バントゥーのおすすめMTBライド

For bikepacking trips, A magnificent base for cycle touring. It's a place steeped in history, peaceful, and surrounded by lush greenery. Don't miss the hamlet of Revelon or a visit to the source of the Scheldt River in Gouy (right next door). Happy riding! 🚴‍♀️ Franck

The source of the Scheldt... very clear water

Beautiful surroundings walking route and maritime museum

Some very beautiful remains to discover during a hike 😉.

This watering trough is probably a distant legacy of the Cistercian monks of Vaucelles. Nestled in the pastures surrounding the farm, it is fed by the nearby fountain, which filters the water and is itself fed by water from the Saint-Bernard spring, via an aqueduct. Hence the name of the bicycle trail "des sources" 😎.

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.

Parts of this gigantic abbey are interesting to visit. The church has disappeared but must have been enormous. Beautiful garden and shop with, among other things, abbey beer.