The best walks and hikes around Lignon

Another beautiful half-timbered church on the Route des Églises à pans de bois de Champagne.

The Grand Coulon pond is known among ornithologists for being home to numerous bird species. Swans, ducks, and even marsh warblers are regularly seen here. The observatory makes it easy to discover this wildlife in its natural environment. Grab your binoculars!

The Saint-Jacques-et-Saint-Philippe church in Lentille is eye-catching with its timber-framed architecture and cob façades. It was built during the 16th century and was restored to its original appearance in the 1970s.

Take boots and binoculars

Saint Nicholas (Saint-NICOLAS), Bishop of Myra, to whom the half-timbered church in Outines is dedicated, is - along with Saint Martin - one of the most popular saints of all. Almost every child in Germany - and far beyond - is probably familiar with his day of remembrance, December 6th. On the eve of this day, the children used to put their shoes or boots - which were of course cleaned with great care - in front of the door so that Saint Nicholas could fill them with gifts that night. In more agricultural areas, it was also customary for children to provide a small donation of food for the donkey, St. Nicholas' riding animal (according to another tradition, it was a gray horse).

Lac du Der-Chantecoq is a beautiful lake located in the Marne, where you can enjoy a variety of hiking trails and activities. Whether you want to explore the natural landscapes, observe the flora and fauna or relax on the beach, there is something for everyone.

The Roman Catholic parish church of Saint-Georges in Chavanges, a commune in the Aube department in the Grand Est region of France, dates back to the 12th century. In the 15th and 16th centuries the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style. The Romanesque west portal of the 12th century church has been preserved. The arched portal is framed by simple archivolts that rest on slender columns decorated with capitals. Stylized leaves, birds and a kneeling person are depicted on the capitals. The nave has three aisles and is divided into three bays. Adjacent to the nave is a two-aisled transept, which opens onto a wide choir. This has three apses with a polygonal end. The grisaille window with scenes of the Apocalypse was installed in 1540. The motifs are largely borrowed from Albrecht Dürer's woodcuts of the Apocalypse, which he published in 1498 in his “Big Book” with the title The Secret Revelation of Iohannis. Source: Wikipedia

In southern Champagne, between the Lac du Der-Chantecoq and the lakes of the Forêt d'Orient, there are a number of half-timbered churches (Eglises en pans de bois) from the 16th to 18th centuries. Without exception, the churches are located in smaller towns that lacked the financial resources for a stone building at the time of construction. Today the churches are considered special historical witnesses that have been renovated in recent years. They are accessible to tourists through a “Street of Half-timbered Churches” that connects some of the churches. The Church of Saint Nicholas was built around 1600. Source: Wikipedia