The French Ardennes Press kit Join French Ardennes Tourism #ardennes www.ardennes.com Agence de Développement Touristique 24 place Ducale - BP 419 - 08107 Charleville-Mézières Cedex - FRANCE - Tel. (+33) 03 24 56 06 08 N O E S Agence de Développement Touristique www.ardennes.com Surface area: 5246 km2 (including 167,000 hectares- 412,000 acres - of forest) Landscape: chalky plains to the south, Argonne mountains and foothills in the centre, with a hercynian massif to the north Highest point: Croix-Scaille (503 metres) Rivers: Meuse, Semoy and Aisne Population 283,300 inhabitants (2012) Administrative centre: Charleville-Mézières – 50,000 inhabitants Main towns: Sedan – 18,500 inhabitants; Rethel – 7,800 inhabitants Famous figures Robert de Sorbon (founder of the Sorbonne University): 1201-1274 The Viscount of Turenne (Marshal of France): 1611-1675 Arthur Rimbaud (poet): 1854-1891 Verlaine (poet) : 1844-1896 The French Ardennes André Dhôtel (writer) : 1900-1991 a natural choice Yannick Noah (tennis player - singer): 1960 Tourism1 653,290 overnight stays Less than 2 hours from Paris via the motorway or TGV high speed trains, The 12,501 beds available Hotels – 52 (2426 beds) French Ardennes, once considered off the beaten track, is today easily accessible. Rotterdam E 19 Furnished lodgings and B & B: 1715 beds This lesser known corner of France offers a surprising mix of lush nature, E 35 Camp sites: 29 E 34 Golf courses: 3 Douvres Essen E 40 Anvers Riding centres: 40 remarkable heritage and fascinating history. This is the perfect place to visit, for Calais E 313 Hiking trails: 3000 km (1875 miles) E 17 E 40 E 40 unwinding and relaxing or for exploring and adventure! Lille Bruxelles Waterways: 210 km (130 miles) A26 Aachen A16 Adventure parks: 3 A1 Charleroi E 42 Liège E 42 Cycle path Trans-Ardennes: 50 miles from Charleville-Mézières A2 E 411 E 25 N5 A16 to Givet, extension to Remilly-Aillicourt in 2016 (24 miles). A26 Amiens Cycle path Ennemane: 6 miles from Remilly-Aillicourt A28 Charleville- to Raucourt-et-Flaba (with a connection to the Trans-Ardennes) A29 Mézières E 411 Luxembourg A26 New cycle path Trans-Semoysienne: 9 miles from Monthermé A16 A1 A34 to Hautes-Rivières (on the Belgian border) Outdoor activities: A13 Reims A4 A4 100 km Shooting, fishing, hiking, horse-riding, cycle trails, A4 Metz Paris forest adventure trails, canoeing, golf 1 Key figures 2014 - ADT Ardennes www.ardennes.com Getting here Designed and produced by: ALOHA création- www.alohacreation.fr By car: Translations: Euro Alizé, updated by the French Ardennes tourist board from LONDON, via Calais : M20 to Folkestone / Channel Tunnel. In France, from Calais take the motorway A26 to Reims, Coordination and initiative: French Ardennes tourist board Photo credits: ©Ville de Charleville-Mézières - ©JM Lecomte - CD08 - and then join the A34 to Charleville-Mézières. ©Patrick Argirakis - ©Lionel Ferry - ©Hôtel Château fort de Sedan - from PARIS : Autoroute A4 from Paris to Reims, then A34 to Charleville-Mézières (233 km in 2hrs 30). ©Marc Gaillot-Musée Verlaine - ©OT Rocroi - ©Association API-Fort des Ayvelles - ©Sophie Bettig - ©Festival des marionnettes - ©Sébastien from LILLE : Autoroute A27 /E42 from Lille direction Brussels (Belgium) via Tournai, Mons, Charleroi. On the Charleroi ring road, Ortega-Dubois - ©Frédéric Lisch - ©Parc naturel régional des Ardennes - follow sign for Philippeville and Reims (N5). Continue via Couvin and Rocroi to Charleville-Mézières (193 km in 2hrs 35). PNRA Stéphane von Wonterghem - ©Bruno Gouhoury - CD08 - © ADTA-CT - from BRUXELLES et AMSTERDAM : direction Charleroi, Philippeville (N5), Rocroi et Charleville-Mézières (148 km en 2hrs 20 mins - 356 km en 4hrs 30). Your press contact: ©Ruud.roodhorst - ©Laëtis - ©Retroscapade - ©Champagne-Ardenne Tourisme - ©ACCC-JM Lecomte - ©Emmanuel Crametz - ©Domaine de By train: Djamila Daoud Vendresse - ©Musée de la forêt - ©Musée-atelier du feutre - ©Elfy park Press officer - ©Vincent Leclère photographies - ©H. Dapremont - ©Camille Vion - Via LILLE: Eurostar from London to Lille-Europe (journey time 1 hr 40), then from Lille-Flanders to Charleville-Mézières. Tel. +33 (0)3 24 56 67 77 ©O sixème sens - ©Chez Odette - ©Michel Renaux - ©D.Truillard - Via PARIS: Eurostar from London to Paris. Direct TGV for Charleville-Mézières and several TGVs for Reims, change for Charleville-Mézières. [email protected] ©Aymon Folk Festival - ©Jacques Delforge - ©Musicales de Louvergny - ©L. Noblet - ©Pascal Pesce - ©ADTA-DD - © ADTA JH - ©Mairie Givet - Nearest Airports: gb.ardennes.com/home/press.aspx ©C. Galichet - ©Philippe Papier - ©Festival enfants du cinéma - ©Anne Paris (Charles de Gaulle) - Luxembourg (Findel) - Bruxelles (Zaventem) - Charleroi (Bruxelles). follow @TourismArdennes Frézard - ©Olivier Lemoine. 1 . Surface area: 5246 km2 (including 167,000 hectares- 412,000 acres - of forest) Landscape: chalky plains to the south, Argonne mountains and foothills in the centre, with a hercynian massif to the north Highest point: Croix-Scaille (503 metres) Rivers: Meuse, Semoy and Aisne Population 283,300 inhabitants (2012) Administrative centre: Charleville-Mézières – 50,000 inhabitants Main towns: Sedan – 18,500 inhabitants; Rethel – 7,800 inhabitants Famous figures Robert de Sorbon (founder of the Sorbonne University): 1201-1274 The Viscount of Turenne (Marshal of France): 1611-1675 Arthur Rimbaud (poet): 1854-1891 Verlaine (poet) : 1844-1896 The French Ardennes André Dhôtel (writer) : 1900-1991 a natural choice Yannick Noah (tennis player - singer): 1960 Tourism1 653,290 overnight stays Less than 2 hours from Paris via the motorway or TGV high speed trains, The 12,501 beds available Hotels – 52 (2426 beds) French Ardennes, once considered off the beaten track, is today easily accessible. Rotterdam E 19 Furnished lodgings and B & B: 1715 beds This lesser known corner of France offers a surprising mix of lush nature, E 35 Camp sites: 29 E 34 Golf courses: 3 Douvres Essen E 40 Anvers Riding centres: 40 remarkable heritage and fascinating history. This is the perfect place to visit, for Calais E 313 Hiking trails: 3000 km (1875 miles) E 17 E 40 E 40 unwinding and relaxing or for exploring and adventure! Lille Bruxelles Waterways: 210 km (130 miles) A26 Aachen A16 Adventure parks: 3 A1 Charleroi E 42 Liège E 42 Cycle path Trans-Ardennes: 50 miles from Charleville-Mézières A2 E 411 E 25 N5 A16 to Givet, extension to Remilly-Aillicourt in 2016 (24 miles). A26 Amiens Cycle path Ennemane: 6 miles from Remilly-Aillicourt A28 Charleville- to Raucourt-et-Flaba (with a connection to the Trans-Ardennes) A29 Mézières E 411 Luxembourg A26 New cycle path Trans-Semoysienne: 9 miles from Monthermé A16 A1 A34 to Hautes-Rivières (on the Belgian border) Outdoor activities: A13 Reims A4 A4 100 km Shooting, fishing, hiking, horse-riding, cycle trails, A4 Metz Paris forest adventure trails, canoeing, golf 1 Key figures 2014 - ADT Ardennes www.ardennes.com Getting here Designed and produced by: ALOHA création- www.alohacreation.fr By car: Translations: Euro Alizé, updated by the French Ardennes tourist board from LONDON, via Calais : M20 to Folkestone / Channel Tunnel. In France, from Calais take the motorway A26 to Reims, Coordination and initiative: French Ardennes tourist board Photo credits: ©Ville de Charleville-Mézières - ©JM Lecomte - CD08 - and then join the A34 to Charleville-Mézières. ©Patrick Argirakis - ©Lionel Ferry - ©Hôtel Château fort de Sedan - from PARIS : Autoroute A4 from Paris to Reims, then A34 to Charleville-Mézières (233 km in 2hrs 30). ©Marc Gaillot-Musée Verlaine - ©OT Rocroi - ©Association API-Fort des Ayvelles - ©Sophie Bettig - ©Festival des marionnettes - ©Sébastien from LILLE : Autoroute A27 /E42 from Lille direction Brussels (Belgium) via Tournai, Mons, Charleroi. On the Charleroi ring road, Ortega-Dubois - ©Frédéric Lisch - ©Parc naturel régional des Ardennes - follow sign for Philippeville and Reims (N5). Continue via Couvin and Rocroi to Charleville-Mézières (193 km in 2hrs 35). PNRA Stéphane von Wonterghem - ©Bruno Gouhoury - CD08 - © ADTA-CT - from BRUXELLES et AMSTERDAM : direction Charleroi, Philippeville (N5), Rocroi et Charleville-Mézières (148 km en 2hrs 20 mins - 356 km en 4hrs 30). Your press contact: ©Ruud.roodhorst - ©Laëtis - ©Retroscapade - ©Champagne-Ardenne Tourisme - ©ACCC-JM Lecomte - ©Emmanuel Crametz - ©Domaine de By train: Djamila Daoud Vendresse - ©Musée de la forêt - ©Musée-atelier du feutre - ©Elfy park Press officer - ©Vincent Leclère photographies - ©H. Dapremont - ©Camille Vion - Via LILLE: Eurostar from London to Lille-Europe (journey time 1 hr 40), then from Lille-Flanders to Charleville-Mézières. Tel. +33 (0)3 24 56 67 77 ©O sixème sens - ©Chez Odette - ©Michel Renaux - ©D.Truillard - Via PARIS: Eurostar from London to Paris. Direct TGV for Charleville-Mézières and several TGVs for Reims, change for Charleville-Mézières. [email protected] ©Aymon Folk Festival - ©Jacques Delforge - ©Musicales de Louvergny - ©L. Noblet - ©Pascal Pesce - ©ADTA-DD - © ADTA JH - ©Mairie Givet - Nearest Airports: gb.ardennes.com/home/press.aspx ©C. Galichet - ©Philippe Papier - ©Festival enfants du cinéma - ©Anne Paris (Charles de Gaulle) - Luxembourg (Findel) - Bruxelles (Zaventem) - Charleroi (Bruxelles). follow @TourismArdennes Frézard - ©Olivier Lemoine. 1 . Contents . 3 . Welcome to the French Ardennes A land of history and diversity . 4 . 5 . Not to be missed The French Ardennes region evokes some strong images : the goddess Sylva Arduinna (a particular favourite of