The best traffic-free bike rides around Cerisy

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/

In addition to the exceptional viewpoint, the landscape interpretation table allows you to better understand the environment that unfolds before you.

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/

Magnificent viewpoint overlooking the Somme Valley. The climb is quite steep to get there from Péronne.

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

magnificent view

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.