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Walking and Biking
On foot, on horseback, or by bike or mountain bike, the roads in Meuse attract all who love getting away to the country. There are endless, fascinating tracks through idyllic scenery, where you will come across exquisite views, and exceptional sites where art, history and local tradition all give of their test.
Why not come exploring on jour own, or with jour family or friends. You are sure to come across innumerable, unexpected sights and to live interesting experiences as you follow these well-signposted paths and circuits.
On the internet site Stenay.com you can download some of the signposted circuits. They are also available at the reception of Moulin le Cygne.
Meuse County gets its character from its scenery, its incredible diversity and originality. Fascinating scenery off the beaten track, with exquisite flora and fauna.
In the north, Montmédy and Stenay consist of a series of promontories defended by silent citadels with a strong Spanish Renaissance influence, and works designed by Vauban, the famous military engineer.
In the west, dense forests cover the deep valleys of the Argonne Mountains. Many villages still have their timber framed, wattle and daub-type houses.
In the centre, the Meuse River meanders peacefully through a bucolic landscape.
Or by car
Special car circuits are available for the Stenay-area. Eight routes you find on the internet site Stenay.com. Or we can give suggestions for the most beautiful areas with churches, abbeys, fortifications, lakes, 1914-1918, de beautiful fauna and flora, the villages and the small country city's.
The Haute Chevauchée Route
The deep valleys of the Argonne mountains are a dramatic contrast to the fiat plains of Champagne and Lorraine. Take the Haute-Chevauchée route and explore these vast forests with some of the most beautiful trees in Europe.
This route, which makes its way deep into the Argonne mountains, was the theatre of many violent battles between 1914 and 1918. One can still see shell and mortar bomb craters, the remains of trenches, underground bunkers such as the "Kaiser's Tunnel" (which can be visited), the remains of blockhouses, and numerous war memorials.. The Haute Chevauchée Monument was inaugurated by Poincaré in 1925. A circuit has been specially laid out.
The state-owned forest of Verdun (9 615 ha)
The state-owned forest of Morthomme (2 884 ha)- In 1918 the battlefield area looked like part of the moon with overturned soil, scored by spider's web of trenches, communication trenches, bomb craters, saps, etc... and covered with 20 to 30 tons of metals per hectare.
- By act of the 24th April 1923 - the most difficult areas were classified to develop again as land to be converted to forest and creation of the 2 future state-owned forests.
- From 1929 to 1933 areas where villages, orchards, cultivated lands, etc... formerly stood were planted with trees, Austrian Pines covering 5 000 ha and Spruce trees covering 3 500 ha. The original woods (1/3 of the surface area) were naturally restored and formed the present copses and pole plantations.
- In 1974 began of the change to deciduous forest, suited better to natural conditions, by planting beech in the shade of coniferous, or various valuable deciduous species alter clear-cut.
- The present coniferous forest has allowed rapid restoration of the ground and the creation of a forest environment Thanks to the plantation of this pioneer forest, it was then possible to reintroduce beech trees Linder the shelter of the Austrian Pines and the Spruce trees.CONCLUSION The work of the foresters has made possible to return to beech grove less than one hundred years alter the destruction of the soils and the vegetation, whereas the natural evolution of growth chains would not have allowed this before 3 or 4 centuries. In the forestry field, this represents one of the most exemplary changes in the world from coniferous to beech forest.
NOTICE Any archaeological digging is declared illegal if people do not have any official authorization from the land owner and the Region Director of Cultural Affairs. The use of iron detectors is forbidden without an official authorization from the Regional Prefect.
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