The best running trails around Louppy-Sur-Loison

You can walk all the way around the ramparts. We found it unique and impressive. The museum was also interesting.

In Marville, the Othain lake is a pleasant place to relax, with its leisure center and various walking trails. Here, the stretch of land that juts out offers a beautiful view of the expanse.

Magnificent citadel to visit absolutely!

The Saint-Martin de Montmédy church is the church of the Saint-Martin parish in the upper town of Montmédy. The church we see today is not the first to be built on this location. Indeed, a sanctuary surrounded by a cemetery would have been present in the upper part of Montmédy as early as the 11th century. Its origins are rather vague, but historians are certain that from 1156 there was a religious building on the site of the current church2. This monument was quite small and had a single, quite slender tower. According to several old plans of Montmédy, researchers can confirm that it occupied approximately the location between the interior pillars of the current building3. In the 18th century, when Vauban strengthened the fortifications, the rear of the church was shortened to allow the widening of the adjacent rampart. The current church was built on the foundations of a more modest church that probably dates from the 12th century.

The Saint-Martin church in Montmédy is a majestic church which dominates the Montmédy citadel. You can admire its symmetrical facade with two square towers, its richly decorated altar with a half-canopy, and its statue of the Virgin and Child dating from the 14th century. You can also enjoy the sound of the restored organ, which dates from the late 17th century and had not been played for almost a century. The church is also a cultural space which hosts exhibitions, conferences and concerts. It is a mecca for hiking that will impress you with its beauty and charm.

Built between 1753 and 1757, the Saint-Martin church dominates the ramparts of the citadel of Montmédy, renovated by Vauban. This stone building is located on the site of an ancient shrine of which only the chapel of Malandry remains. Bulky, ideal for the large military site it is next to. The classical architecture is specific to the churches of fortified towns, highlighting two imposing square bell towers, as well as a style of remarkable finesse that invites visits. The bronze bell cast in 1558 is one of fifty in the Meuse dating from before the Revolution. On the facade, the remains of the coat of arms of Albert de Meuldre, abbot of Orval, hammered during the Revolution, are a reminder that the church was largely financed by the powerful Cistercian abbey. Inside the nave there is always a canopy above the choir. You can also admire a 17th century painting of Flemish inspiration, depicting the adoration of the shepherds in Bethlehem, and a statue: Virgin and Child from the 14th century. The organ with specific technical details was restored by an association and inaugurated in October 2013. The instrument had not sounded for 97 years!

The Citadel of Montmédy is a beautiful piece of military history that has been preserved. A fortress was built on top of this hill as early as the Middle Ages. From this high point you have a great view of the entire area. After the conquest of the area by Louis XIV, he had his master architect Vauban improve and strengthen the fort. Vauban renovated the fort according to the most modern military ideas at the time and gave it his characteristic shape. The fort has a number of defensive walls around it in a kind of star shape. The idea behind this is that the enemy becomes disoriented once within the first walls. To reach the fort you first have to go through a number of walls and canals. The fort experienced several wars. Its first major test was the Napoleonic Wars, during which it was severely damaged. In the second half of the 19th century there was a confrontation between France and Prussia. Some damaged houses in the village were bombed during that period. In the First World War the garrison left the fortress to flee to nearby Verdun. It was never given a defensive function again. The village itself within the walls is also very nice, although it is still being restored. A large number of houses are still badly damaged.

Discover the fortifications of Charles V, Vauban and Séré de Rivières through a tourist circuit on the ramparts. Also visit the Fortress Museum, which describes the development of defense systems from the Roman invasions of Gaul to the 17th century, and the museum about the painter Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884), equipped with explanations in Braille and relief paintings. Source: https://www.toerisme-lorraine.nl/te-zien-te-doen/bezoeken/plaatsen-en-monumenten/747000594-citadelle-de-montmedy-et-ses-musees-montmedy