of peat for heating, during the 18th and 19th centuries, created, in place of meadows, the ponds that today make up the reserve. Other activities such as cattle grazing, bleaching of woven textiles in the surrounding area on the meadows, and mowing of helophytes have also shaped the marsh and its ecological characteristics. The ecological management implemented since the 1990s has enabled the development of a complex mosaic of habitats, among the most representative of alkaline peat systems, allowing the expression of a characteristic, often heritage-worthy, flora and fauna. From the car park, the path enters the reserve and runs along the Avre. On the right, the first ponds and the reed bed appear. You will discover pollarded willows and expanses of wet meadows. These environments were shaped by human activity until the abandonment of these ancestral practices. Each year, the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels carries out work to preserve this endangered heritage. The large, now reopened areas are grazed by Nantais cows to maintain them. Observe the comings and goings of birds and dragonflies during the fine season… Listen to the song of passerines or amphibians. After the meadows, come the large bodies of water with their water lilies, moorhens, and grebes. The path makes a loop on a path along a new series of ponds until returning to the starting point. https://www.cen-hautsdefrance.org/site/rnn-letang-saint-ladre/

Site managed by the Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels des Hauts de France (Hauts-de-France Regional Nature Reserve). A wide, stabilized gravel path, open to the public, is maintained and marked with signposts. Since 2012, an audio guide has allowed you to explore the nature reserve with a "virtual guide." QR codes placed along the path allow you to play the audio clips using your smartphone. This audio guide is available in three languages (French, English, and Dutch). https://www.cen-hautsdefrance.org/rnn-l-etang-saint-ladre

The Etang Saint-Ladre Nature Reserve in Boves is located at the gates of Amiens, in the L’Avre Valley, a tributary of the Somme. In 1979, it became the first site in Picardy to be classified as a State Nature Reserve. The ecological management implemented since the 1990s has made it possible to develop a complex mosaic of habitats among the most representative of alkaline peat systems, allowing the expression of characteristic, often heritage, flora and fauna. Find all the information concerning this site here: https://www.cen-hautsdefrance.org/site/rnn-letang-saint-ladre/

A beautiful place for a walk in nature. The bike path is perfect.

Officially part of the Historial de la Grande Guerre, the Thiepval Museum is located near the impressive Thiepval Memorial and offers an in-depth look at the Battle of the Somme of 1916. Opened in 2016 to mark the centenary of this bloody battle, the museum comprises seven thematic areas, each highlighting a different aspect of the war. One of the highlights is the 60-metre-long panoramic comic strip by artist Joe Sacco, which vividly depicts the events of 1 July 1916. Visitors will gain insight not only into the military strategies, but also into the human suffering and the culture of remembrance surrounding the missing of the Somme.

The Tour d'Ulster, also known as the Helen Tower or Tour de Belfast, is a British war memorial. It was built in 1921 to commemorate the soldiers of the 36th Ulster Division who died during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. The tower is a replica of a neo-Gothic tower in Clandeboye Park, near Belfast, where the 36th Division trained. An interesting anecdote is that the 36th Ulster Division was the first to attack during the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, but suffered heavy losses from both German and British artillery fire. The division lost over 5,500 men in just a few hours. The Tour d'Ulster has a cafeteria where you can enjoy a cup of tea, scones or Tayto chips, a specialty from Northern Ireland. It is a nice place to relax.

The Cratère de Lochnagar, an impressive war memorial, was created by a huge mine blown up by the British Royal Engineers on 1 July 1916, as part of the Battle of the Somme. The explosion marked the beginning of the battle and left a crater 90 metres in diameter and 25 metres deep. Interestingly, the crater was named after Lochnagar Street, the trench from which the tunnel was dug. The crater is now a preserved site of remembrance and a religious service is held there every year on 1 July in memory of those who died.

An interesting anecdote is that the monument was inaugurated in 1932 by the Prince of Wales and the French President Albert Lebrun. The monument consists of a series of arches supported by sixteen massive square pillars, on which the names of the missing soldiers are engraved. At the foot of the monument is a Franco-British military cemetery with 600 graves: 300 French and 300 British soldiers.