パイシーのおすすめツーリングルート

Villers-en-Prayères - the lettering on the building shows the town hall and school in a beautiful building.

At lunchtime, we never encountered anyone in the villages on our journey through Champagne. It was deserted and quiet. Only occasionally did we catch the smell of food.

On the eastern edge of the Chemin des Dames plateau lies the Ferme d’Hurtebise, a place that played a crucial role during both the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War. In 1814, it was the scene of the Battle of Craonne, and exactly a century later it again became a strategic junction in the struggle between French and German troops. From September 1914 onwards, fierce fighting took place here. The farm overlooked the Ailette and Aisne valleys, making it a fiercely contested observation post. French units, including Zouaves and the 12th and 49th Infantry Regiments, tried to hold or retake the farm, often with heavy losses. The family that owned the farm sheltered in the cellar for days while the building was under fire. After months of fighting and bombardment, the farm was reduced to ruins, crisscrossed by trenches. Today the site is a symbol of resistance and sacrifice, and is part of the Chemin des Dames memorial landscape.

superb hike

Ailette Lake is a haven of tranquility surrounded by greenery. Its calm and clear waters invite you to relax, whether for a stroll along the lake, a canoe trip or a picnic break. The preserved natural setting offers magnificent views of the surrounding wooded hills and the developed beaches.

The Étang des Moines lake is one of the four ponds that were dug by the monks of Liessies Abbey at the end of the 17th century. Covering an area of approximately 20 hectares, it is home to various species of fish, such as carp, pike, perch, roach and tench. The lake is also a haven for wildlife, particularly birds, such as herons, ducks, coots and kingfishers. You can appreciate the tranquility and beauty of the lake from different viewpoints, such as the wooden bridge or the picnic area.

The church dates from the middle of the 13th century. Under the Old Regime, the parish came under the diocese of Soissons, Archdeaconry of Christianity and deanery of Vailly). At the end of the 19th century, Mademoiselle Rostan paid large sums to raise the monument damaged by the outrage of the years. It was badly damaged during the withdrawal of German troops at the end of the summer of 1918. The church was restored under the supervision of the architect of the Historic Monuments Lucien Sallez from 1921 to 1925, then from 1930 to 1932, while Émile Brunet and Jean Trouvelot worked on the masonry and the covering of the transept in 1927.

Place to discover with a small bridge in the woods