The best road cycling routes around Martigny-Courpierre

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

Louis Astoul: Along the D18 on the Chemin des Dames, between Cerny-en-Laonnois and the Caverne du Dragon, stands a modest monument to Louis Astoul, a young French second lieutenant in the 70th regiment of tirailleurs sénégalais. He was killed on 16 April 1917, on the first day of the disastrous Nivelle Offensive, at the age of just 24. The monument honours not only him, but also his comrades – mostly colonial soldiers from West Africa – who gave their lives in this region in the hope of a breakthrough that never came. Astoul was reported missing near the village of Paissy, and his body was never found. Today, this memorial recalls the often forgotten role of colonial troops in the Great War, and the personal drama behind the great history.

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

Monument to the city's dead

Pretty little town up high, with a center full of culture, its church, its castle and its town hall. It is a good starting point with more sites and memorials in and around the city.