The best cycling routes around Marville

🏰 **Château de Cons-la-Grandville – A Journey Through the Centuries** The imposing castle of **Cons-la-Grandville**, near the border with Luxembourg, combines Romanesque origins with Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Built on the foundations of a Gallo-Roman villa, it was expanded and remodeled several times from the 11th century onwards. Particularly worth seeing: the Romanesque cloister, the elegant façade, and the magnificent courtyard. 🕰️ The château was the residence of the noble de Cons family, later also a monastery, and has been lovingly restored. Today it is a listed monument and open to visitors. **Tip:** Be sure to visit the cloister – one of the oldest preserved of its kind in Lorraine. Ideal as a stopover on the way between France and Luxembourg.

On the edge of a wooded massif, where the climate is favorable for growing wine, lies Torgny, Belgium's southernmost village. The houses here, built of yellow sandstone with Roman roof tiles, are striking, lending a Mediterranean flair. A truly beautiful sight. No wonder this place is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Wallonia.

PLEASE NOTE: on this - beautiful - circuit, after the village of Alondrelle, the path as mentioned on this circuit has become impassable between the meadows. If you go further, from the entrance to the woods towards Torgny, the path is not very suitable for vehicles or even almost impassable by bike if it has rained a lot! A mountain bike is essential!

Charming little historic town with an excellent restaurant Le Gras Q

The castle of Cons-la-Grandville is a castle which dates from the 11th century and which has been transformed and restored over the centuries. You can admire the architecture and sculptures of the castle, which combine Romanesque, Renaissance and classical styles. You can also explore the park and village of Cons-la-Grandville, surrounded by hills and woods.

Renaissance castle, built in the 17th century for Simon II de Pouilly, military governor of Stenay, on behalf of the Duchy of Lorraine. Its architectural interest lies mainly in the portals and verandas carved with great imagination and in the imposing dovecote. You can visit it in the company of a guide who will provide all the historical information. You will discover the two main courtyards, the dovecote, the park and the chapel. Visit by reservation only for groups in July and August.

The first mention of the village in the archives dates from the 11th century (1093, Lopeium), according to Liénard (19th century historian). At the death of the Count of Bar, Thibaut I, in 1214, two towers were built in Louppy corresponding to two castles installed at each end of the promontory dominating the Loison valley. It is for this reason that the village subsequently adopted the name Louppy-aux-deux-châteaux until the French Revolution. (see map of Villeneuve from 1700 here) In the heart of the village, near the church, the imposing remains of a tower and a curtain wall are still visible. Originally the castle (commonly called the High Castle) appeared in the shape of a quadrangle flanked by four corner towers and once had deep moats fed by the nearby Loison. In addition to the defensive character of the building, its residential function seems certain, given the presence of a fireplace and benches under the windows. These remains undoubtedly date from the 13th or 14th century, but the first mention of a castle dates from the end of the 12th century as the property of the Count of Bar Thibaut I. Subsequently, the Lordship of Louppy was shared between several families until the arrival of the Pouilly family in the 16th century. During the Hundred Years' War, in 1379, the castle was partially destroyed.

The fresco tribute to the fighters of 14-18 Behind the war memorial, the artist Éléonore Giraud created a gigantic fresco with images of the fighters, human and animal, from the 1914-1918 war. This fresco was unveiled on November 11, during the commemoration of the 1918 armistice.