The best MTB trails around Mondigny

The beautiful and strikingly modern town hall of the Mezières district. The adjacent forecourt was traffic-calmed a few years ago. There's also a drinking water fountain in the southwest corner of the square.

The train station in Charleville-Mézières is well-maintained and worth a visit. Built in 1858, its original facade has been preserved to this day. The capital, Paris, can be reached in 1 hour and 45 minutes by TGV, or Sedan in 15 minutes. Place Ducall is also close to the city center (a 10-minute walk). The large station forecourt is equally well-maintained and beautiful. Restaurants, hotels, and shops are available.

Beautiful winding cycle path along the Maas. Beautiful views over the water

The original stained glass windows disappeared during bombings in 1815, 1870 and 1918. Today the basilica has an exceptional collection of contemporary stained glass windows, created between 1954 and 1979 by René Dürrbach, a friend of Picasso. Over 25 years, this artist has created a colossal set of 68 stained glass windows, unique in Europe, which honor the former 'Black Virgin' and the 'Virgin of Light' by referring to the universal symbols of colors, shapes and numbers, inspired through his collaboration with Henri Giriat. Since 2018, the former sacristy of the church has housed the Trésor d'art sacré des Ardennes, which contains around fifty masterpieces (ancient statues, precious relics, etc.) that were previously inaccessible to the public.

The construction of the Basilica of Notre-Dame-d'Espérance took more than a century between 1499 and 1615. The work was interrupted several times, for example during the siege of Mézières in 1521. The building is listed as a monument and is a masterpiece of the flamboyant gothic. However, the main portal and the tower break with the Gothic style and are built in Renaissance style, recognizable by the round arch and the coffers in the vault. The bell tower was built in the 19th century. The south portal is particularly opulent. King Charles IX and Elisabeth of Austria, grandniece of Charles V, entered through this door in 1570 for their wedding ceremony, even though the construction of the church had not yet been completed. The choice of Méeières had a strong symbolic value: reconciliation could be achieved through this strategic alliance.

The current station was built in 1892. The arrival of the railway in Charleville in 1858 and the establishment of the station led to the redevelopment of the entire district.

The statue of Carlo Gonzaga is the work of Alphonse Colle, from Charleville, who also created the monuments to the fallen of Charleville and Mézières. The fountain was first built on Place Ducale in 1899 at the initiative of a wealthy patron of the Industrial Revolution and then moved to its current location in 1999.

The “Monument aux Morts” in Mézières, now part of Charleville-Mézières, is a memorial that pays tribute to the 397 inhabitants of the city who died for France. The monument is located on the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, near the Hôtel de Ville de Mézières.