The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Laon

In 1914, the peasant village of Ailles covered about 340 hectares, one third of which was forest. 61 houses were grouped around the church of Saint-Martin. The population was declining: in the 1901 census there were still 147 inhabitants, while in 1911 there were only 118. In honor of the Battle of Craonne, a magnificent elm had been planted on March 7, 1814. A century later, it witnessed a new battlefield as French and German shells wiped the village off the map...

Hidden in the middle of the forest, this Cistercian abbey, founded in 1134 by Bernard of Clairvaux, appears like a mirage. Its majestic ruins bear witness to a turbulent past. From the Hundred Years' War and the French Revolution to the First World War, the abbey suffered considerable destruction. In the 1960s, the site was overgrown with brambles and forgotten. Thanks to the archaeological excavation group "Sources" led by Father Courtois, it experienced a rebirth.

The observation tower, inaugurated on April 16, 2013, overlooks the Plateau de Californie, a strategic site of the battles of the Chemin des Dames. The 20-meter-high, freely accessible tower offers a historical insight into the landscape and recalls the importance of the heights during the war. It also offers visitors who climb it an unparalleled view of the village of Craonne below, but also of the Chemin des Dames and the Champagne plain... The observation tower is topped with a blue beacon that is activated at night, thus forming a monument in the landscape. During the day, it allows one to survey the plain of Reims, while at night, conversely, it is visible from this plain. The structure of the tower consists of a spatially modular wooden Mikado, whose arrangement has been chosen according to the configuration of the terrain and the orientation of the viewpoints. The dimensions of the steps and handrails facilitate the climb and mitigate the feeling of vertigo that may arise. For this structure built amidst trees, wood was the obvious material. Renewable materials were selected: glued laminated timber from pine for the long supports, posts and beams from larch, larch wood for the steps, and tropical woods (Massaranduba, Cumaru, Ipé, Doussié…) for the platforms and railings. These woods, originating from French Guiana, are certified and their extraction is controlled. Source and further information: https://www.chemindesdames.fr/

Inaugurated on April 16, 2013, the observation tower overlooks the Plateau de Californie, a strategic location during the war on the Chemin des Dames. Standing at a height of 20 meters and freely accessible, it offers a historical perspective on the landscapes and serves as a reminder of the importance of high points during the war. It also offers visitors who climb it an incomparable view of the village of Craonne below, as well as the Chemin des Dames and the Champagne plain. Equipped at its summit with a blue lighthouse, put into operation at night, the observation tower constitutes a beacon of memory in the landscape. Allowing a view of the plain of Reims during the day, it is, in a reverse movement, visible at night from this plain. 

On the Plateau de Californie, above the former village of Craonne, stands a 20-metre-high watchtower that was inaugurated in 2013. This tower offers a panoramic view of the battlefield of the Chemin des Dames and allows visitors to understand the strategic importance of this height during the First World War. The tower is freely accessible and equipped with information panels that historically explain the landscape.

The ramparts

A remarkable remnant of what was once a large and important abbey. Caesar, Napoleon and German troops are said to have passed through this area during the First World War.

This abbey, which was founded in 1134 by St. Bernard, was severely damaged in a bombardment in 1917. The best preserved buildings are the pantry, the refectory of the lay brothers, the chapter house and the monks' hall. The foundations of the abbey church and the inn are still visible. Next to the garden with medicinal plants there is an exhibition space. Surrounding it is the monastic forest of Vauvelair, which covers 1000 hectares.