The best traffic-free bike rides around Villers-Sur-Bar

This section is part of the Trans-Ardennes, a cycle route that is fully signposted in both directions and which links beautiful historical sites in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

Illuminated asphalt track along the canal through the mountain

Sedan is a town with a great history. Also with Dutch connections. A daughter of William of Orange became the mother of two brothers here who both fought battles in the Netherlands. Marshal Turenne besieged Den Bosch in his younger years and later returned on behalf of Louis the 14th. His brother was, in addition to Prince of Sedan, governor of Maastricht for a while. There were also many contacts between the Protestants of both countries. You can find all these things in the castle and in the streets of Sedan. And that, between the restaurants, hotels and shops. The town is slowly recovering from the poverty and desolate impression of the past decades. It is becoming more and more beautiful. In addition, there are many events. The surroundings are also attractive. In short: A must-see a short distance from the Netherlands

Sedan is a historic city in the French Ardennes, located on the Meuse River. The city is known for the Château de Sedan, the largest fortified castle in Europe12. Other important sights include the Saint Charles church and the Place Turenne. Sedan has a rich history, with influences from the Counts Van der Marck and the De la Tour d’Auvergne family. From 1547 to 1642, Sedan was a principality independent of the Kingdom of France. The city was a refuge for Protestants during the Reformation and played an important role in several wars.

High above the village with its old market hall and Ardennes houses from the 16th and 18th centuries stands the Eglise Saint-Sulpice (12th century), a textbook example of the regional Romanesque architectural style with the floor plan of a basilica and a roof structure visible above the nave. The aisles, the choir and the transept with crossbow vault date from the 13th century. The 16th-century high altar comes from the Carthusian monastery of Mont-Dieu.

Here begins the Canal des Ardennes, which connects the Meuse with the Aisne and the waterways of the Seine basin; the 106 km long canal was built during the time of King Louis Philippe (second quarter of the 19th century) and has 46 locks between Pont-à-Bar and Berry-au-Bac in the southwest.

The Canal des Ardennes, also known as the Ardennes Canal, is a canal in northeastern France that connects the Meuse basin with that of the Seine. The canal is approximately 88 kilometers long. It runs entirely through the Ardennes department, between the Meuse at Pont-à-Bar and the Aisne at Vieux-lès-Asfeld. The Canal des Ardennes was built between 1823 and 1831 to create a shorter shipping route between Belgium and the Paris region. The canal has a total of 44 locks. There is a tunnel at Saint-Aignan, known as the Tunnel of Saint-Aignan. The canal has a branch to Vouziers at Semuy. The canal was built to bridge the height differences in this hilly area as easily as possible and was therefore constructed along existing rivers as much as possible. It reaches a height of 165 meters above sea level and then descends to a height of 60.55 meters at the terminus. It is an important part of the water infrastructure in this region.

Vouziers is the capital of Ardennes Argonne. A quiet town to stop off to enjoy its shops. Here is the grave of the famous aviator Roland Garros, who died in combat on October 15, 1918.