The best road cycling routes around Fontaine-Notre-Dame

Hello. This is a beautiful hike through nature and a nice park for recreation. the hike runs along a canal and a marshland with well-passable hiking trails. This hike is highly recommended !!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is where the Somme River rises. Its name is traced back to Celtic origins and also gives its name to the department of the same name. At the time when Gaul was part of the Roman Empire, the river was called the Samara. It ends its approximately 245-kilometer-long river life in the Baie de Somme, where it flows into the English Channel.

"God loves every soul with an undying love. He approaches each one with repeated, unspeakably patient offers of redemption. Even a small sign of love is enough for him to forgive and redeem. Our dear departed ones lacked a life preserver for the body; but the spiritual life preserver was not lacking, the breath of God in which the soul can clothe itself in a tiny moment, much more quickly than the body could." (Text by Albino Luciani / Pope John Paul I)

As a memorial to the many dead, such a "MONUMENT AUX MORTS" (usually called a "Central Memorial" or "War Memorial" in German-speaking countries) is still very important today. "Now, Lord, you let your servant depart in peace, as you have said..." it says in the so-called "Hymn of Simeon" (Luke's Gospel, Chapter 2, Verse 29). However, the people who are remembered here did not depart in peace, but became victims of war and tyranny. Therefore, the term "fallen memorial" is now sometimes used instead of the "war memorial" that was previously common in German. In the French-speaking world, however, this aspect of commemoration of the dead has long been included in the most commonly used term "MONUMENT AUX MORTS". Regardless of language and nation, such a memorial has two important and at the same time everlasting tasks: -1- to keep the memory of the suffering and horror of war alive, -2- and to remind people of the need to maintain peace in the long term.

The British cemetery of Seraucourt was created from 1920 to 1926, where the remains of soldiers buried in graves located on the nearby battlefield were grouped together, most of them killed in 1918. The cemetery contains 1,378 bodies including: 1 371 British, 5 Canadians and 2 Australians. Among them are around twenty airmen shot down in 1944. Only 496 bodies have been identified.

Parc de l'Isle in Saint-Quentin offers a variety of trails for different levels of difficulty, from flat, easy trails along the Somme to hilly, wooded routes in the nature reserve. You can also admire the flora and fauna of the park, which houses a free zoo, a farm and a conservation center. The park is open all year round, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in summer and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, you will find at Parc d'Isle something to satisfy your tastes and your pace.

The Grand-Seraucourt British Cemetery is a historic site dating from the First World War, where nearly 2,000 British soldiers and airmen are buried. The cemetery covers an area of 4,732 m² and is surrounded by a stone wall. You can run along the paths that connect the different sections of the cemetery and admire the memorial stones and flowers that adorn them. You can also learn more about the history of the cemetery and the people buried there by reading the information panels or scanning the QR codes with your smartphone. The cemetery is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and entry is free. Running in the Grand-Seraucourt British Cemetery is a way to honor the memory of those who fought for freedom, and to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of this place.

The Saint-Quentin war memorial is a unique memorial dedicated to the city's soldiers who fell in combat during different wars. The monument is located near the train station and features a large granite wall with three bas-reliefs depicting scenes from 1557, 1870 and 1914-19181. You can admire the work of architect Paul Bigot and sculptors Henri Bouchard and Paul Landowski, who created this impressive structure in 1927. The monument is also a tribute to the resilience of the residents of Saint-Quentin, who endured the destruction and exodus caused by conflicts.