Travel to Meuse in Lorraine a Ressource Guide for Professionals • 2020 •
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Travel to Meuse in Lorraine A ressource guide for professionals • 2020 • www.meusetourism.com Destination Meuse Reasons to visit Meuse - Authentic France - Only a short trip away from Paris and international airports : a 1 hour’s journey from : • Paris - Gare de l’Est station by train • CDG airport by train • Luxembourg by car. - A still uncovered multi-faceted destination. - Offers good value for money. - Hosts a shared history and conveys universal values. The Meuse area in Lorraine is this secret part of Eastern France between the vineyards of Champagne and the Alsace that offers a charming countryside scenery just an hour’s journey from Paris by TGV high speed train. Ideal destination to go biking or hiking, discover famous specialties like the madeleines, mirabelle plums or dragées, follow the steps of American soldiers involved in WWI, and appreciate a stay at a beautiful chateau or a welcoming guesthouse... As a border area with Belgium, Luxemburg and the earlier Holy Roman Empire, the strategic location of the Meuse explains in part why many defining events in European history have been played out in this relatively small and beautiful area which has provided a rich cultural and architectural heritage: imprint of antiquity and the middle ages, wonderful Renaissance style and the grand style of the Dukes of Lorraine, fortifications designed by Vauban… The best known historic events connected with the area include : • Treaty of Verdun in 843 AM which divided up Charlemagne’s empire • Joan of Arc’s call to arms at Vaucouleurs • The Arrest of King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette in Varennes-en-Argonne • WWI – The Battle of Verdun Meuse ID - Surface area : 6,211km² - Prefecture : Bar-le-Duc - Hiking : over 4,500km (2796 miles) of protected trails, 800km (497 miles) of which are waymarked - Forests : covering over 30% of the region - Canals and navigable waterways : 250km (155 miles) - Largest expanse of water : Madine Lake (1,110 hectares) - The department of Meuse is irrigated from north to south (approx. 200km = 124 miles) by the Meuse, a European river measuring 950km long (590 miles). The Meuse Department Tourist Committee has taken the greatest possible care in producing this document. The practical information contained in this guide has been obtained from each place, or gathered in collaboration with the Tourist Information Offices who are partners in the databases of the regional tourist information network. The Meuse Department Tourist Committee accepts no responsibility for any possible errors and omissions in the text, nor for any changes or closures which might have taken place during or after the production of this document. This non-exhaustive list has been compiled from information received by the Meuse Department Tourist Committee in august 2019. Photo credits : Jan VETTER - CDDM - Kris DAVIDSON - Thierry SUZAN - Bergère de France - Michel PETIT - Marine CALAMAI - Archives Départementales de la Meuse - Guillaume RAMON - CDT Meuse - Denis BAUDRY - Dominique ONFRAY - Gil GIUGLIO - Fort de Troyon - Villa Motel - Musée 14/18 - Camp Marguerre - Château des monthairons - Connaissance de la Meuse - GUITTOT - Patrick DIEUDONNÉ. Editor : CDT Meuse Conception : CDT Meuse 2 Nous connaître Joan of Arc and religious heritage The history of Joan of Arc. Visit Domrémy (in the Vosges) 1412 : Birth of Joan of Arc in Domrémy in the Vosges. The village and Vaucouleurs ! was then part of the duchy of Bar. The town gate (Porte de France), the chapel and the crypt where Joan of 1424 : Joan of Arc heard “voices”. These voices from heaven Arc used to pray, the museum that is devoted to the images of Joan of Arc reportedly told her to bring back the Dauphin Charles to the throne throughout history. and free France from the English. Contact : Commercy-Void-Vaucouleurs Tourist office - +33 (0)3 29 89 51 82 May 1428 : Joan of Arc went to find Robert de Baudricourt at [email protected] - www.tourisme-vaucouleurs.fr/en Vaucouleurs to ask him to take her to Chinon to see Charles VII. 13 may 1428 : Joan of Arc entered the castle gates for the first time, to request an escort for her trip to Chinon. Baudricourt only agreed Discover the religious heritage through the net of the after the third time of asking. open churches : http://openchurches.be July 1428 : English troops attacked Vaucouleurs. Joan and her family left Domrémy and took refuge in Neufchâteau, because the The church : a reference point in the landscape; a common area was not safe. The main square in Vaucouleurs withstood the resource for the people of the town; a space opened for attack. everybody to not only discover a heritage, but also a peaceful 23 february 1429 : Joan left for Chinon. The people of Vaucouleurs place to pray and meditate. made her a sword that Baudricourt presented to her, with an The foundation aims to create a network of “open churches” authorisation letter to hand the Dauphin when she arrived. undertaking joint actions in order to create a warm and 4 march 1429 : Joan of Arc arrived in Chinon, to meet the future King peaceful atmosphere. Charles VII. The Meuse Department Tourist Committee has taken the greatest possible care in producing this document. The practical information 23 may 1430 : Joan was captured in Compiègne by Jean II de contained in this guide has been obtained from each place, or gathered in collaboration with the Tourist Information Offices who are partners Luxembourg-Ligny, Seigneur de Beaurevoir, and an ally of the A new cultural route in Meuse in the databases of the regional tourist information network. The Meuse Department Tourist Committee accepts no responsibility for any English and Burgundians. He did not hand her over immediately to possible errors and omissions in the text, nor for any changes or closures which might have taken place during or after the production of this Donzelli, heritage of the reconstruction after WWI. document. This non-exhaustive list has been compiled from information received by the Meuse Department Tourist Committee in august 2019. the English, as his aunt, Jeanne de Luxembourg, and godmother to Charles VII, was against the idea. Admirable paintings and monuments have been created by the Italian artist Photo credits : Jan VETTER - CDDM - Kris DAVIDSON - Thierry SUZAN - Bergère de France - Michel PETIT - Marine CALAMAI - Archives Départementales Duilio Donzelli during the fifteen years he has spent in the Meuse vicinity de la Meuse - Guillaume RAMON - CDT Meuse - Denis BAUDRY - Dominique ONFRAY - Gil GIUGLIO - Fort de Troyon - Villa Motel - Musée 14/18 - Camp End of 1430 : Upon his aunt’s death, Jean II de Luxembourg just after the First World War. Marguerre - Château des monthairons - Connaissance de la Meuse - GUITTOT - Patrick DIEUDONNÉ. sacrificed Joan in return for a ransom and inherited the county of A new itinerary has been created including 26 sites to discover this precious Editor : CDT Meuse Ligny. cultural heritage in the churches and villages of Meuse. Conception : CDT Meuse May 1431 : Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen. Infos : https://musees-meuse.fr/ 3 www.meusetourism.com Vauban Fortifications The imposing Montmédy citadel on the Why not combining with : border with Belgium a discovery of the religious heritage in the area as the Flamboyant Gothic style basilica of Avioth ? Built during the reign of Charles V in 1545, redesigned by Vauban in the 17th century and then by Séré de Rivières, who incorporated a number of pillboxes, it now houses the fortifications museum and the gallery dedicated to the artist Jules Bastien-Lepage, a realist portrait artist, born in Damvillers in the 19th century just a few miles from Montmédy. The fortification museum illustrates the various defensive systems used through the ages. You’ll be able to better understand the attacking and defensive strategies, as well as the terms bastion, ravelin, curtain wall, counterguard, covered way, etc. The Jules Bastien-Lepage museum contains landscapes and scenes from rural life of this Realist portrait artist, friend Discover the fortifications of Verdun ! of Auguste Rodin. His paintings are hosted in the most Panoramic guided tour with your coach to explore the principal monuments famous museums all around the world: Paris, London, New showing the system of defence and fortification of the stronghold of Verdun. York, Moscow, Melbourne, Philadelphia… Chaussée Tower : Its architecture developed from its dual function as a door and a fortification – twin imposing, round towers are joined together by a gate, and together they provide an entrance and defensive features. Visit to the Montmédy Citadel ! Les Plaids Tower : Located on the Puty Canal, the Les Plaids Tower, probably built around 1380, stood beside the Chaussée Tower and formed Contact : Pays de Montmédy tourist office - +33 (0)3 29 80 15 90 an important part of the «Grand Rempart» (Rampart) which protected the [email protected] - www.lorraine-gaumaise.com/en town. And also the Saint Paul Bastion, the Maréchaux Crossroads, and much more. Don’t forget to visit the Underground Citadel of Verdun ! info on page 16. Contact : Grand Verdun Tourist Office - +33 (0)3 29 86 14 18 [email protected] - https://en.tourisme-verdun.com/ 4 Vauban Fortifications The Renaissance Why not combining with : Heritage of the 15th to 16th century, Guided tour of Bar-le-Duc : a discovery of the religious heritage in the area as the Flamboyant originating in Italy. The upper town of Bar-Le-Duc is one of the most precious examples of Gothic style basilica of Avioth ? Renaissance architecture in France ! Bar-le-Duc is one of the Lorraine towns to be officially recognised as a , and is also one of Don’t miss : the Pressoir Seigneurial (wine press), the lookout at Les "ville d’art et d’histoire" Grangettes, St Etienne Church, with its elegant and flamboyant gothic the «plus beaux détours de France» (well worth a detour).