The best traffic-free bike rides around Roye-Sur-Matz

very nice route

Created in 1919, the Méry-la-Bataille national necropolis contains the remains of 1,538 soldiers who died for France during the Battle of Matz in June 1918. Adjacent to the municipal cemetery, it brings together the bodies exhumed from various temporary cemeteries in the Oise, of which 1,286 are buried in individual graves and 254 in two ossuaries. This memorial pays tribute to the soldiers who fell during one of the decisive offensives of the First World War, which helped halt the German advance towards Paris.

The reconstruction of Notre-Dame, consecrated in 1928, was designed by Swiss architect Albert Montant—who also designed the church of Canny-sur-Matz. Albert Montant was an excellent connoisseur of medieval architecture, and the building, constructed of brick with some stone elements, contains numerous references to Romanesque architecture, revisited here with great originality and sensitivity. The plan features a bell tower porch, a single nave, and a choir with side aisles, culminating in an apse framed by two apsidioles. Each section has its own distinctive features. The bell tower porch—which echoes that of the previous church—opens with a semicircular arched portal with three arches resting, on each side, on as many small columns via cubic capitals. Three small, offset windows open above, and a gable crowns the whole. Instead of the traditional gallery, the bell tower porch forms, inside, a richly lit lantern crowned by a four-sided dominion vault. Of Carolingian origin, the lantern tower enjoyed great popularity in Anglo-Norman architecture and beyond, as evidenced by the one at Laon Cathedral. The nave has three bays with semicircular barrel vaults. Its two transverse arches are supported by abacuses surmounting consoles, a device intended to house statues, now missing. The choir is covered with a barrel vault that closes in a cul-de-four at the apse. Eleven small semicircular windows penetrate this vault, the base of which is highlighted by a continuous cordon of billets. Three semicircular arches resting on circular piers provide access to the side aisles, each covered with a semicircular barrel vault. This entire ensemble clearly draws its inspiration from the Romanesque architecture of Berry and Auvergne. In the nave, we notice six stained-glass windows by Blanchet-Lesage (1959) on the themes of Faith, Charity, Hope, Prudence, Justice, and Strength (2008).

This impressive cemetery was built in 1920-1921 on a site that was heavily contested during the First World War. It contains the remains of 1,258 French soldiers, 547 of whom are buried in two ossuaries. One French soldier from the Second World War is also buried here. Adjacent is a German military cemetery with the remains of 1,095 soldiers, 388 of whom are buried in collective graves, together with four British and two French soldiers. The necropolis is located in a region where the German advance towards Paris passed through in 1914, and where fierce fighting took place in 1918 during the Battle of Matz. Today it is a serene place of remembrance and reconciliation, in the middle of a landscape that was once the scene of devastating battles.

The Montagne du Paradis in Élincourt-Sainte-Marguerite is a small plateau which dominates the Matz valley. You will enjoy the view of the wooded hills and the villages that surround them. You will also discover the ruins of an old windmill dating from the 18th century. The trail begins at the old washhouse of Fontaine Sorel, where you can admire the ancient architecture and the water source. The Montagne du Paradis in Élincourt-Sainte-Marguerite is an ideal destination for a refreshing and picturesque run in the great outdoors.

The Elincourt-Sainte-Marguerite Lavoir is an old washhouse dating from the 19th century.

The Montagne du Paradis in Élincourt-Sainte-Marguerite is a small plateau which dominates the Matz valley. You will enjoy the view of the wooded hills and the villages that surround them. You will also discover the ruins of an old windmill dating from the 18th century. The trail starts at the old Fontaine Sorel wash house, where you can admire the old architecture and the water source. La Montagne du Paradis in Élincourt-Sainte-Marguerite is an ideal destination for a relaxing and picturesque walk in nature.

The Elincourt-Sainte-Marguerite Lavoir is a former washhouse dating from the 19th century.