The best road cycling routes around Saint-Mard

Beautiful quiet place for a walk

An Art Deco church, particularly representative of the revival of sacred art in the 1920s. A masterpiece among the churches of the Reconstruction period, visitors will be captivated by the frescoes, mosaics, stained-glass windows and superb bell tower supported by angels. Built between 1928 and 1932 under the direction of architect Paul-Albert Müller, the church is both modern and back to basics. The use of reinforced concrete, a material already used by some architects before the war, is combined with early Christian symbols such as the fish or the pelican

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.

Nice place

Free visit

First World War military cemetery

The Abbaye Saint-Jean-des-Vignes is a former abbey of Augustinian canons in Soissons, France. It was founded in 1076 by Hugues le Blanc, lord of the region, and was one of the richest abbeys in the Middle Ages at the time. The abbey is located on the Saint-Jean hill, southwest of the city center of Soissons and has a Gothic architecture. It is currently a historical monument and is open to visitors. It includes a beautiful facade, a refectory, a cloister and outbuildings. The former abbot's house houses the Center for the Interpretation of Architecture and Heritage.

The church dates from the middle of the 13th century. Under the Old Regime, the parish came under the diocese of Soissons, Archdeaconry of Christianity and deanery of Vailly). At the end of the 19th century, Mademoiselle Rostan paid large sums to raise the monument damaged by the outrage of the years. It was badly damaged during the withdrawal of German troops at the end of the summer of 1918. The church was restored under the supervision of the architect of the Historic Monuments Lucien Sallez from 1921 to 1925, then from 1930 to 1932, while Émile Brunet and Jean Trouvelot worked on the masonry and the covering of the transept in 1927.