The best traffic-free bike rides around Fresnières

Created in 1919, the Méry-la-Bataille national necropolis contains the remains of 1,538 soldiers who died for France during the Battle of Matz in June 1918. Adjacent to the municipal cemetery, it brings together the bodies exhumed from various temporary cemeteries in the Oise, of which 1,286 are buried in individual graves and 254 in two ossuaries. This memorial pays tribute to the soldiers who fell during one of the decisive offensives of the First World War, which helped halt the German advance towards Paris.

This impressive cemetery was built in 1920-1921 on a site that was heavily contested during the First World War. It contains the remains of 1,258 French soldiers, 547 of whom are buried in two ossuaries. One French soldier from the Second World War is also buried here. Adjacent is a German military cemetery with the remains of 1,095 soldiers, 388 of whom are buried in collective graves, together with four British and two French soldiers. The necropolis is located in a region where the German advance towards Paris passed through in 1914, and where fierce fighting took place in 1918 during the Battle of Matz. Today it is a serene place of remembrance and reconciliation, in the middle of a landscape that was once the scene of devastating battles.

Each cross indicates the function of the warrior.

The Lassigny military cemetery is an impressive and sober memorial site where 1,777 German soldiers from the First World War are buried. The cemetery was created in 1919 by the French military authorities, initially as a Franco-German communal cemetery. Its origins lie in a mass grave from the summer of 1918, in which 55 unknown French soldiers were buried. In 1922, the French bodies were transferred to another cemetery, after which the site was converted into a German military cemetery. The fallen came from more than 27 municipalities in the region, up to 18 km away. In 1977, the cemetery took on its current form, with metal crosses bearing the names and dates of the fallen. A monolithic memorial marks the entrance to the site.

The Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Plessis-de-Roye is an exceptional example of reconstruction architecture with a deeply symbolic meaning. Originally built in the first half of the 15th century, the church was almost completely destroyed during the First World War. It was rebuilt between 1930 and 1932 by the architect André Collin, who deliberately chose to leave the nave unfinished. This gave the church the character of a small cloister — a powerful symbol of loss and remembrance of the devastation of war.

The village played an important role during the First World War. It was occupied on 30 August 1914 and was the scene of fierce fighting during the “Race to the Sea” and again during the Battle of Matz in June 1918. The village was badly damaged and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for its suffering and courage.

This sober memorial honours the people of Amy who lost their lives during the First World War. Their names are engraved in stone, as a lasting reminder of their sacrifice for France. Every year on 11 November, tribute is paid to their courage and sacrifice.

You made me want to take a trip there soon. Thanks Leo