The best road cycling routes around Nanteuil-La-Fosse

Bakery, bar, tobacconist... Perfect for starting and finishing a hike

Ideal for starting a hike

Marcel Duquenoy; Small memorial stone along the D18 between the Ferme de la Royère and the Ferme de Malval. It commemorates Marcel Duquenoy, a 20-year-old aspiring officer from Calais in the 350th Infantry Regiment, who was killed in the wood opposite the monument on 6 May 1917 during the Battle of La Malmaison. The inscription is from his parents: “En souvenir de notre fils disparu dans le bois en face” – a personal tribute in a landscape marked by collective loss.

Jean Dauly Memorial; This sober monument commemorates Jean Dauly, a soldier in the 350th Infantry Regiment, who was killed on 6 May 1917 at the age of 20 during heavy fighting in the forest opposite the current location. It stands along the D18 between the Ferme de La Royère and the Ferme de Malval. The inscription bears witness to the personal loss: “Regretté de sa mère, de toute sa famille et de ses comarades. Priez pour lui”.

In the heart of the village of Vic-sur-Aisne, surrounded by a leafy park and overlooking the Aisne valley, lies the imposing Château de Vic-sur-Aisne. What today appears to be an elegant country house, bears in its walls the traces of a turbulent past. Originally built on the foundations of a medieval castrum, the estate grew in the 17th century into a stately castle, with symmetrical facades, round towers and an impressive thirteen-metre high keep — a remnant from the 13th century. The architecture reflects the transition from defensive structure to residential comfort: robust, but refined. The gardens, partly in French style with straight lines and box hedges, partly in English landscape style with winding paths and romantic corners, invite you to stroll and contemplate.

The National Military Cemetery of Vic-sur-Aisne, created in 1921, is an impressive necropolis containing the remains of 3,046 French soldiers, mainly killed during the Battles of the Aisne in World War I. Of these, 932 are buried in two ossuaries, and seven others died during World War II. Among the thousands of French soldiers is Ma Yi Pao, a young Chinese legionnaire who died of wounds on September 2, 1918, at the age of 24. He was one of the few Chinese to actually serve as a soldier in the French Foreign Legion, while most of his compatriots were employed as laborers. His grave (plot F, grave 59) is unique: he is the only officially recognized Chinese soldier to have died for France in this war.

Anecdote: Among the thousands of French soldiers lies Ma Yi Pao, a young Chinese legionnaire who died of his wounds on September 2, 1918 at the age of 24. He was one of the few Chinese who actually served as a soldier in the French Foreign Legion, while most of his compatriots were deployed as laborers. His grave (plot F, grave 59) is unique: he is the only officially recognized Chinese soldier who died for France in this war.

The National Military Cemetery of Vic-sur-Aisne, created in 1921, is an impressive necropolis containing the remains of 3,046 French soldiers, mainly killed during the Battles of the Aisne in World War I. Of these, 932 are buried in two ossuaries, and seven others died during World War II.