The best road cycling routes around Marquaix

Also a bicycle repair and electric bike charging point

Magnificent walk along the water, then visit the underground canal along the canal in a path between the trees with holes, bumps and bends (a real treat) to finish with a nice route in the Holnon woods. I recommend it. To do either as a walk or at speed, the choice is yours!

Crossed by the Canal du Nord, the town of Allaines boasts a rich history spanning the centuries. Gallo-Roman vases have been found in its soil, before the village became a strategic location during wars of various eras.

The town of Péronne is truly charming and well worth a visit. The Somme River forms natural ponds that surround the city, giving it an undeniable appeal. Its old town is located on a small hill overlooking the entire area.

The museum covers the period of the First World War in all its aspects: military, social, cultural.

This museum is located on the front lines of the Battle of the Somme. The white concrete design by architect Henri-Edouard Ciriani describes a gentle arc set into the southwest wall of the medieval castle. It forms a harmonious whole with the four large round towers, each with a diameter of 9 m. The building at the Etang du Cam stands on a series of smooth white concrete columns, creating a beautiful reflection in the water. The rooms are accessed through an opening in the wall of the 13th-century castle, which was built by the Counts of Vermandois. Charles the Bold imprisoned Louis XI in one of the towers.

This Cistercian abbey was founded in 1132 by Bernard of Clairvaux and grew into a large and influential community within a century. Royal armies camped there as in a fortress and Charles V signed peace with Henry II in 1556. In addition to the sick and outcasts, travellers and pilgrims also found shelter in the hospital. The largest abbey church in Europe stood here with an extraordinary length of 135 metres. On feast days, 3000 meals were provided to the needy in the wide area. After the French Revolution, it was declared national property and an inglorious end followed as an open-air quarry. Now, restored parts remain, such as the abbot's palace with the dormitories and monks' halls with the chapter house next to it. The 7-hectare abbey park is being restored to its former glory. Open March to November (Tue-Sat 10am-12pm and 2pm-5.30pm, Sun 3pm-6.30pm, closed Mondays).

The Romanesque tower, seemingly lost along the road, was once part of a huge fortification wall, 7 kilometres long and 5 to 6 metres high, built between 1204 and 1238 around the area of Vaucelles. In the 15th century, it was provided with 8 towers, but demolished in 1550 for the construction of the fortifications of Cambrai.