Meuse - pratical guide by Frans Bureau voor Toerisme

Conception graphique : Agence PLP - RC bar-le-Duc 320 906 662 - Edition 2008

Comité Départemental du Tourisme de la Meuse 33 Rue des Grangettes Adresse postale : Hôtel du Département BP 514 - 55012 BAR LE DUC CEDEX - FRANCE Tél. 03.29.45.78.40 - Fax. 03.29.45.78.45 e-mail : contact@tourisme-meuse.com site : www.tourisme-meuse.com

www.tourisme-meuse.com

Discover our various circuits to explore the Meuse on foot

The Meuse will really appeal to you. We have that certain “something” which will surprise and delight even the bestinformed and most demanding visitor, and give you something to daydream about. Our region gets its magic from nature, the quality of the environment, from its History, and from the friendliness of those who live there. The Meuse invites you to open this document: let yourself be carried away by the wealth of information about history, gastronomy, active leisure activities, and all kinds of festivals.

Renaissance Bar-le-Duc Argonne Villages destroyed by the Battle of Verdun Côtes de Meuse Saint-Mihiel

Let it lead you on to explore the well-preserved secrets of the Meuse!

Enjoy your stay in the Meuse.

10 circuits of between 18 and 53km to explore the different areas of the Meuse at your own pace. Brochures are available on request from

www.tourisme-meuse.com

Sommary EASY TO GET TO THE MEUSE, SIX DISTRICTS, SIX DIFFERENT KINDS OF MAGIC Pages 3 to 16

MEMORIES, HISTORY, HERITAGE Pages 17 to 34

ACTIVE HOLIDAYS AND “BALADES DECOUVERTES” (DISCOVERY TRAILS) Pages 35 to 50

FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS Pages 51/52

SKILLS: INDUSTRIAL AND CRAFT HERITAGE Pages 53/54

FOOD AND DRINK:THE MEUSE LAND OF GOOD FOOD Pages 55 to 63 CURIOSITIES Page 64

DISCOVER THE FESTIVALS OF THE MEUSE Pages 65 to 67 DID YOU KNOW? USEFUL ADDRESSES KEY OBTAIN INFORMATION Pages 68 to 72

Easy to get to

A31

Distances in kilometres by car

Towns in France

East European TGV:The Meuse is only 1 hour from Paris!

Getting there: The Meuse is 2 hours from Paris and Strasbourg, 3 hours from Brussels, Frankfurt or Maastricht. By road, air, rail and waterways it is waiting for you to discover it. Thanks to its communications network, the Meuse is very easy to get to and eager to share its myriad different aspects with you.

Verdun

833 480 203 321 388 702 103 88 859 237 565 249 822

774 553 275 327 462 776 78 95 933 243 604 237 933

Towns in Europe

Bar-le-Duc

Verdun

Amsterdam Berlin Bruxelles Luxembourg

by train

Bar-le-Duc

Bordeaux Clermont-Ferrand Dijon Lille Lyon Marseille Metz Nancy Nice Paris Rennes Strasbourg Toulouse

520 909 319 153

456 859 256 103

TGV services to Bar-le-Duc,Verdun and the Meuse

The Meuse, six districts, six differents kinds of magic

“The frontier land” The North Peaceful, the Northern Meuse? Certainly. But this frontier zone has not forgotten its past. These citadels are built on imposing promontories and demand respect. At Montmédy, Spanish influence blends with the skill of Louis XIV’s military architect, Vauban. On the banks of the Meuse, the charming town of Stenay, with its Museum of European Beer, remains true to its tradition of brewing. You will love the traditional arcade houses. At Marville, a little jewel of the Renaissance, magnificent town houses also bear witness to the Spanish presence. Further south, Dun-surMeuse strikes a contemporary note, honouring the internationallyfamous sculptor Ipoustéguy. Marville

Le Musée de la bière (Museum of Beer) in Stenay

in a few pictures

Montmédy Citadel

Museums: Musée Jules-Bastien LEPAGE and Musée de la Fortification at Montmédy 6

The “land where the tree is king” The Argonne and the valley of the Aire

Landscapes of the Argonne

In the West, there is something new – something different too. In the Argonne, a country of deep forests, geography dominates. The Argonne has been dubbed “the country where the tree is king”. In the well-preserved valleys nestle picturesque villages with half-timbered, cob houses. It is steeped in history, such as the arrest of Louis XVI at Varennes-en-Argonne, after his escape from Paris, as well as memories of the Great War. To the south, the valley of the Aire, which runs as far as the Barrois, is a paradise both for fishermen and artists.

Stags and roebucks in the Argonne forest 7

in a few pictures

The charm of half-timbered houses

Islettes faience factory

"l'Argonnais" Dried sausage 8

Miniature: the arrest of Louis XVI at Varennes

The “land of the Renaissance” The Barrois and the valleys of the Ornain and the Saulx: the “Vallée des Ducs” In the Barrois, the heritage of the golden age of the Duchy of Bar, the Renaissance,is being preserved and enthusiastically revived. Bar-le-Duc, the ancient capital of the Duchy, and its Old Town on the hill, bear dual witness to this, via the exceptional architecture, 16th-century facades, the Law Courts, the church of St. Stephen (SaintEtienne), the Place Saint-Pierre, and the Renaissance festival. This lifestyle finds its expression in other parts of the Barrois and the valley of the Saulx as well. For example, the château de la Varenne at Haironville and its suspended panel ceiling, or the château de Ville-sur-Saulx and its superb Renaissance garden. Ligny-en-Barrois, doorway to the Barrois, unveils its surprising history as an enclave of the Duchy of Luxemburg.

Façades of the upper town, Bar-le-Duc, "Town of Art and History"

Sculpture: "Renaissance” stone detail

in a few pictures

"RenaissanceS" Festival

Currant preserve deseeded with goose quills 10

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;land of the World Capital of Peaceâ&#x20AC;? Verdun and its surroundings

Quai de Londres,Verdun

Verdun. Heart of the Meuse and World Capital of Peace. The meanders of the tranquil river cradle this country, where strong emotions are born of the rich historical past of a city which, after treaty and battle, has irrevocably chosen the path of Remembrance and Peace. The town is full of surprises, and very pleasant to live in. Enjoy the Quai de Londres and the Meuse river, with its barges and pleasure boats.

in a few pictures

The unspoilt Meuse

Les Dragées de Verdun (sugared almonds) 12

Musée de la Princerie à Verdun (Museum of archaeology, fine arts and history)

The “land of the Mirabelle” the Côtes de Meuse and the Woëvre plain With their bright orchards where the famous “golden fruit”, the Mirabelle plum, ripens, and their vineyards experiencing a new lease of life, the Côtes de Meuse and the Woëvre are generous lands. The Lorraine Regional Natural Park extends as far as here too, providing a superb habitat for aquatic bird species, both migratory and non-migratory. The Woëvre is a region of water and lakes, which draws its name from "vouivre”, the magic water-snake. Explore the charms of the Madine lake, the Lachaussée lakes and at the Colvert leisure centre. Saint-Mihiel was a Benedictine site, housing works by the great Renaissance sculptor, Ligier-Richier.

Lake Madine

in a few pictures

Wine and mirabelle plums

Lake fishing 14

The “land of Joan of Arc and Stanislas” The South and the valley of the Meuse

Château Stanislas in Commercy

Another land to discover, rich in natural beauty, culture and history. Commercy, famous for its Madeleine, was for many years the residence of the Dukes of Lorraine, and cultivates the memory of the last Duke, with the Château Stanislas. The equally glorious past of Vaucouleurs, birthplace of the epic of Joan of Arc, is reflected in some major sites, including the Porte de France and the museum dedicated to the heroine.

Statue of Joan of Arc in Vaucouleurs 15

in a few pictures

Charming houses

MusĂŠe de la cĂŠramique et de l'ivoire (Museum of ceramics and ivory) in Commercy

Madeleines from Commercy and Lorraine Truffles 16

MEMORIES, HISTORY, HERITAGE

Meuse

“ Land of Remembrance tourism” From far back in time, History has left its powerful stamp on the Meuse, land of memories. From North to South, from East to West, the historical and cultural heritage bears witness to this, charged with thought-provoking emotion. This destiny was to reach its dramatic climax in the Great War. Verdun, the Vaux and Douaumont forts and the Red Zone, the Voie Sacrée, the Argonne, the Butte de Montfaucon and the Kaiser Tunnel, the Côtes de Meuse and their strategic contours, where Alain Fournier, Author of Le Grand Meaulnes, fell, the Saint-Mihiel salient, the Crête des Eparges, the rear German bases at Spincourt, Marguerre and Duzey: all these sites rekindle the understanding of the horror of this place, which will always remain a land of heroes. Was the sacrifice in the Tranchée des Baïonnettes, symbolised also by the sheer scale of the Ossuary of Douaumont, in vain? No, Europe’s experience helped to lead to its maturity. There is extensive information available on this in the World Peace Centre at Verdun, and the memorials (Varennes-en-Argonne, Montfaucon, Montsec, Verdun, Vauquois, etc) erected to the memory of soldier comrades who came to fight for freedom, as well as the museums and fortresses, which will always be such a moving experience to visit.

The Battlefields

Les Eparges and The Argonne

The German military

of Verdun and the Red Zone pages 18/19

Saint-Mihiel

bases: Spincourt, Marguerre and Duzey page 21

page 20

page 21

MEMORIES, HISTORY, HERITAGE

Historical sites To give you full information, we have available for you a map specifically showing the Historical sites, with other free-access sites shown. Available on request.

The Battlefields of Verdun and the Red Zone e4

FORT DE DOUAUMONT

• Description:The Ossuary contains the remains of 130,000 unknown soldiers, laid to rest with their comrades for all eternity. Audiovisual presentation "The Heroism of Soldiers in Verdun" (20 mins.) – Viewing every half-hour. Tour of the tower and its museum. The Ossuary and necropolis are two of the national French memorials to the First World War. The Ossuary gives a comprehensive overview of the Battle of Verdun. • Prices: A = €4, C = €3.

55100 DOUAUMONT Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 41 91 http://www.meuse.fr • Opening dates and times: - February to March, from 10.00am to 1.00pm and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm - April to May: from 10.00am to 6.00pm - June to August: from 10.00am to 6.30pm - September: from 10.00am to 6.00pm - October: from 10.00am to 5.00pm - November to December: from 10.00am to 5.00pm Last visit starts 30 minutes before closing. • Description: The most heavily armed of all the forts, with the strongest system of defence. Tour of the 3 levels of galleries and pillboxes, observation platforms and gun turrets (machine-guns and 75mm and 155mm field guns). Command post, barrack room, ruined chapel and graveyard, magazine. Douaumont gives an insight into the layout of a fort, what life was like there, and the Séré de Rivières system of defence. • Prices: A = €3, C = €1.50, family (2 A 2 C) = €8, GA = €2.50, GC = €0.50, package guided tour = €50/60.

MEMORIAL DE VERDUN

1, Avenue du Corps Européen 55100 FLEURY DEVANT DOUAUMONT Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 35 34 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 45 54 http://www.memorial-de-verdun.fr e-mail: reservation@memorial-verdun.fr • Opening dates and times: Annual closure midDecember to end of January. Open: -spring/summer: from 9.00am to 6.00pm -autumn/winter: from 9.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm • Description: The Memorial, a Museum dedicated to the Great War, contains an extensive collection on two floors (heavy equipment, vehicles, planes, uniforms etc.), laid out around a striking reconstruction of a battlefield. This sanctuary, a memorial to history, keeps the memory of the conflict alive and bears witness to the commitment and suffering of soldiers from France, Germany, countries overseas and Allied troops who fought from 1914 to 1918 in this key sector on the Western Front. As a study and documentation centre, the Memorial also has an educational department responsible for the preparation and organisation of a range of learning projects (joint history/literature classes etc.). Educational service, documentation centre and teaching centre. Disabled access. • Prices: A = €7, C = €3.50 (11 to 16 years). No charge for under 11’s.

OSSUAIRE DE DOUAUMONT

Ossuaire de Douaumont - 55100 DOUAUMONT Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 54 81 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 56 54 http://www.verdun-douaumont.com e.mail : info@verdun-douaumont.com • Opening dates and times: Annual closure from January to February school holidays. Open daily: -February school holidays and December, from 2.00pm to 5.00pm -March and October: from 9.00am to noon and 2.00pm to 5.30pm -April: from 9.00am to 6.00pm -from May to August: from 9.00am to 6.30pm -September: from 9.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm -November: from 9.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm

MUSEE DE PLEIN AIR

Open-air museum offers free access to a 14.5 km signposted tour of the battlefield. 18

MUSEE DE LA VOIE SACREE

FORT DE VAUX

- October and November: from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm - December: from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Last visit leaves 45 minutes before closing. • Description: The lower citadel played a vital logistical role in the Battle of Verdun. Today, visitors board a small train for a tour designed to give an insight into life in the citadel that was such a major feature of the Battle of Verdun. There are 15 tableaux showing what French infantrymen had to go through – the trenches, the infirmary, the bakery, HQ, the choice of the Unknown Soldier etc. • Prices: A = €6, C = €2.50, GA = €5, GC = €2.50, Family (2 A 2 C) = €15.

Musée de la Voie Sacrée 22 Voie Sacrée - 55220 SOUILLY Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 52 76 • Opening dates and times: Daily from 9.00am to 5.00pm. • Description: HQ of General Pétain, and Generals Guillaumat, Nivelle, and Hirschauer. General Pershing’s 1918 HQ. History of the Voie Sacrée between Bar-le-Duc and Verdun. Souvenirs from 19141918. • Prices: Free entry.

55100 VAUX Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 32 88 http://www.meuse.fr • Opening dates and times: - February and March: from 10.00am to noon and from 1.00pm to 5.00pm - April: from 10.00am to 6.00pm - May: from 9.00am to 6.00pm - From June to August: from 9.00am to 6.30pm - September: from 10.00am to 6.00pm - October to December: from 10.00am to 12.30 and from 1.30pm to 5.00pm Last visit starts 30 minutes before closing. • Description: A symbol of French heroism. Discover the epic story of Commandant Raynal and his last carrier pigeon. Tour of the interior: Bourges pillbox, 75mm field guns, pigeon loft, telephone exchange. Shows how a fort was organised, and gives a better understanding of the everyday life of the combatants. • Prices: A = €3, C = €1.50, Family (2 A 2 C) = €8, GA = €2.50, GC = €0.50, package guided tour = € 50/60.

CENTRE MONDIAL DE LA PAIX, DES LIBERTES ET DES DROITS DE L’HOMME Palais Episcopal Place Monseigneur Ginisty BP 183 - 55105 VERDUN Cedex Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 55 00 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 15 14 http://www.centremondialpaix.asso.fr e-mail: cmpaix@wanadoo.fr

• Opening dates and times: - 01/02 to 30/06 and 01/09 to Christmas, daily from 9.30am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - 01/07 to 31/08 daily from 9.30am to 7.00pm. • Description: "Guerre et Paix" (War and Peace) Exhibition – new presentation. No admission fee for any temporary exhibitions; seminars, lectures, concerts, films, documentation centre, Peace classes etc. Tours available for groups and school parties from 20/12 to 31/01 (while Centre is closed). • Prices:A = €3 - C = €1.50 (aged 12 - 18 and students). No admission charge for under 12’s.

CITADELLE SOUTERRAINE IN VERDUN

Avenue du 5ème RAP 55100 VERDUN Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 62 02 http://www.meuse.fr • Opening dates and times: - February and March: from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm - April to June: from 9.00am to 6.00pm - July and August: from 9.00am to 7.00pm - September: from 9.00am to 6.00pm

Les Eparges and Saint-Mihiel i6

and so protected the rear flank of the French troops who were taking part in the Battle of the Marne and saved Verdun from being surrounded. The Troyon Fort lay forgotten for 80 years, but is now looked after by the “Ceux de Troyon” Association, an historical heritage preservation society, so that future generations will not forget the sacrifice of their ancestors Duration of guided visit: 2hrs. The Eparges site can be visited. Book after 6pm. • Prices: A = €4, C = €4 (No admission charge for under 10’s.).

FORT DE LIOUVILLE

55300 MARBOTTE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 70 20 Bookings: Mr BASTIEN - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 70 84 Mr BOUCHY - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 40 68 Mr BOUTEILLE - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 13 07 • Opening dates and times: guided visits third Sunday of every month between May and October. • Description: Fortress designed by Séré de Rivières, a 19th-century military architect, as part of the Meuse Hills Curtain which stopped Apremont and Marbotte being overrun during the First World War. Tour lasts 90 mins. Open in low season for groups with advance booking. • Price: no charge.

FORT DE JOUY-SOUS-LES-COTES

SAILLANT DE SAINT-MIHIEL

MEMORIAL AMERICAIN DE LA BUTTE DE MONTSEC

Association des Amis du Fort de Jouy Mairie de Géville – 1 Place Saint-Etienne - 55200 GEVILLE Mr Hubert GILLET 19 Rue Mademoiselle Vauzelle - 55200 GEVILLE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 92 10 40 e-mail: hubert.gillet@laposte.net • Opening dates and times: 2nd and 4th weekend of the month April to October from 2.00pm to 6.00pm. • Description:The Jouy Fort, situated between the fortified sites of Toul and Verdun, was built between 1883 and 1885. It was a Séré de Rivières-type fort, built entirely of quarried stone and not modernised. The fort is pentagonal in shape, had four courtyards and is surrounded by a ditch defended by 4 caponniers, including one which is double. The entrance, the drawbridge and the armoured door are still there. • Prices for individuals: visit free. • Group price (max. 10/15 pers.): visit free.

MUSEE 14-18

Mairie - 55300 MARBOTTE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 70 20 Bookings: Mr BASTIEN - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 70 84 Mr BOUCHY - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 40 68 Mr BOUTEILLE - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 13 07 • Opening dates and times: 01/05 to 31/10 daily except Tuesdays. M. BOUCHY - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 40 68 • Description: The museum contains collections of arms, equipment and objects that were part of the everyday life of French and German soldiers. A large number of documents (maps, posters, watercolours) describe the Great War in this area. Allow 1 hr. for the visit. • Prices: A = €3.05, C = €1.53.

Office de Tourisme - Rue du Palais de Justice BP 69 - 55300 Saint Mihiel Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 06 47 http://www.otsi-saintmihiel.fr e-mail: otsi.saint-mihiel@wanadoo.fr • Description: The Saint-Mihiel Salient, constructed in 1914, represented an advancement of German lines of more than 20km into French-held territory. It was the site of fierce fighting, and the setting is still there (French and German trenches). It was not until the victorious intervention of the Americans in September 1918 that this pocket of resistance was definitively wiped from the map.

FORT HISTORIQUE DE TROYON

On the D964 between Lacroix-sur-Meuse and Troyon Secrétariat : Association Ceux de Troyon 15 bis Rue de la Liberté 55300 SAINT-MIHIEL Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 87 48 e-mail: andre.stalens@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: 01/03 to 30/11 weekends and public holidays or with advance booking. Every Saturday afternoon from 2.00pm: - guided visit of the fort - visit with flaming torches (€6 per person + meal available if arranged in advance) - visit to the Eparges and Alain Fournier’s tomb (€6 per pers. booked in advance, min. 15 pers., max. 25 pers.). Every Sunday: - from April to October from 10.00am booked in advance, guided visit of the underground levels (€6 per pers., min. 5 pers., max. 15 pers.) - special visit (undeveloped part of fort - price €5 per pers. booked in advance, min.8 pers., max. 15 pers.). • Description: Guided visit with commentary of an unmodified fort, of the Séré de Rivières type (19thcentury military architect). This fort, dating from 1878, is made entirely from bricks, not concrete. It successfully resisted the German assault in September 1914,

• Description: Situated on an outlier in the Côtes de Meuse which can be seen from a great distance, this monument is made up of a circular colonnade in the centre of which is a copper viewpoint indicator showing a relief map of the location of the villages and the battles of the Saint Mihiel Salient. It was erected by the United States in 1932, in Euville stone, and bears the names of the American units which fought in 1918 in this sector. It is reached by a very wide staircase. The Butte de Montsec is an isolated hill (375 metres) which offers a magnificent, wide panorama over the Madine Lake and the Côtes de Meuse. There is free access to the site. 20

The Argonne e1

Reaching a total height of 60 metres, it is surmounted by a statue symbolising Liberty; this faces the front line of the American First Army on the morning of 26 September 1918, at the beginning of the offensive. Visitors can climb to the observation platform (opening times are displayed outside) from where they can enjoy a magnificent view over almost all of the territory conquered during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. This was the biggest battle in the history of America at that time.

KAISER-TUNNEL

Site of the Haute-Chevauchée Tourist Office - 6 Place de la République 55120 CLERMONT EN ARGONNE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 42 22 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 42 43 e-mail: tourisme.argonne@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - Guided tour of the Kaiser Tunnel: 1st Sunday of the month, public holidays, every Sunday in May, June and September, and every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday in July and August from 2.00pm to 6.00pm. - 29/06, 03/08, 07/09: guided tour of the historic Kaiser Tunnel trail and meal around a camp kitchen like the soldiers of days gone by. • Description: Hollowed out of the gaize rock, the Kaiser Tunnel is testimony to the underground facilities that were created in Argonne during World War I. Inside the tunnel, a telephone exchange, an electricity-generating station, and a first-aid station had been installed. The tunnel also made it possible to transport all essentials to the front lines. • Prices: - Tour of the site: A = €3.50, C = no charge for under 12’s. - Tour of the site + meal at the camp kitchen: A = €20 C = €15.

Association Les Amis de Vauquois 55270 VAUQUOIS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 73 15 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 46 49 http://perso.orange.fr/vauquois.guerre.14.18/ e-mail: amis.vauquois@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: 1st Sunday of the month, from 9.30am to noon for individual visitors. Also open on 1st and 8th May and on “Heritage Days” in September. • Description: Major site of mine warfare in Argonne. This is the best example of underground passages used as “living quarters”. The work done to enhance and maintain this site makes it one of the major places to visit in the d’epartement of the Meuse. The guided tours, which are of particularly high quality, give an excellent insight into the fighting that occurred here. Tour lasts 2 hrs. Guided tours available for groups all year, booked in advance. • Prices: A = €3, C = €3.

CIMETIERE MILITAIRE MEUSE ARGONNE

American Cemetery 55110 ROMAGNE SOUS MONTFAUCON Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 14 18 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 13 96 e-mail: meuse-argonne@abmc.gov • Description: With its 14,246 crosses, the Romagne Memorial is the largest American graveyard in Europe. The Sammies who fell during the battle to liberate the Meuse-Argonne area rest in peace here. Its layout and architecture make this an essential part of any tour aiming to show what Americans mean when they say, “We shall never forget”.

BUTTE DE VAUQUOIS

The rear German bases : Spincourt, Marguerre and Duzey c6/d5

VISITE DES BASES ARRIERES ALLEMANDES DANS LE CANTON DE SPINCOURT

CODECOM du Pays de Spincourt Place Louis Bertrand - BP 6 - 55230 SPINCOURT Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 95 44 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 99 30 e-mail: codecom.spincourt@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: April to October, free access to the site. • Description: Free visits (individual visitors) or guided tours (groups) of the rear German bases in Duzey and Loison. Advance booking required for groups. Guided tours for children with cassette and information pack for the leader of the school party. Duration of visit: 1hr. • Prices: A and C = no charge.

MONUMENT AMERICAIN DE MONTFAUCON

Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery 55110 Romagne-sous-Montfaucon Tél : 00 33 (0)3 29 85 14 18 Fax : 00 33 (0)3 29 85 13 96 e-mail: meuse-argonne@abmc.gov • Opening dates and times: The column is open throughout the year from Monday to Friday, and from 9.00am to 12.00pm and 1.00pm to 4.30pm It is closed at weekends and on public holidays. The site is nevertheless freely accessible at all times. • Description: This monument was erected by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), a US government agency that also takes care of its maintenance. 21

MEMORIES, HISTORY, HERITAGE There are many important memories of the Renaissance and the 17th century too. The Renaissance was the Golden Age of the Duchy of Bar, which was part of Lorraine from 1420 onwards, and made Bar-le-Duc famous. This is especially true of the architecture. How could you not be fascinated by a walk through the Old Town, discovering the magnificent residences of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries? Come face to face in the church of St. Stephen with the “Transi”, the masterpiece of the famous sculptor Ligier-Richier whose creative talent you can also admire in Saint-Mihiel, Etain, Hattonchâtel, Clermont-en-Argonne and Génicourt-sur-Meuse (a brochure Route Ligier Richier is available). The Duchy of Bar was wealthy, and it has left a rich heritage: here in the ancient capital, as also in Marville, a perfect example of the architecture of the Spanish Renaissance period, or at Saint-Mihiel, the “Florence of Lorraine”, rich in cultural treasures: palace, abbey and Benedictine library. At Commercy, the chateau of good King Stanislas, the last Duke of Lorraine, confirms the major influence of this period of autonomy which was blessed with creative builders. This influence on the architectural heritage of the Meuse is still obvious today. The "Renaissance et Grand Siècle" (Renaissance and 17th Century) symbol will allow you to find references to this period, which has strongly marked the Meuse, throughout this guide. More surprises await you in the form of chateaux, or unique religious buildings – basilicas and cathedrals, town and country churches (some fortified), exceoptional religious libraries, and other rich items of heritage. A bridge gives rise to poetic thoughts, or a fountain brings nostalgia. A little further on, a museum, of beer or ceramics, bears witness to the cornucopia of skills which have led this land, which has experienced the very worst of life, to make the best of life as well, through creativity.

Museums and cultural sites pages 23 to 27

Fascinating sites and churches pages 27 to 29

Chateaux pages 29 /30

Archaeological site page 31

Fascinating old washhouses, fountains and bridges page 32 Fortified churches page 33

Mediaeval sites page 34

Historical and genealogical research page 34

Museums and cultural sites to discover Follow the guide! Do not hesitate. Go inside.You will be delighted by an object, a collection, a painting or sculpture, an interesting book or the memory of a person. An atmosphere which will captivate you. Inside, you will find new and interesting things to learn.They are full of beauty, and sometimes even excitement too. These are the museums and art galleries of the Meuse, which offer you another form of escape. c2

MAISON DU MIEL ET DES ABEILLES DU VAL DUNOIS

take a walk in the Village des Vieux Métiers (approx. 10 craftsmen) – windmill carpenter, lace-maker, jammakers, and much more. Tasting of sugar tart. Food available on the premises. • Prices: - “Les Dimanches de Mai en Meuse” : A = €12, C = free up to 15 years old, Disabled = €8 on presentation of card, Adult Group of more than 3 = €10 booked in advance, Business Groups = €10 booked in advance. - “Le village des Vieux Métiers” : €5 per person.

55110 AINCREVILLE Office de Tourisme du Val Dunois Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 82 27 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 82 80 http://www.dun-sur-meuse.com e-mail: tourisme@dun-sur-meuse.com • Opening dates and times: between 15/07 and 15/09, Saturdays and Sundays from 2.00pm to 7.00pm. • Description: Museum of beekeeping (historical and modern equipment). Exhibition of photographs with commentary on the life of bees. Lecture theatre with films or slideshows on beekeeping. Laboratory with demonstration of extraction of honey, visible through a glass screen. Interior of an apiary, visible through a glass screen, with a demonstration of the opening of a hive by a beekeeper. Workshop on the working of beeswax, with candle-making by visitors themselves. Tasting and shop. • Prices: A = €1, guided tour: €5

MUSEE BARROIS

j3 Esplanade du Château

Rue François de Guise 55000 BAR LE DUC Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 76 14 67 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 77 16 38 55000 BAR LE DUC e-mail: musee@barleduc.fr • Opening dates and times: throughout the year Wednesdays to Sundays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm. • Description: Located within the Renaissance district of Bar-le-Duc, a town of architectural, artistic and historic interest, in the “new” castle built from 1567 onwards for Duke Charles III, the delightful Musée barrois backs onto the buildings of the former Exchequer (1523) and the map room built at the end of the 15th century by René II of Anjou. In front of the castle, a vast esplanade laid out in 1794 after the demolition of the Collegiate Church of St. Maxe provides some breathtaking views of the lower town, the Gilles de Trêves College and the remains of the castle’s fortifications (large Romanesque gate). The archaeology section in the museum, which has been totally redesigned, contains collections of artefacts that come mainly from Naix-aux-Forges (the ancient Gallic town of Nasium, one of the major Leuci settlements) and from Bar-le-Duc. The Fine Arts section is laid out in chronological order, from the 15th century to 1920. The map room provides a Gothic setting for the extensive collection of sculptures from Lorraine, dating from the 14th to the 17th centuries. In other rooms, the sculpture collection includes a series of 19th-century bronzes, a Rodin and a sculpture by Ipoustéguy. The recently-opened drawings collection includes works by Boucher and one of only three drawings by Camille Claudel on view in museums worldwide. Duration of visit: 1€ hours (no guide) and 2 hours (with guide, booked in advance). • Prices: A = €2, C = €1.

ECOMUSEE LES VIEUX METIERS IN AZANNES d5

GEVO - Les Vieux Métiers Domaine des Roises 55150 AZANNES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 60 62 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 62 23 http://www.vieuxmetiers.com e-mail: vieuxmetiers@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - Ascension Day and Sundays during May: “Les Dimanches de mai en Meuse” (May Sundays in Meuse) - some Friday afternoons in July and August: village of historical jobs open. • Description: The setting for the “Les Dimanches de mai en Meuse” is Azannes, 20 km north of Verdun, at the foot of the Côtes de Meuse, on an isolated old farm covering an area of 17 hectares between plain and lakes. The event recreates 80 trades and crafts from the 19th century, with 400 volunteers dressed in period costume. Tour the streets of the museumvillage at your own pace and see the shepherd’s house, oil mill, flour mill, chapel etc. Craftsmen on site are eager to pass on their know-how. Meet a lace maker, wheelwrights, bakers etc. The “Village des vieux metiers” (Village of historical jobs): from 23

MUSEE DE LA CERAMIQUE ET DE L’IVOIRE

7 Avenue Carcano - 55200 COMMERCY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 92 04 77 • Opening dates and times: - 01/05 to 30/06 and 01/09 to 30/09, weekends and public holidays, from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - 01/07 to 31/08 daily except Tuesdays, from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - Open for groups all year (except on Tuesdays) with advance booking at the Tourist Office (Tel.: 00 33 (0) 329 91 33 16)` • Description: Opened in 1997, the museum is housed in the former municipal baths, an Art Deco building which was largely inspired by the Royal Pavilion erected in the grounds of the Château de Commercy between 1747 and 1754 by architect, Emmanuel Heré. The museum has one of the largest public collections of 17th to 20th-century European and Asian ivory in France, as well as a fine collection of faience and porcelain representative of the major European and Chinese centres of production from the 17th to 20th centuries. In addition to the various collections, there are glass cases full of exhibits relating to the history and use of ivory and ceramics. Temporary exhibitions. Duration of visit: 1 hour. • Prices: A = €3.

MUSEE LORRAIN DU CHEVAL

MAISON DES ARTS ET TRADITIONS RURALES

La Tour Ronde 55130 GONDRECOURT LE CHATEAU Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 63 38 – 00 33 (0)3 29 89 68 49 • Opening dates and times: - from 01/07 to 31/08 between 2.00pm and 6.00pm except Tuesday - Sundays in June and September between 2.00pm and 6.00pm Open all year round for groups booked in advance. • Description: The collections illustrate the different ways in which the power of the horse has been used throughout history, as well as the craft and military activities linked to its use (reconstructed workshops). • Prices: A = €2.50, C (over 12) = €1.

Association Ecomusée 87 Rue Chaude 55210 HANNONVILLE SOUS LES COTES Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 32 94 http://www.ecomuseehannonville.com e-mail: ecomusee.hannonville@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - summer: daily from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm, weekends and public holidays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - other seasons: with advance booking only - Sunday events, 1st Sunday of each month from May to October inclusive. • Description: This museum is located in a village at the foot of the Côtes de Meuse. See a typical 1850 winegrower’s house (furniture, everyday objects, farm implements etc.), various exhibitions of trades in days gone by (vines, flax), and learn about the cooper’s craft. The house also has an ecological garden with a thousand and one different flavours. Exhibitions about old trades and crafts, temporary exhibitions. Shop selling local produce and craft objects. Reading area, video and creativity workshops for children (with advance booking). New area in June 2008, oil manufacture: discover the various processes for transforming oil-bearing plants. Special events for school parties, holiday clubs and general public. Visit lasts 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs. Programmes sent on request. • Prices: A = €4, C = €2.

CENTRE CULTUREL IPOUSTEGUY

Office du Tourisme du Val Dunois 3 bis Avenue de la Gare 55110 DOULCON Tél.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 82 27 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 82 80 http://www.dun-sur-meuse.com e-mail: info@dun-sur-meuse.com • Opening dates and times: - May, June and September, every day (except Tuesday, Saturday morning and Sunday morning) from 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 6.30pm - in July and August, every day (except Tuesday) from 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 6.30pm - in February, March, April and October, every day (except weekends) from 2.00pm to 6.00pm • Description: Non-guided visits of the gallery with bronzes, marbles, watercolours and charcoal drawings by Jean-Robert Ipoustéguy, a contemporary artist of world renown. Guided visits available for individuals or groups with advance booking. Duration: 45 mins. • Price for non-guided visits : A = €3.50, C = no charge for under 12's. • Price for guided visits: A = €4.50.

MUSEE LOUISE COTTIN

55210 HATTONCHATEL Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 30 73 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 01 06 • Opening dates and times: July and August: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10.00am to noon and 2.00pm to 6.00pm. • Description: Collection of paintings by Louise Cottin (Grand Prix de Rome) and temporary art and photography exhibitions. • Prices: A = €2, C = €1.50. 24

CHAPELLE DU BOIS D’EPENSE AUX ISLETTES: FAÏENCES D’ARGONNE

• Musée Jules Bastien Lepage : Museum renovated in 2007. The refurbishment has enabled the premises to be brought up to standard, as well as facilitating a new display. This has made it possible to take works (mainly drawings) – bought over the last ten years and never exhibited – out of the reserve collections. In addition, the collection has been completed by the arrival of deposits from the Lorraine Museum in Nancy, and the Rodin Museum in Paris. The museum consists of three separate areas: a general introduction to the life and works of the artist, an iconographic exhibition room for exhibiting drawings and fragile objects, and an art gallery. A presentation of the artist’s works on an interactive screen helps to reveal the diversity of his major canvases, the majority of which are kept abroad. • Citadelle de Montmédy : route marked, with soundtrack. Duration of visit: 2hrs. • Prices: A = €4, C = €2. Including entry to the two museums and tour of the ramparts.

La Vignette - 55120 LES ISLETTES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 26 60 86 42 • Opening dates and times: Open 24/06 to 24/09, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 2.00pm to 7.00pm • Description: Exhibition of faience from Argonne, Eastern France, other regions of France and foreign countries (Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain etc.). • Prices: A = €3.

MUSEE DE LA BELLE EPOQUE

Mr Bernard LANEQUE 5 Rue du Fort - 55200 JOUY SOUS LES COTES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 92 08 09 • Opening dates and times: Saturdays and Sundays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm With advance booking on weekdays. • Description: Eco museum including the interior of a Lorraine house, stables, grocer’s shop, a 1900’s café, a classroom, and a bread oven, blacksmith’s corner, doll section. • Prices: no charge.

MUSEE DES CRÈCHES

MUSEE DE LA FAÏENCE

MUSEE D'ART SACRE

Association Bethléem - 55230 MUZERAY Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 93 75 http://www.crechesmuzeray.fr.st e-mail: paalexandre@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - 01/05 to 31/12, Saturdays and Sundays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - In December 2008, open Wednesdays to Sundays from 2.00pm to 8.00pm. Visit available outside these times if booked in advance. • Description: A museum containing more than 350 Christmas cribs from all over the world, to highlight Muzeray’s reputation as the village of cribs. The display appeals to various areas of interest, in particular cribs from 5 continents and 50 different countries set out in a magical fairytale décor. Popular images from all four corners of the world. • Prices: A = €4, C = €2 (no charge for under 12’s).

MAISON DU PATRIMOINE

Communauté de Communes de la Haute Saulx 10 Rue de Verdun - 55290 MONTIERS SUR SAULX Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 97 40 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 93 93 e-mail: haute-saulx@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: 06/07 to 31/08 and 14/09 from 3.00pm to 6.00pmand with advance booking from April to October. • Description: A presentation of the old Cistercian abbey and lodgings. Visit to the Chapel of Notre Dame d’Ecurey and the old school. Permanent exhibition. Duration of visit: 45 mins. • Prices: A = €3.50, C = €2.50 (children over 14), no charge for under-14’s.

Château de RARECOURT - 55120 RARECOURT Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 83 56 95 40 • Opening dates and times: 25/06 to 31/08, from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.30pm • Description: A 17th-18th century fortified house containing more than 800 pieces of faience and Argonne pottery: Islettes, Waly, Lavoye, Salvange, Rarécourt, Froidos. Also archaeological collections, parchments and coins. Autographs from the French Revolution including the calendar and autographs of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI.Postcards of Argonne. Duration of visit 1 hr. 15 mins. • Prices:A = €4 - C = €2.50 (no charge for under 12’s).

CITADELLE DE MONTMEDY

55600 MONTMEDY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 15 90 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 06 35 http://www.montmedy.fr e-mail: montmedy@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - in February, every day from 10.30am to 4.30pm - in March, every day from 11.00am to 5.00pm - in April, May and June, every day from 10.00am to 6.00pm - in July and August, every day from 10.00am to 7.00pm - in September, every day from 10.30am to 6.00pm - in October, every day from 10.30am to 5.00pm - in November, every day from 10.30am to 4.30pm Open for groups all year with advance booking • Musée de la fortification : Opened in 1988, the Musée de la fortification (Fortifications Museum) is designed to demonstrate the richness, diversity and interest of the heritage of the Meuse in the field of military architecture, from its origins to the end of the 18th century: models of defences, old weapons, aerial views of fortified sites in the Meuse, and much more. 25

Office de Tourisme de Saint-Mihiel Rue du Palais de Justice - BP 69 55300 SAINT MIHIEL Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 06 47 http://www.otsi-saintmihiel.fr e-mail: otsi.saint-mihiel@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - 01/04 to 31/05 and October, weekends and public holidays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - 01/06 to 30/09 daily from 2.00pm to 6.00pm (closed Tuesdays).

• Description: Set out in the South Wing of the former bishop’s palace, which also houses the 18th-century Benedictine library, this museum aims to highlight religious art from Meuse through items on loan from various towns and the département, for example, gold and silver plates, sculptures, objects of popular devotion (Christmas crib, dressed wax figures, reliquaries). • Prices: A = €2.50, C = €1 Museum + Benedictine library: A = €4.50

production and sales, and the reconstruction of several workshops: a hops chamber, machine rooms and brewing rooms, fermentation cellar, etc. Recent additions: a brewing room from the beginning of the 20th century, laboratory, interactive terminals and new displays. New for 2008 – two new areas to visit: “Brewery advertising art over 250 sq m” and “Drinking establishments throughout history”. Also a new museum tavern on two levels. New gardens at the museum: free access during museum opening hours to the gardens of aromatic plants linked with the making of beer. Also a hopfield, the only one in Lorraine. Guided visits available for groups and schools, only when booked in advance. Leaflets available in German, Dutch and English. Duration of visit: 1hr. Meals available (from €19 to €35/pers., drinks not included), brewing demonstration, tasting of 3 beers. • Prices: A = €5, C = €2,50.

BIBLIOTHEQUE BENEDICTINE

Office de Tourisme de Saint Mihiel Rue du Palais de Justice - BP 69 - 55300 SAINT MIHIEL Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 06 47 http://www.otsi-saintmihiel.fr e-mail: otsi.saint-mihiel@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - 01/04 to 31/05 and 01/09 to 31/10, weekends and public holidays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - 01/06 to 30/09 daily from 2.00pm to 6.00pm (closed Tuesdays). • Description: Completed around 1775, the Benedictine library contains almost 9,000 works including 74 manuscripts, 86 early printed books and rare editions, all of them carefully preserved. The oldest dates from the 10th century. Learn more about the outstanding collection in the ornate antechamber, through various themed exhibitions. A video describes the contents and history of the library. • Prices: A = €2.50, E = €1 Museum + Benedictine library : A = €4.50

MUSEE D’ARGONNE

MUSEE JEANNE D’ARC

Rue Louis XVI - 55270 VARENNES EN ARGONNE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 71 14 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 71 43 • Opening dates and times: - 12/04 to 29/06 and 01/09 to 30/09, weekends and public holidays 3.00pm to 6.00pm - 30/06 to 31/08, daily 2.30pm to 6.00pm, weekends 10.30am to noon. • Description: Installed in a modern building opened in 1973, the museum contains three sections covering local history: the arrest of the Royal Family, popular arts and traditions, and an evocation of the 1914-1918 war and the Argonne combatants (mine warfare). The “Marie Antoinette” room: 9 paintings picturing the Queen at different times of her life. Duration of visit: 1hr. Open all year on request for groups of 30 min. • Prices: A = €4.20, C = €2 (aged 6 - 16).

MUSEE RAYMOND POINCARE Clos Raymond Poincaré - 55300 SAMPIGNY

Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 70 50 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 75 14 e-mail: cdmm@cg55.fr • Opening dates and times: Daily except Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 2.00pm to 5.30pm, 5.00pm on Sundays. • Description: The Département museum is located at the ground floor of the former summer residence of Raymond Poincaré which was built between 1906 and 1913 in the neo-Louis XIII style by Bourgon, an architect from Nancy. Born in 1860 in Bar-le-Duc, Raymond Poincaré was 6 times minister, and President of France during the 3rd Republic from 1913 to 1920.The museum traces the amazing ascension of this politician, jurist and man of letters who had such a profound effect on the history of the French Third Republic. • Prices: A = €1.80, C = €0.90 (no charge for under 10’s).

Place de l'Hôtel de Ville 55140 VAUCOULEURS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 51 63 Office de Tourisme 15 rue Jeanne d’Arc Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 51 82 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 27 43 http://www.otsi-vaucouleurs.com e-mail: o.t.s.icanton-vaucouleurs@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: May to September, Mondays to Fridays from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00 pm; weekends and public holidays, open for advance bookings. Closed on 1st and 8th May. July and August, also open Saturdays at the same times as well as Sundays and public holidays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm. • Description: Redesigned in 1997, this museum is filled with pictures, sculptures etc. of Joan of Arc, the virgin warrior and martyr whose tragic destiny has continued to inspire writers, artists and historians for more than two centuries. A tour of the museum is the first stage in a heritage tour of the town which includes all the places linked to Joan of Arc’s epic tale (Porte de France [Gate], crypt in the castle chapel). Museum devoted to Joan of Arc and her epic story, through imagery from the 17th-20th centuries. 2 possible visits: guided visit to the museum and the town (min, 5 pers.), unrestricted access to the museum. For school parties, museum tour and a special look at mediaeval weaponry. • Prices: A = €5 (guided tour) ou €3 (individual visit), C = €2.

MUSEE EUROPEEN DE LA BIERE

Rue de la Citadelle - 55700 STENAY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 68 78 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 31 11 http://www.musee-de-la-biere.com e-mail: Biere.stenay@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: 01/04 to 31/10, from 10.00am to 6.00pm Closed Tuesdays, except 01/07 to 30/09. • Description: Since 1986, this museum has been located in an old provisions warehouse in the Stenay Citadel (1610) which has been transformed into a 19th-century malthouse. It traces the history of the methods of beer-making from the beginning, through a presentation of the equipment used in 26

MUSEE DE LA PRINCERIE

the old churches, convents and monasteries no longer to be seen in Verdun, Argonne delftware and ceramics from other French and Dutch centres, works by 19th-century artists from the Meuse and works by Jules Bastien-Lepage and Hector Leroux, an artist from Verdun who won the second Prix de Rome. The exhibits in one room relate to the history of town of Verdun. There is also Lorraine furniture and a room of weaponry dating from the 16th to 20th centuries. Educational visits for school parties organised jointly with the France's National Education Department (2 types of activity during the tour; groups are divided in two, undertaking part of the tour with a delegate from the National Education Department and the remainder in the form of a conventional guided tour). Visit lasts 1 hr. • Prices: A = €2, C = no charge for under 18’s.

Musée de la Princerie 16 Rue de la Belle Vierge 55100 VERDUN Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 10 62 • Opening dates and times: 01/04 to 31/10 daily except Tuesdays, from 9.30am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm • Description: Since 1932, the museum has been housed in the Hôtel de la Princerie, an elegant Renaissance mansion which still has a 16th-century galleried cloister and a small Gothic chapel. The wideranging collections include prehistoric, protohistoric, Gallo-Roman and Merovingian collections of archaeological exhibits, 12th to 19th-century sculptures from

Fascinating sites and churches Romanesque and Flamboyant gothic art At Benoîte Vaux, pilgrimages have been taking place since the year 1000, and at Avioth, since the 12th century.The first of these sites is still venerated, but the second produced one of the jewels of the sacred art of the Meuse: the Gothic basilica of Avioth and its “Recevresse” (small building where offerings were placed). Romanesque art is not to be outdone, as is shown by the Cathedral of Verdun, or the magical Church of Mont-devant-Sassey.There are other places of contemplation and silence, and treasures too, such as the Benedictine Library of Saint-Mihiel. Open the pages of the sacred art of the Meuse! a4

BASILIQUE D’AVIOTH

EGLISE SAINT-ETIENNE IN BAR LE DUC

Office de Tourisme - 7 Rue Jeanne d'Arc 55000 BAR LE DUC Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 11 13 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 21 95 e-mail: barleduc.tourisme@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - from 01/04 to 15/05 and from 15/09 to 31/10, Friday to Sunday from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - from 15/05 to 15/09, every day 10.30am to 6.30pm. • Description: An elegant building in the Flamboyant Gothic style, with Renaissance features. A veritable museum-church, which houses two major works by the 16th-century Lorraine sculptor Ligier Richier: the "Calvaire" (Calvary) and the famous "Squelette" (Skeleton) or "Transi" (Transfixed). Guided visits for groups on request. Guided visits available in German and English.

Mairie - 12 Rue de l'Abbé Delhotel 55600 AVIOTH Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 90 96 http://www.avioth.fr e-mail: ndavioth@hotmail.fr • Opening dates and times: Free entry all year, from 9.00am to 7.00pm, guided tour with advance booking all year. • Description: The pilgrimage for the feast of NotreDame du Mont-Carmel takes place on 16th July. Avioth has been a place of pilgrimage since the early 12th century and this led to the building of the vast Church of Our Lady of Avioth. It is a masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic architecture, built in the second half of the 13th century. Described as “lacework in stone”, the church is famous for its "Recevresse", a small building in front of the church in which donations were placed. It is the only one of its kind in France. The "cathedral of the fields" has been a listed building since 1840 and appointed a basilica church since 1993. Guided tour (interior and exterior): 50 mins. • Prices (guided tour): A = €3.20, C = €1.60.

CHAPELLE SAINTROUIN IN BEAULIEU EN ARGONNE g2

• Opening dates and times: Open all year. • Description: Modern chapel, an irregular cubic concrete block resting on piles, bringing nature and contemporary architecture together. Built by Père Rayssiguier, a disciple of Le Corbusier and collaborator with Matisse on the chapel at Vence. The windows were designed by a young Japanese artist, Kimié Bando. 27

SITE DE BENOÎTE-VAUX

Benoîte Vaux Accueil - 55220 BENOITE-VAUX Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 52 35 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 59 00 e-mail: bv.accueil@wanadoo.fr • Description: Benoîte Vaux has been an important centre for pilgrimage in Lorraine for a long time. The site of a former priory built in the 12th century, the church, which was built in the 18th century, is richly decorated and has beautiful stalls. Worth seeing are the 14 Stations of the Cross, each hewn out of a block of stone.

Office de Tourisme du Val Dunois 3 bis Avenue de la Gare - 55110 DOULCON Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 82 27 - Fax: 03 29 80 82 80 http://www.dun-sur-meuse.com e-mail: tourisme@dun-sur-meuse.com • Opening dates and times: - All the year round, booked in advance at the Tourist Office - in July and August, daily, except on Tuesday, 3.00pm to 7.00pm • Description: Gothic, 14th-century church (listed as an historical monument in 1920) built at the heart of the ancient citadel of Dun-Haut, which holds two monumental sculptures by Ipoustéguy "Mort de l’Evêque Neumann" (Death of Bishop Neumann) and "Christ". Guided visits available for individuals or groups booked in advance. Duration: 45 mins minimum. • Prices (guided tour): A = €3, C = no charge for under 12’s.

EGLISE SAINT-FLORENTIN IN BONNET

Mairie - 55130 BONNET Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 62 58 Mr REMMELE - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 72 26 • Opening dates and times: open all year, from 9.00am to 6.00pm. • Description: A building dating from the 13th and 14th centuries which has undergone numerous transformations, equipped with an exceptional system of defence: a cemetery wall forming an enclosure, interesting upper section of the entrance door. In the interior, look out for the tomb of Saint Florentin and 24 mural paintings representing his life.

EGLISE SAINT-MARTIN D’ETAIN

Office de Tourisme BP 10 - 31 rue Raymond Poincaré - 55400 ETAIN Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 20 80 http://www.tourisme-etain.fr e-mail: otsi.etain@gmail.com • Opening dates and times: - in Winter, from 1.30pm to 5.30pm - in Summer: 9.00am to noon and 1.30pm to 5.30pm • Description: A splendid building, the Church of St Martin contains an exceptionally beautiful Flamboyant Gothic choir and a major work by the Renaissance sculptor Ligier Richier: “The Pietà”.

ABBAYE DE RANGEVAL

N° 5, on the departemental road D908 55200 CORNIEVILLE-GEVILLE Tel.: 06 70 18 14 89 e-mail: abbaye-de-rangeval@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Guided visits at 3.00pm and 4.30pm: - in April, on Sundays - in May and June, on Sundays and public holidays - in July and August, on Wednesdays, Sundays and public holidays at 3.00pm - in September, on Sundays and weekends of Heritage days - in October, on Sundays. For groups, guided visits on request all year. Bookings on 00 33 (0)6 61 41 02 56. • Description: Premonstratesian abbey, situated in a valley at the foot of the Côtes de Meuse, between Commercy and Toul, 45km west of Nancy. The buildings date from the beginning of the 18th century. The abbey is listed as an Historical Monument. The visit includes the monumental north façade, the stairway of honour with its viewpoint over the Montsec hill, the summer refectory, and the first-floor gallery, as well as a bedroom, the cloister and the garden. Duration of the visit: 1hr. • Price for individuals: A = €3.

EGLISE NOTRE-DAME DE BONNE GARDE IN DUN SUR MEUSE

EGLISE NOTRE-DAME DE LACHALADE

Mr Gilbert DESTREZ 24 Rue Bancelin - 55120 LES ISLETTES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 28 24 • Opening dates and times: - 01/05 to 01/11: 9.30am to noon and 2.00pm to 6.00pm - 02/11 to 30/04: 9.30am to noon and 2.00pm to 5.00pm • Description: Old Cistercian abbey, founded at the beginning of the 12th century. Magnificent rose window from the Abbaye Saint-Vannes at Verdun.

EGLISE NOTRE-DAME IN MONT DEVANT SASSEY

Office de Tourisme du Val Dunois 3 bis Avenue de la Gare - 55110 DOULCON Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 82 27 - Fax: 00 33 (0)33 29 80 82 80 http://www.dun-sur-meuse.com e-mail: tourisme@dun-sur-meuse.com • Opening dates and times: all the year round on request at the Tourist Office. • Description: Romanesque church built from the 11th century (listed as a historical monument in 1869), notable porch and door decorated with statues (13th century) and crypt (12th century). Guided visits available for individuals or groups booked in advance. Duration: 45 mins minimum.

EGLISE DE DAMVILLERS

Of Romanesque origin, the Church of Damvillers, whose architecture dates from the 12th and 16th centuries, is built in Flamboyant Gothic style. Its interior elevation is beautifully constructed.

EGLISE SAINT-LOUVENT IN REMBERCOURT

Office de Tourisme du Canton de Vaucouleurs Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 51 82 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 27 43 http://www.otsi-vaucouleurs.com e-mail: o.t.s.icanton-vaucouleurs@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: In July and August from 2.30pm to 5.30pm • Description: It was from this historical site, overlooking the town, that Joan of Arc left to fulfil her mission, passing through the Porte de France on the 23rd February 1429. In its crypt, the statue of Our Lady of the Vaults, in front of which Joan would meditate.

Mr Roger POUPART Mairie - 55250 REMBERCOURT SOMMAISNE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 67 01 • Opening dates and times: All year on request. • Description: Majestic monument one of the most beautiful Flamboyant Gothic churches in the south of the département. Its doorway is characteristic of Barrois architecture from the beginning of the Renaissance.

EGLISE SAINT-ETIENNE IN SAINT-MIHIEL

Office de Tourisme - Rue du Palais de Justice BP 69 - 55300 SAINT-MIHIEL Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 06 47 http://www.otsi-saintmihiel.fr e-mail: otsi.saint-mihiel@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: every day from 9.00am to 6.00pm • Description: This church, with its intensely-coloured windows, houses one of Ligier Richier’s major works, “le Sépulcre” (the Tomb). This portrayal of a burial has recently been restored, and is rightly recognised as one of the peaks of the 16th century sculpture from Lorraine. This group of 13 figures, larger than life, in fine-grained Meuse limestone, was the last piece produced by the artist.

CATHEDRALE NOTRE-DAME DE VERDUN

http://www.cathedrale-verdun.com.fr • Opening dates and times: - in January and December from 8am to 6.00pm - in February, March, October and November from 8.00am to 6.30pm - between 01/04 and 30/09 from 8.00am to 7.00pm • Description: Magnificent composite building (from 10th to 18th centuries) where the Romanesque and Gothic styles mingle. Twelfth-century crypt, 14th to 16th-century cloister, canopy and organ from 18th century.

Chateaus

EGLISE SAINT-MICHEL IN SAINT-MIHIEL

Office de Tourisme -Rue du Palais de Justice BP 69 - 55300 SAINT-MIHIEL Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 06 47 e-mail: otsi.saint-mihiel@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: every day from 9.00am to 6.00pm. • Description: The abbey church of Saint Michael houses the Ligier Richier sculpture “la Pâmoison de la Vierge” (The Swooning of the Virgin). Not to be missed: the 80 choir stalls and the magnificent 17thcentury organ case.

CHAPELLE CASTRALE IN VAUCOULEURS

See also parks and gardens of the chateaus page 47.

CHÂTEAU STANISLAS IN COMMERCY

Office de Tourisme - Château Stanislas 55200 COMMERCY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 33 16 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 75 75 http://www.commercy.org e-mail: ot.commercy@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Guided visit between 01/07 and 31/08, meet at Tourist Office at 3.00pm. • Description: All that remains of the Castle of the Damoiseaux de Commercy are parts of the outside wall, reused at the end of the 17th century as the base for a princely dwelling. Works were initiated by the Cardinal de Retz, the last Damoiseau (squire), exiled to his lands at Commercy by Louis XIV. It was here that he wrote the “Mémoires” which made him famous. The Prince de Vaudémont was the real creator of the Chateau de Commercy. A friend of the Duc d’Orléans, he used his architects, Germain Boffrand and Nicolas Dorbay, who gave the building its present form and designed its extension into the town, the “Fer à Cheval” square and the Avenue Stanislas. The King of Poland added the two lower wings, designed by Emmanuel Heré. • Prices: A = €3, C = no charge for under 12’s.

ABBAYE DE JOVILLIERS IN STAINVILLE

Jovilliers Echanges et Culture - 55500 STAINVILLE Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 78 65 81 http://www.membres.lycos.fr/jovilliers e-mail: abbayedejovilliers@orange.fr • Opening dates and times: - in July and August, guided visit one day a week (contact the abbey to find out which day and the time). - all the year round on request for groups of a minimum of 10 people. Duration: 1 1/2hrs. • Description:Twelfth-century abbey of the Norbertine Order, rebuilt in the 18th century. It is situated in Stainville. Outbuildings, the covered well, splendid vaulted cellars, and part of the abbey premises with beautiful halls still remain. The church has retained its façade, made up of two massive, square towers. • Prices: A = €3, C = no charge. Free entrance on National Heritage Day. 29

• Description: Renaissance chateau, built in the 17th century for Simon II de Pouilly, military governor of Stenay, on behalf of the Duchy of Lorraine. Its particular architectural interest lies in its doorways and porches with their imaginative sculptures, and in its impressive dovecote. • Prices: A = €3.50.

CHÂTEAU DE LA VARENNE IN HAIRONVILLE

Mrs Marie-Caroline DUBURCH - 55000 HAIRONVILLE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 21 45 – 00 33 (0)6 07 60 02 20 • Opening dates and times: In July and August: guided tour of heritage areas of the interior, open on certain days only. • Description: An elegant stately home built over an old fortified house in 1506 for Pierre Merlin, the Duke of Bar’s auditor. The architecture is austere, with no decorative carvings. The most striking features are the harmonious proportions and pure lines. At the four corners of the main part of the building are slate pepperpot roofs above slender lookout towers. The hipped roof with fishscale tiling is as tall as the façade. Two wings built in 1574 flank the main courtyard which is closed off by an 18th-century baluster decorated with stone vases of flowers. Next to the house is the pigeon loft, a royal privilege, proudly displaying the 3000 pigeon-holes that are a mark of the owner’s wealth. Inside the house, in the hallway, is a breathtaking and rare Renaissance ceiling with carved stone caissons next to a monumental flight of steps with an 18th-century wrought ironwork banister. The grounds, which have been included in the list of Outstanding Parks and Gardens, lie within a meander of the River Saulx and contain magnificent trees and a formal French-style garden. • Prices: - park :A = €3 - guided tour of heritage areas of the interior + audiovisual + park : A = €4 No charge for under 16’s.

Connaissance de la Meuse - 55260 THILLOMBOIS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 07 07 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 08 75 http://www.connaissancedelameuse.com e-mail: connaissancedelameuse@wanadoo.fr e-mail: chateau.thillombois@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Visits to the 43-hectare park available at any time from April to October, unless there is an event. • Description: Very beautiful, majestic architectural grouping, English-style park. Chateau restored and enlarged in 1825 and 1873, vestiges of a square tower and a main central building, some parts from the 16th and 17th centuries, terrace with balustrades. Cultural events and presentations throughout the year.Guided visits to the chateau to be booked in advance.

CHÂTEAU GILLES DE TREVES, IN VILLE SUR SAULX

11 Route de Lisle - 55000 VILLE SUR SAULX Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 20 51 e-mail: misler55@aol.com Mr and Mrs MISLER • Opening dates and times: 01/04 to 31/07 and 01/09 to 10/10, open weekends and public holidays, from 1pm to 7.00pm, guided tour 4.00pm Also all year with advance booking. • Description: A typical Renaissance chateau in the Saulx Valley, built circa 1550 by Gilles de Trêves. The park has been listed as one of "France’s Outstanding Parks” (Ministry of Culture, June 2004). It contains more than 500 different varieties of trees and shrubs. The gardens boast the National Collection of mock orange shrubs (Philadelphus, or seringa) and a valuable collection of peonies. Special-interest tours: nature, parks and gardens, history, architecture and literature (Paul Claudel wrote "Break of Noon" here in 1905).Special events: in May “Floréal et senteur des Seringats”; in June “Rendez Vous au Jardin” and “Prélude au festival Renaissance de Bar le Duc”. 1st weekend in October: “Les Automnales”, Lorraine’s premier plant festival. For school groups: discovery classes on a range of subjects (nature, architecture, history). • Prices: A = €3 + €1 for guided tour, C = no charge.

CHÂTEAU D'HATTONCHATEL

55210 HATTONCHATEL Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 31 79 • Opening dates and times: All year on request. • Description: Former domaine of the Bishops of Verdun, built by Hatton in the 9th century. This site is one of the most significant, steeped most completely in the history of Lorraine. It suffered attacks in various wars, then was restored – first by an American, then by the present owners. Situated on a promontory which dominates the Woëvre plain, the overall impression is one of harmony and serene beauty. • Prices: A = €4.50, C = €2.50 (aged 7 to 11).

CHÂTEAU DE THILLOMBOIS

CHÂTEAU DE LOUPPY SUR LOISON

1 Rue Porte Haute - 55600 LOUPPY SUR LOISON Tel.: 00 33 (0)6 09 93 77 16 e-mail: antoine.de-roffignac@orange.fr • Opening dates and times: - in June and September, Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00am to 6.00pm - in July and August, every day except Monday, from 10.00am to 6.00pm

Archaeological site k4

LE SITE DE NASIUM

Association La Cité des Leuques Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 93 07 http ://www.nasium.net

Countryside walk in the area bordered by the rivers Ornain and Barboure, in one of the most important archaeological sites of northeastern Gaul. Three-quarters of it are still buried, with fossil traces over 200 hectares in three present-day communities: Naix-aux-Forges, Saint-Amand-sur-Ornain and Boviolles. It is precisely this fascinating mixture of local and regional history which the Association la Cité des Leuques offers each summer to the public, through weekly walking visits and teaching workshops (excavation sites, pottery, mosaics etc). Presentations on the theme of everyday life in the Roman period are also offered. The presence of the historical society whose members recreate the 22nd Roman Legion, unique in the region, provide an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of the Roman soldier through the presentation of costumes and equipment faithfully recreated from originals which are preserved in the museums. A visit to take you right back in time – not to be missed! Presentations for groups of adults or students during the week or at weekends on request. Guided walking visits from June to September, every Sunday at 3.00pm Programme: - visit of the Gallo-roman site at Nasium on 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month (duration 2 1/2 hrs) - visit of the Gallic site (oppidum at Boviolles), 2nd Sunday of each month (duration 1 1/2 hrs) - presentation and manoeuvres of the 22nd Roman legion, 4th Sunday of each month (duration 2hrs). Tarif : free.

Fascinating old washhouses, fountains and bridges This is another, equally cared-for aspect of tourism in the Meuse. On the roads which cross the department, there are many picturesque and interesting constructions. They have served the everyday life of the people, and still do today. They have their own place in the heritage of the Meuse. Washhouses, fountains and bridges: these historic places take you back in time through the local architecture. They recall a recent past; they are the product of local craftsmanship; they are worth taking time out to see.The washhouses, for example, blend stone, wood, and metal from the early Lorraine steelworks. The variety in the water supply, running water or rainwater, the ornamentation with oldfashioned language and the comfort facilities available to the washerwomen add to the attraction of the discovery. A little imagination brings it to life. The many fountains built across the department confirm this.You will find Neptune at Andernay, the Caryatids at Lacroix-surMeuse, an Egyptian god at Mauvages, a full-sized ox at Villottedevant-Louppy. The villages of the Meuse are rich with such unexpected and attractive discoveries. And donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the stone bridges of the valley of the Saulx (see "curiosities" section, page 62).

Fortified churches The Middle Ages were a time of insecurity. Being a frontier land, fortified churches were built in the Meuse, with bell-towers known as “hourds” which afforded protection in the event of attack for defenders and citizens alike. Some have held out magnificently against both attackers and time, exceptional examples of an architecture featuring battlements and arrow-loops, while not neglecting the holy character of the place. The St. Remy Church at SaintPierrevillers (12th–16th centuries) is a fine example. It houses a permanent exhibition devoted to the fortified churches of the Meuse.

EGLISE FORTIFIEE DE SAINT-PIERREVILLERS

• Description: Fortified church (12th – 16th centuries) turned into a museum of fortified churches in Meuse. Guided tour and film on a giant screen. For school groups, traditional guided tours or teaching days in the form of educational workshops. For groups, guided visits from 01/03 to 31/10 booked in advance only. • Prices: A = €3.80, C = €2.30.

55230 SAINT-PIERREVILLERS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 56 24 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 99 30 Mobil: 00 33 (0)6 86 65 78 59 e-mail: codecom.spincourt@wanadoo.fr http://www.ifrance.com/eglise-fortifiee • Opening dates and times: - Sunday 10.00am to 6.00pm - 01/03 to 31/10 with advance booking only.

Mediaeval sites j4

TOUR VALERAN A LIGNY EN BARROIS

Office de Tourisme - Espace Saint-Charles 55500 LIGNY EN BARROIS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 78 06 15 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 77 02 27 e-mail: office-tourisme@lignyenbarrois.fr • Opening dates and times: Guided visits from June to September every Wednesday and Saturday at 3pm, leaving from OTSI (Tourist Office), out of season on request. • Description: Part of the fortified walls which enclosed the Château des Comtes Linéens, the 22metre-high Valéran Tower remains the most important example of architecture from the mediaeval period. Begun in the 12th century and completed in the 15th century, this defensive grouping would serve as a prison for the area in the 18th and 19th centuries. • Prices: - guided visit Valéran Tower: A = €1.50 - guided visit Valéran Tower + ramparts: A = €2 C = free (under 10).

LE CHÂTEAU DE GOMBERVAUX

Association Gombervaux Monique CHAUMET Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 82 01 http://www.gombervaux.com e-mail: gombervaux@wanadoo.fr • Description: Three and a half kilometres north-west of Vaucouleurs, near the D964, the Château de Gombervaux is a rare example of skilfully-preserved mediaeval architecture. This 14th-century building, with the imposing majesty of its façade and its keep, and the ornamental beauty of its halls, is reflected in the waters of its moat. Guided visits available: contact us.

LA TOUR RONDE DE GONDRECOURT LE CHATEAU

Syndicat d'Initiative La Tour Ronde - Musée du Cheval 55130 GONDRECOURT LE CHATEAU Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 68 49 ou 00 33 (0)3 29 89 63 38 • Description: This is a vestige of the ancient fortified town. It houses the Horse Museum.

Historical and genealogical research j3

BAR LE DUC Archives Départementales de la Meuse 20 Rue Monseigneur Aimond BP 514 - 55012 BAR LE DUC CEDEX Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 01 89 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 00 29 • Opening dates and times: From Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 5pm Entry and consultation free of charge. • Description: The Départemental archives preserve the written history of the Département: 18 kilometres of documents, from the 10th century to the present day, are available to the public for all kinds of research into local history. Looking for your ancestors (genealogy), tracing the history of your house, finding out about your village’s past, and many other subjects, are some of the reasons to make use of the Archive resources. The archives library also offers the historical press of the Département and works of history and local history.

ACTIVE OUTINGS – LEISURE AND DISCOVERY

Welcome, whatever your energy level The Meuse is a wonderful place for enjoying the great outdoors.

You will find its call irresistible. Everything contributes to it. Firstly the rich natural environment, but also a wide offer of active leisure pursuits. Imagine: descending the Marne, the Ornain, the Saulx or the Meuse in a canoe, flying over the south of the Meuse, underwater adventure-diving in caverns of the karst scenery of the Barrois forests, or fishing for trout in a river or carp in a lake, or even a day’s shooting in the Verdun national forest! Enjoy the excitement and the fresh air. The wealth of quiet byroads makes the Meuse ideal for holidays on two wheels. Open up your motorbike in the wide open spaces, or enjoy the many circuits and discovery tails for cyclists and mountain-bikers or walkers. Cycle and walking trails are sometimes themed, for example the Vent des Forêts, the Mirabelle plum and Joan of Arc trails. Let the many signposted trails lead you to rich discoveries in history and local geography.

Or discover them on horseback, through the many riding centres to be found right across the area. Travel on horseback, in a horse-drawn caravan, hire a donkey or a pony and enjoy the open air. While on holiday in the Meuse, you can enjoy sailing and lots of other activities too, in the many leisure centres: at the Lac de Madine, and in the valley of the Othain, at Verdun, at Doulcon or at Bonzée. An aquatic leisure paradise for young and old alike. And then there are the canals which crisscross the department, where you can hire boats. With water-sports centres, swimming-pools and golf courses the département is well equipped to meet the demands of the most energetic.

Hikes, circuits and "discovery trails" "Discovery trails" Hiking trails and themed circuits horse riding, excursions on horseback or donkey, or in a horse-drawn caravan pages 37 to 40

Golf courses page 41

Water sports Lakes and leisure facilities Boat trips Canoeing Sailing pages 42 to 44

Bikes page 44

Motor sports Aerodromes, microlight clubs Go-karting, 4x4, Motorbiking pages 45/46

Activities to discover nature and the environment Parks and gardens Astronomy Environment Giant maize maze Angling Hunting Paintball Caving and potholing pages 47 to 50

ACTIVE OUTINGS – LEISURE AND DISCOVERY

Hikes and "discovery trails" “Discovery trails”... Happiness is close at hand ! Choose your way of travelling, on foot, by bike or by car, add to it a trail or a quiet country road, not forgetting the rich heritage and the fine local produce of the area, and you have the “Discovery Trails”. On the programme are relaxation, discovery of nature and heritage, and good local food and drink. Just what you need to make a holiday in the Meuse a truly unforgettable experience. Ask for the "Balades Découvertes" (discovery trails) leaflets on www.tourisme-meuse.com

Hiking trails and themed circuits LE VENT DES FORÊTS

wine producers’ cellars. You will also discover the forested massif of the upper reaches of the Meuse, and the chalky grassland of Génicourt sur Meuse, where you can enjoy an unrestricted view over the Woëvre plain. • Duration: 2 days - accommodation available in a hiking hostel or in a hotel.

Since 1997, six forest villages have been hosts to international artists during the summer. During these periods, 130 works of art have been created, along 45 kilometres of specially-marked trails which are easily accessible between March and September. The “Vent des Forêts” works will give you rich insights into the personal development of these artists and our rural, woodland surroundings. Pause as you pass by and enjoy some charming, surprising, pleasing moments, or maybe ask yourself some questions. Circuit with lecture available if booked in advance. • Contact: Association Le Vent des Forêts Mairie (Town Hall) 55260 FRESNES AU MONT Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 71 01 95 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 71 01 96 mailto : leventdesforets@mcom.fr http://www.leventdesforets.com

CIRCUIT JEANNE D’ARC Created in 1995, the Circuit Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc circuit), open to all types of hikers, offers 80 kilometres full of history. Here you will find the house where Joan was born, the chapel at Bermont where she came to meditate, Montigny-lès-Vaucouleurs where she bought her horse, Vouthon, her mother Isabelle Romée’s native village, and of course Vaucouleurs, “the town which armed Joan of Arc”. • Duration: 2 days - accommodation available in a hiking hostel or in a hotel.

LA GRANDE RANDONNEE (GR) CIRCUIT DE LA MIRABELLE

Each of the 800 kilometres of marked trails which are waiting for you, whether it is the GR 14, the GR 714, the GR 703 or the country’s GR routes (“grande randonnée” – main registered hiking routes), provides chances and opportunities to explore the countryside of the Meuse, its forests, its unobtrusive monuments, and so much more.

This circuit, for horse riders or mountain bikers, covers 77 km, and allows the visitor to explore the hills and upper reaches of the Meuse. On this trip there is a superb panorama over the mediaeval village of Hattonchâtel and the Meuse valley. You will pass through vineyards and orchards, and visit our 37

There are many chances to surprise a deer in the corner of a wood, to observe a kestrel searching for food, to see a fox looking for shelter, but you also have the certainty, when evening comes, of finding a welcoming table and a comfortable room.

You can still see his masterpieces today at SaintMihiel, Bar-le-Duc, Clermont-en-Argonne, Etain, Génicourt-sur-Meuse and Hattonchâtel. The Route Ligier Richier offers an opportunity to travel round the Meuse, exploring the most beautiful sculptures of Renaissance Lorraine. Ask for the "Ligier Richier leaflet, from the Meuse CDT (Départemental Tourism Committee).

LA ROUTE LIGIER RICHIER, a Renaissance sculptor (by car) At Saint-Mihiel, in the Meuse, one of the most famous sculptors of the 16th century, Ligier Richier, was born.

Horse riding, excursions on horseback or donkey, or in a horse-drawn caravan j2

CENTRE EQUESTRE LE RANCH

Rue des Nonnes 55170 BAUDONVILLIERS Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 71 32 38 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 21 81 e-mail: fabienne.dessaux@wanadoo.fr Contact: Fabienne Dessaux Diplomas: A.T.E. (2) (Equestrian Tourism Guide) and B.E.E.S. (2) (State Sports Teaching Diploma). • Opening dates and times: Wednesdays, weekends and school holidays. Closed 15/08 to 31/08. • Description: Instruction in horse and pony riding. Hacking. Pony rides on leading reins. Outings to competitions. Federation examinations. Courses, beginners’ tuition on ponies, accompanied rides. For outdoor clubs and schools. • Prices: A = €14, C = €9.

WOZNIAK ATTELAGE

1 Petite Rue - 55290 BIENCOURT SUR ORGE Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 89 44 http://www.wozniak-attelage.fr/ e-mail: wozniak.attelage@wanadoo.fr Contact: Jean-Marc WOZNIAK Diplomas: B.E.E.S. (1) (State Sports Teaching Diploma). • Opening dates and times: Open all year.. • Description:Private lessons with private horses or ponies. Lessons with the school’s horses or ponies. Carriage driving for pleasure and/or competition, in single harness or in pairs, for beginners or more experienced drivers. Preparation for, and taking of, federal exams. Coaching of trainee instructors. Courses: half day, whole day, or several days, individuals or groups. Livery: horses or ponies. Horse-drawn carriage rides, hire of ponies in hand for children. • Prices: - pony hire: €10 - riding course: from €55 to €275 - carriage ride: €15/pers./hour (4 min.).

CENTRE DE TOURISME EQUESTRE

12 Grande Rue - 55290 BIENCOURT SUR ORGE Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 94 26 e-mail: ctebiencourt@wanadoo.fr Contact: François Sépulchre Diplomas: A.T.E. (2) (Equestrian Tourism Guide) et B.E.E.S. (1) (State Sports Teaching Diploma). • Opening dates and times: Open all year, from 8.00am to 7.00pm. • Description: Riding lessons, preparation for crosscountry gallops or accompanied ride. Accompanied treks (one or more days), including accommodation and meals. Special-interest “Joan of Arc” ride. Carriage ride (“wild west wagon” type caravan). Special riding day for children: accompanied carriage ride, horseback acrobatics, caring for horses, leatherwork or tracking game. Max. numbers: 11 for riding lessons, 8 for trekking, 15 for carriage driving. • Prices: A = €14, C = €12. Treks: €65 - €519. Carriage rides: €208 - €846.

ASSOCIATION TRAIT MEUSE

9 Rue du Moulin aux Champs 55160 BONZEE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 30 75 ou 06 83 59 20 73 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 30 75 Contact: François BIOCALTI • Opening dates and times: Open all year. • Description: Hospitality for itinerant riders and carriages: overnight charge, variable depending on services. Accommodation and meals nearby. Contact us for private harness services (demonstration of horse-drawn timber hauling, a special project). • Prices: carriage ride = 80 €/2 hours, 120 €/half-day, 208 €/full day, 180 € for more than three days carriage (2 horses) = €230/full day.

FERME EQUESTRE

CPIE Woëvre - Côtes de Meuse 14 Rue Chaude - 55160 BONZEE Tél. (work hours) : 00 33 (0)3 29 87 36 65 Tél. (weekends and mealtimes) : 00 33 (0)3 29 87 35 34 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 31 04 Contact: Christel JACQUES e-mail: christeljacques@orange.fr Diploma: B.E.E.S. (1) (State Sports Teaching Diploma). • Opening dates and times: With advance booking only. Accommodation and meals on site. • Prices: - Trek, 4 riders min.: €15/hour, €28/2 hours (6 kms) €60/day (20 kms) - Treks over several days: please contact us - Novice pony ride: €5/child Groups welcome (school parties and other groups): €10/child/day, €5/child/half-day.

CENTRE DE TOURISME EQUESTRE CRISTAL FARM

37 bis rue l’Assot 55170 COUSANCES LES FORGES Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 83 96 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 85 81 Contact: Annaëlle BANCELIN Diploma: B.P.J.E.P.S. (1) (Level 1 Youth and Sports Instructor Certificate). • Opening dates and times: Open all year from 9.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm. • Description:- 1-hour rides with instructor. - Introductory activity with pony for children. - Riding lesson – TREC. - 2 indoor rings horses and ponies. - Riding excursions 1 to 5 days - 1 outdoor school 40x20m. • Prices: (hourly rate): A = €12 - C = €12. Children’s birthday parties organised: €5 per child.

A DOS D'ANE

28 Grande Rue - 55300 BRASSEITTE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 76 41 ou 00 33 (0)6 20 98 56 92 http://www.bourricot.com e-mail: adosdane@wanadoo.fr Contact: Sylvie BARRE • Opening dates and times: Open all year, except during school time. • Description: Donkeys for hire. Treks over one or more days. Donkey rides possible. Also rides in donkey carts and tour of donkey farm. For groups, outdoor clubs, for disabled visitors’ groups. Package €50/half-day. 20 person. max. Accommodation available at the donkey farm. • Prices: - donkey hire = €20/half-day, €30/day - donkey ride = €2/5 min, €15/hour - carriage ride C = €20 /hour.

LA FERME DU SONVAUX

ANES ART'GONNE

55160 LES EPARGES Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 35 69 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 39 92 e-mail: pruvost.sonvaux@wanadoo.fr Contact: Bernard PRUVOST Diploma: B.E.E.S. (1). (Level 1 Sports Instructor Certificate). • Opening dates and times: Open all year. • Description: Carriage rides or excursions with instructor. Horse rides and hacks. Mixed ride with horses and harnessed team. Special children’s workshops: leatherworking, tour of the farm.Day package for adults, children and schools: carriage ride, tour of the farm, leather workshop, riding. • Prices: - riding = €10/hour - trek = €60/per day all inclusive, €85 including overnight.

LA CABALGADA

i4/i5 Rue du Bois - 55260 COURCELLES EN BARROIS

Chemin de Brouennes - 55250 EVRES EN ARGONNE Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 60 84 e-mail: anesartgonne@free.fr http://www.anesartgonne.free.fr http://www.bourricot.com Contact: Jessica CHENOT • Opening dates and times: From 1st April, weekends and public holidays from 2.30pm to 7.00pm and with advance booking on weekdays. • Description:Donkey hire: half-day or several days. Arts and crafts exhibition. Theme days. Days of events: previews and shows every 5 weeks. Schools welcome during May and June: 3 workshops – bread oven, creamery and cheese making, donkey farm. Max. numbers: 100 for exhibitions – Group hostel sleeps 8. Activities for outdoor clubs and leisure centres during July and August. • Prices: on request.

Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 72 67 Contact: Pascal and Myriam Trunkenwald Diploma: B.E.E.S.(1) (Level 1 Sports Instructor Certificate). • Opening dates and times: Open all year except Sundays from 9.00am to 7.00pm. • Description: Rides or treks (ponies and horses). Riding lessons.Baby ponies for children. School groups. Acrobatics, carriage driving and gypsy caravans. Training course with federal exams. • Prices: - Rides (hourly rate): A = €14, C = €12 - 10-hour package: pony = €89, horse = €96, A = €113 - hack = €70 for a day - course with accommodation = €300/5 days, €220 /5 days half-board.

CENTRE EQUESTRE DE MADINE

Syndicat Mixte d’Aménagement du Lac de Madine - Maison de Madine 55210 NONSARD Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 57 81 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 35 60 http://www.lacmadine.com e-mail: lacmadine@wanadoo.fr Diplômas: B.E.E.S. (1) (State Sports Teaching Diploma) and B.E. 1er degré (state diploma level 1). • Opening dates and times: Open all year. Closed during Christmas/ New Year period. • Description: Madine, where the stables are open throughout the year, attracts all those who enjoy riding and who want a great way to feel even more at one with nature. - Pony and horse riding tuition, from beginners to competition level. - Trekking for all. - Novice pony rides from 3 years of age. - Livery: overnight and longer-term stabling. - Trekking, showjumping, dressage, horse ball, carriage rides.

Plan d’eau de la Vallée de l’Othain 55600 MARVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 13 47 Contact: Gilles LAFROGNE Diplomas: B.E.E.S. (1) (sports instructor’s certificate, Level 1.) and A.T.E. (1). (Equestrian Tourism Guide). • Opening dates and times: Open every day except Thursday, from 9.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 7.00pm. • Description:Indoor and outdoor school. Accompanied rides on horse and pony. • Prices: - over 14: from €8.10 to €23.10 per hour - under 14: from €6.50 to €13.70 per hour Packages: separate hour, monthly package, individual lesson.

LES ECURIES DU RAILLY

Constantine - 55230 ROUVROIS SUR OTHAIN Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 96 10 Mobil: 00 33 (0)6 32 56 24 78 Contact: Sylvie FRANCEQUIN Diplomas: A.T.E. (1) (Equestrian Tourism Guide) B.P.J.E.P.S. (1) (Level 1 Youth and Sports Instructor Certificate). • Opening dates and times: Open all year. For outdoor clubs and schools. • Prices: - Horse ride with instructor: €11/hour - Pony ride with instructor: €10/hour - Full day ride:€64 - Breaking-in foals: €400 - Livery – horses: €200 /winter - Livery – pony: €122/winter.

ECURIES DE JEAND’HEURS

Vieux Jeand’Heurs 55000 LISLE EN RIGAULT Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 20 61 e-mail: ecuries.jeandheurs@wanadoo.fr Contact: Julie BOGAERT Diplomas: B.E.E.S. (1) et B.E.E.S. (2) (sports instructor’s certificate, Levels 1 and 2). • Opening dates and times: Open all year. Closed Mondays. • Description:In stunning, lush surroundings (the buildings are listed, historic monuments), the Ecuries de Jeand'Heurs welcome riders of all levels, from complete beginners to show jumpers. Pony/horse riding courses, rides, livery, restaurant nearby. On site, gite for 6 persons. • Prices: €15 per hour per person on a pony, €20 per hour per person on a horse, 2-day course: €80.

CENTRE EQUESTRE

FERME EQUESTRE LE RUPT

7 Rue Haute 55260 RUPT DEVANT SAINT MIHIEL Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 07 37 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 71 00 56 http://www.lerupt.fr e-mail: lerupt@wanadoo.fr Contact: Wil Vonk Diplomas: A.T.E. (1) (Equestrian Tourism Guide) and B.E.E.S. (1) (State Sports Teaching Diploma). • Opening dates and times: Open all year. •Description: Pony club, equestrian centre, other ways to ride. Teaching, “galloping” course, resident courses, hacks of 1 to 7 days. Situated on the edge of the "Vent des Forêts" circuit. One and 2-day treks on the “Vent des Forêts” trail. • Prices for ride: €12/1 hour - €20/2 hours - €65/fullday.

CENTRE EQUESTRE DE LOISEY

16 Rue des Dîmes - 55000 LOISEY Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 78 10 15 Diplôma : B.E.E.S. (1) (sports instructor’s certificate, Level 1).

CENTRE EQUESTRE DU GRAND PRE

ETRIER VERDUNOIS

Route d’Etain – Rue Robert Schumann 55100 VERDUN Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 10 56 Diploma: B.E.E.S. (1) (State Sports Teaching Diploma). • Opening dates and times: All year except on Sunday. • Description: Riding instruction on horses and ponies. Accommodation and food close by. • Prices: - Hacks in Spring and Summer (experienced riders only). .for teenagers: €14/hour, €27/half day, €47/full day. .for adults: €17/hour, €32/half day, €47/full day. - Hacks: €47/full day. - Riding courses: €47/full day. - Introductory and improvers’ classes in indoor exercises (horse/pony): €14/hour teenagers, €17/hour adult.

2 Rue du Grand Pré - 55800 SOMMEILLES Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 50 64 - 06 87 47 95 44 http://centreequestredugrandpre.wifeo.com/ e-mail: aurelie.meurgey@wanadoo.fr Contact: Aurélie MEURGEY Diploma: B.E.E.S (1) (State Sports Teaching Diploma). • Opening dates and times: Open all year from 10.30am to noon and from 2.00pm to 7.00pm. • Description: Close to the Argonne forest, the equestrian centre’s new facilities enable you to discover the world of horses and ponies or to improve your riding techniques through practising, in all weathers and in complete safety, in a partially indoor school (60 x 24m arena, floodlit when necessary). The entirely new clubhouse is open to all. Friendliness and professionalism are the rules of the establishment. Accompanied rides along forest trails can be arranged. • Prices: lessons (horse): €15 per hour lessons (pony): €11 per hour rides (pony): €6 per hour rides (horse): €8 per hour, €12 for 2 hours.

Golf courses j2

GOLF DE COMBLES

38 Rue Basse 55000 COMBLES EN BARROIS Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 45 16 03 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 45 16 06 http://www.golfdecombles.fr e-mail: golfdecomblesenbarrois@wanadoo.fr • Description: 18-hole golf course. Individual lesson, instruction, green fee, introduction and golf school. • Prices: on request. Some introductions are free. Golf school between €140 and €250.

GOLF DU LAC DE MADINE

Syndicat Mixte du Lac de Madine Maison de Madine - 55210 NONSARD Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 56 00 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 58 30 http://www.lacmadine.com e-mail: lacmadine@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Open all the year round, depending on weather conditions, and every day from May to September. Closed on Tuesday from October to the end of April. • Description: 9-hole golf course + 9 holes compact. Individual tuition, courses, beginners’ lessons, green fee. • Prices: - individual lesson: €20 for 1/2 hour, book of tickets for 6 lessons: €100 - green fees: €19 during the week, €22 at the weekend - annual subscription: €473 per person or €733 per couple.

Water sports

Lakes and leisure facilities f5

BASE DE LOISIRS DU COLVERT

• Opening dates and times: Open daily from 01/05 to 30/10. • Description: Lake with visitor amenities. Activities: swimming, canoeing, mountain biking, angling, sailing, nautical teleski, indoor swimming pool, catamarans, rollerskating rink, flume, kayaking, mini-golf, skittles, horse riding centre, sports hall, fitness room, fitness trail.

55160 BONZEE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 31 98 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 30 60 http://www.campings-colvert.com e-mail: blcv@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Open daily from 01/04 to the end of September, from 7.00am to 10.00pm. • Description: 30-hectare leisure complex with visitor amenities, 9-hectare lake. Activities available: swimming, fishing, hiring pedalos and canoes, tennis, waterslide, football, basketball and pétanque, table tennis, bowling open to all. Chalet rental (16) equipped for 5 or 6 persons, one chalet for 3 persons accessible to persons with reduced mobility. Pets accepted (€1 supplement). • Prices: from €2 per day.

LAC DE MADINE

Syndicat Mixte du Lac de Madine Maison de Madine - 55210 NONSARD Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 32 50 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 35 60 http://www.lacmadine.com e-mail: lacmadine@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Open all year. From September to April, ask for details from the booking department for each sport or recreational activity. • Description: Located at the foot of the Meuse Hills in the heart of the Regional Country Park, the Lac de Madine is a lake covering 1,100 hectares, with 250 hectares of forest on shores covering a distance of 42 km. The leisure complex provides an opportunity to enjoy all that nature has to offer, along with sports and leisure activities: sailing school, Horse riding centre, golf course, marina, beaches with amenities (lifeguard in attendance in July and August), tennis, mountain biking, tandems, pedalos, fishing etc. Accommodation: 20 4-place gites, 2 available for people with reduced mobility; 10 6-place gites, campsites, accommodation centre with 30 twin rooms. • Prices: on request.

BASE DE LOISIRS DU LAC VERT PLAGE

55110 DOULCON Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 90 38 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 96 90 e-mail: lacvertplage@wanadoo.fr Contact: Christian MATER • Opening dates and times: Open daily from 01/04 to 31/10. • Description: 5-hectare lake with amenities. Recreational activities: swimming, angling, pedalo and canoe hire, flume, children’s play area. Musical entertainment every week. Numerous footpaths and sightseeing venues nearby.

BASE DE PLEIN AIR ET DE LOISIRS DE LA VALLEE DE L'OTHAIN b4

BASE DE LOISIRS DU PRE L’EVEQUE

55100 VERDUN Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 00 72 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 44 15 • Opening dates and times: Open all year round, beach in July and August. • Description: Ten-hectare lake. Activities available: swimming, fishing, tennis, fitness trail.

55600 MARVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 19 05 or 00 33 (0)3 29 88 15 15 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 14 60 e-mail: syndicatdinitiativemarville@gmail.com 42

Boat trips c3

MEUSE NAUTIC

1 Rue de la Meuse 55110 DUN SUR MEUSE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 94 17 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 96 90 e-mail: tourisme@dun-sur-meuse.com • Opening dates and times: May to September booked in advance. • Descriptif : - 5 boats for hire, 4 to 8 places per boat - Motor horsepower: 10 - No permit necessary - Trips on: the Meuse and the Meuse Canal - Cruise, day or half-day trip available. • Prices: Excursion-rental: - 3hr = €85 + €15 for each extra hour - weekend package (2 days/1 night) : €390/€480 - short stay package (3 days/ 2 nights) : €490/€580 - week package (7 days/6 nights) : €890/€980. Introduction to piloting a boat, insurance, marina fees and fuel included. Accompanied excursion:A = €12, C (under 12) = €8, C (under 3) = free.

ASSOCIATION POUR LA PROMOTION ET L’EXPANSION DU CANTON DE MONTFAUCON D’ARGONNE

55270 MONTFAUCON D’ARGONNE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 11 55 Contact reception from 7.00am to 9.00pm: Bar « Aux deux Bouchons » - Route Nationale 55110 CONSENVOYE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 80 07 • Opening dates and times: - May to September, weekends and public holidays - 13/07 to 20/08, daily booked in advance. • Description: - 1 boat. - Motor horsepower: 50 - Forty-five-minute cruise. Explore nature as seen from the canal and the unspoilt Meuse. • Prices: A = €7.50, C (up to 15) = €6.50. free for under-5s.

Canoeing k2

BAR LE DUC - ANCERVILLE CANOË-KAYAK CLUB

La Pointerie - 55170 ANCERVILLE Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 38 09 Base de Bar-le-Duc: 00 33 (0)3 29 45 43 77 http://kayak.abck.free.fr • Opening dates and times: Open March to October, daily from 10.00am to 6.00pm. • Description: Beginners’ tuition on one of the two sites with an instructor. Full or half-day nature excursions and river trips. Canoeists must know how to swim. Insurance included in the price. Suitable for all ages from 8 years up. All activities supervised. • Prices: - beginners: €15/hour - kayak hire: €10 half-day, €15 full day - canoe hire: €18 half-day, €26 full day, €50 weekend.

CANOË-KAYAK CLUB DE SAINT MIHIEL

Promenade des Dragons - 55300 SAINT MIHIEL Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 19 84 - 00 33 (0)6 09 87 78 12 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 03 42 http://perso.orange.fr/canoekayak.st-mihiel e-mail: val.spllp@wanadoo.fr Contact: Solange VAL • Opening dates and times: booked in advance. • Description: Unsupervised canoe or kayak hire by the hour, the day, or the half day. Paddle down the River Meuse in a kayak with an instructor and kayak transport: min 5 persons. Prices – sliding scale depending upon the number of people. Canoeists must know how to swim. Insurance included in the price. • Prices: from €4 to €13.

New: the Saulx by canoe.

Original excursion package between Beurey-surSaulx and Mognéville with equipment and supervision provided. Two hours of enjoyment, whether you are an amateur or more experienced. • Availability: June, July and August. • Information, prices and enrolment: Tourist Office in Bar-le-Duc Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 11 13

MEUSE CANOË

Tel: 00 33 (0)6 80 22 24 18 http://www.meusecanoe.com • Opening dates and times: Base in Charny open daily from 1.00pm to 2.00pm in July and August. Remainder of the year, open on request. • Description: Paddle down the River Meuse in a 2 or 4-seater canoe (2 adults and 2 children) or in a kayak. Set off for a risk-free trip from Charny-sur-Meuse to Regnéville near Verdun in country surroundings. Meals available beside the water at Charny-surMeuse. 43

1st route: 3-hour descent meet at Charny-sur-Meuse (centre of the village) at 9.00am embarkation at Belleville-sur-Meuse in a coach arrival around 1.00pm at Charny-sur-Meuse. 2nd route: 2-hour descent embarkation at Charny-sur-Meuse between 1.00pm and 2.00pm arrival at Champneuville around 4.00pm return by bus

3rd route: 2-hour descent embarkation at Champneuville between 4.00pm and 5.00pm arrival at Regnéville around 6.00pm return by bus • Prices: Descent over 1 1/2 days by canoe, bivouac at the campsite at Charny-sur-Meuse, tent canvas provided. Departure by bus at 2.30pm from Charny. A = €22, C (under 10) = €9, €5 for the tent canvas.

Sailing b4

ECOLE DE VOILE DE LA VALLEE DE L’OTHAIN

Plan d’Eau de l’Othain 55600 MARVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 16 04 – 00 33 (0)3 29 88 15 15 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 14 60 e-mail: marville.accueil@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Open daily 01/04 to 30/09. • Description and prices: - Hire of boat = €7/hour - Canoe = €6.50/hour - Kayak = €6/hour - Nautical teleski = €11/hour or €7/1/2 hour weekdays, €13/hour and €9/1/2 hour weekends - Pedalo = €5.35/€6/1/2 hour, €10.50/hour - Waterslide = €3/hour/person - Indoor pool = €3/adult and €2/child (with fitness area, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi) - Other activities: sports hall, fitness trail, equestrian centre. Catering facilities on the premises.

ECOLE DE VOILE DU LAC DE MADINE

Syndicat Mixte du Lac de Madine Maison de Madine - 55210 NONSARD Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 36 08 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 88 72 Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 32 50 out of season Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 35 60 http://www.lacmadine.com e-mail: lacmadine@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - from April to October - 7 days a week during the summer and school holidays - closed on Mondays in low season. • Description and prices: Canoe hire from €9, dinghy and catamaran from €36. For groups, individual instruction and courses, contact us.

)

By bike f2

VELO-RAIL

• Opening dates and times: open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 7.00pm, 6.30pm Saturdays. • Description: Mountain bike hire on presentation of ID. • Prices: €10 per 1/2 day, €15 per day.

Meuse Vélo-Rail 6 Place de la République 55120 CLERMONT EN ARGONNE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 42 22 – 00 33 (0)6 81 92 98 05 e-mail: tourisme.argonne@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Open at weekends from April to the end of October and every day in July and August from 10.00am to 6.00pm, only when booked in advance. • Description: Meuse Vélo-Rail at Consenvoye-Forges: circuit of around 1.1/2 hrs on a metalled track for 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children. Reception: former station at Consenvoye. • Prices: €10 per hour.

55210 NONSARD - Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 32 50 http://www.lacmadine.com • Opening dates and times: - from April to October, every day from 10.00am to 6.00pm - the rest of the year, every day when booked in advance, minimum of 10 persons. • Description: Mountain bike hire, all sizes to ride around the lake, tandems. • Prices: Mountain bikes: €10 for 2 hrs, tandem: €15 for 2 hrs, electric bike: €15 for 2 hrs.

Moutain Bike Hire f4

LAC DE MADINE

VELOLAND

Info + : to visit the Meuse by bike, order our new free brochure "Meuse à vélo, 24 circuits" (Meuse by bike, 24 circuits) on www.tourisme-meuse.com

ZAC d'Haudainville - 55100 HAUDAINVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 12 43 e-mail : verdun@veloland.com 44

Motor sports Aerodromes, microlight clubs i3

AERO CLUB DE BAR-LE-DUC LES HAUTS DE CHEE

55210 HEUDICOURT SOUS LES CÔTES Tel: 00 33 (0)6 82 67 19 34 http://madin_ulm.site.voila.fr Contact: Francis WEBER • Opening dates and times: All year. • Description: Introductory flight. • Prices: A = €30 per 1/4 hour.

CONDE EN BARROIS Adresse postale : BP 10184 -55005 BAR-LE-DUC Cedex Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 77 18 30 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 77 12 14 Mobile: 00 33 (0)6 81 19 03 54 http://www.ac-sud-meusien.net e-mail: schell.thierry@wanadoo.fr Contact: Thierry SCHELL • Opening dates and times: Open all year booked in advance. • Description: Flying school. 15-20 min. trial flights. Sightseeing flight 30 mins. Flying school. Open day in June. Educational presentation available for children on request. • Prices: - trial flights: A = €40 (Lower price for larger groups) – C = €22 (under 10’s) - inclusive price for flight regardless of number of passengers (max 3) = €105.

MADE IN ULM A HEUDICOURT SOUS LES CÔTES

ULM CLUB

AERODROME DE VERDUN LE ROZELIER

Base aérienne 55600 MARVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 82 26 53 30 • Opening dates and times: Open all year round, closed weekdays. • Description: Introduction to flying microlights depending upon demand. Facilities available: 3-axis microlight, 1 flex-wing, 1 autogiro. Autogiro information on 00 32 496 80 75 21. • Prices: Microlight flight = €50/hour, initiation flight = €25.

CLUB ULM BAR LE DUC EXTREMES

31 Rue Haute de Véel - 55000 FAINS VEEL Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 45 15 60 Contact: M. THILLEMENT • Opening dates and times: All year. • Description: Introduction to flying microlights. Equipment available: Club house – Hangar - 375m airstrip - Flex-wing and 3-axis. • Prices: Flying school: €90/hour, Initiation flight: €52/person/30 minutes.

55320 SOMMEDIEUE Tel: 00 33 (0)6 88 19 82 18 Contact: Edouard KAHAN • Opening dates and times: Closed Monday and Thursday. • Description: Introduction to flying. Equipment available: grass landing strip, hard landing strip, maintenance workshop, bar-restaurant. • Prices: in a plane €120 per hour.

CIRRUS AIR EVASION

i6 lieu dit : au Rappe - 55200 GEVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 58 36 http://cirrusairevasion.free.fr • Opening dates and times: All year. • Description: Microlight flight, flight at altitude: contact us. Facilities available: club house - 2 microlight airstrips. Introduction to flying: Microlight - Flex-wing. • Prices: Initiation flight = €30/person.

MADE IN ULM A HEUDICOURT 45

Go-karting h3

SKLC 55

55260 CHAUMONT SUR AIRE Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 62 47 e-mail: kartingchaumont@wanadoo.fr Contact: Mr ALBORGHETTI • Opening dates and times: Open every weekend and open daily during school holidays, from 3.00pm to 7.00pm. • Description: Go-kart hire on a 713-metre track. 270cc Sodikart. Special events for groups and works committees. • Prices: A = €18.50 - €60 depending on the duration. Group price.

KARTING 55

Boulevard Stratégique 55100 VERDUN Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 31 83 - 00 33 (0)6 07 11 87 15 • Opening dates and times: Open every afternoon. Annual closure 15/12 to 15/01 (except with advance booking). • Description: Entertainment for works committees’ outings and groups. On site catering: pizzeria/sandwich bar. • Prices: kart hire = €13/10 minutes, €35/30 minutes, €55/hour.

4X4 h5

DOMAINE DE MARSOUPE

Route de Woinville - 55300 SAINT MIHIEL - Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 02 70 - Contact: Maria SNOEK • Description: Land for rent to run 4x4s. • Prices: - Half-day from 8.00am to 2.00pm, or from 2.00pm to 8.00pm: €30 - Day from 8.00am to 8pm: €50 - for 30 vehicles max: €1000.

Motorbiking h5

MOTO-CLUB DE SAINT MIHIEL

17 Rue des Ecoles 55300 DOMPCEVRIN Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 13 17 00 33 (0)3 29 89 23 56 00 33 (0)6 11 75 47 02 Contact: Mario ROSSI e-mail: mario.rossi@mcom.fr • Opening dates and times: Open Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and during holiday periods. All day with advance booking. • Description: Learn how to drive an all-terrain bike with an instructor. Lunches available on site. 5-day course with full board: contact us for prices. • Prices: - with motor bike: €13/2 hours - without motor bike: €18/ 2 hours for small bikes (50cc and 80cc), €25 for 125 cc.

MOTO EVASION

10 Rue Heuillon 55000 SAVONNIERES DEVANT BAR Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 45 21 17 - 00 33 (0)6 13 22 49 06 http://moto-evasion.over-blog.com e-mail: motoevasion@tiscali.fr Contact: François LEROY • Opening dates and times: All year on request. • Description: Theme outings for motor cyclists, collectors of Old Timers and Classic Cars and works committees. Contact for motor cyclists and organisation of holidays in Meuse. • Prices: à la carte, depending on services required.

Activities to discover nature and the environment parks and gardens i5

were further embellished by the Bulher brothers, famous landscape gardeners who worked in the second half of the 19th century. The park contains some outstanding evergreens such as Thuyopsis dolabrata and California nutmeg (Torreya californica).

JARDIN DE BUSSY

8 Chemin de Bussy - 55200 COMMERCY Tel.: 00 33 (0)6 08 34 72 12 • Opening dates and times: from 11/05 to 14/07, Sundays and public holidays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - other days from May to October when arranged in advance. • Description:Designed with a romantic, rural atmosphere, this very colourful 3500-sq m garden holds an extensive collection of hardy perennials, old roses, climbing plants and rare shrubs. English-style flowerbeds and groups of bushes are combined in a search for constant harmony. • Prices: A = €3.50.

55320 LES MONTHAIRONS Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 78 55 e-mail: accueil@chateaudesmonthairons.fr • Opening dates and times: Open February to December, daily from 10.00am to 6.00pm (closed Mondays). • Description: With sweeping views of the Meuse Valley, this site, now the grounds of the Château du PetitMonthairon, attracted a contemplative hermit in the 17th century. His chapel and living quarters still exist and now form two of the architectural set-pieces in this picturesque park on the south side of the château-hotel. The château is named after the vast heronry at the end of the park.

PARC DE LA VARENNE

Mrs Marie-Caroline DUBURCH 55000 HAIRONVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 21 45 – 00 33 (0)6 07 60 02 20 • Opening dates and times: open in July and August daily from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm • Description:The layout of the park we see today was based on the design principles current in the 19th century. It includes a meadow dotted with thickets set within woodland that is dense in some places and more sparse in others. Here and there are trees that are remarkable either for their sheer size (purple beech, planes etc.) or for their rarity (Virginia tulip trees etc.). There are two different settings compared and contrasted: the overall view to admire from the terrace, behind the chateau, and the split but nonetheless interesting view seen walking around the perimeter. Stone benches are provided, like so many “stops”. Each of them has a special view of the chateau, the river, or the old bridge of Haironville. Visitors can walk around the park, along the river or crossing through the cross-wise alleyways. Take a stroll through the park, by the river or along the paths running right across the park. This park appears in the “outstanding gardens in France” list. • Prices: A = €3, C = no charge for under 12’s.

PARC DU CHÂTEAU-HÔTEL DES MONTHAIRONS

PARC DE LA GRANGE AUX CHAMPS

Mrs MORILLION - 55800 NETTANCOURT Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 13 04 - 00 33 (0)1 42 68 06 72 00 33 (0)6 72 85 54 30 http://www.la-grange-aux-champs.fr e-mail: angelinemorillion@hotmail.com • Opening dates and times: Open 13/07 to 31/08, daily from 2.00pm to 7.00pm Guided tour on Sundays at 3.00pm • Description: The name of this estate is a reminder of its monastic origins. The park, which was redesigned in the English style, has two fine statues, a grotto, ponds, a small lake, a wash-house built in the architectural style typical of the Argonne and an old Champagne-style wine press in the outhouses. • Prices: A = €3.

PARC DU CHÂTEAU DE THILLOMBOIS

Connaissance de la Meuse - 55260 THILLOMBOIS Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 07 07 - 00 33 (0)3 29 75 08 75 http://www.connaissancedelameuse.com e-mail: connaissancedelameuse@wanadoo.fr e-mail: chateau.thillombois@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: 43-hectare park open without charge from April to October unless the house is being used for special events. • Description: A long meadow crossed by a delightful stream covers the end of the valley, providing a sweeping view from the middle of the woods. Numerous rare trees have been gradually reintroduced into the first part of the park since 1993. The second part is more natural, providing a habitat for a herd of fallow deer. Guided tours of the house with advance booking. Park listed in the supplementary historic monuments survey. Guided visits of the chateau available if booked in advance.

PARC DU CHÂTEAU JEAND’HEURS

Mr Fadel MEZIAN - 55000 LISLE EN RIGAULT Tél. 00 33 (0)3 29 71 31 77 • Opening dates and times: Open to individual visitors during the “Visit a Park in Lorraine” event and on "Heritage Days" in September. • Description: Set within 9 km of walls, the park that once surrounded a Premonstratensian abbey lies at the end of a small valley crossed by the River Saulx. Thanks to Maréchal Oudinot, it became one of the most beautiful parks in the Napoleonic Empire, dotted with architectural set-pieces. Its avenues and collection of rare trees 47

PARC GILLES DE TREVES IN VILLE SUR SAULX

• Description: The park boasts more than 500 different varieties of trees and shrubs. Old-fashioned peonies, seringa and mock orange (philadelphus) create wonderfully fragrant gardens and the plants have been designated as a national collection by the “Conservatoire des collections végétales spécialisées”. Botany trail and Art walk. • Prices: A = €3 + €1 for guided tour, C = no charge.

11 Route de Lisle - 55000 VILLE SUR SAULX Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 20 51 e-mail: misler55@aol.com Contact: Mr and Mrs MISLER • Opening dates and times: Open 01/04 to 31/07, and 01/09 to 10/10, weekends and public holidays. Guided tour at 4.00pm

Astronomy h5

ASSOCIATION SAMMIELLOISE D’ASTRONOMIE IN SAINT-MIHIEL

OBSERVATOIRE DES CÔTES DE MEUSE IN VIEVILLE SOUS LES CÔTES

8, place de Verdun 55210 VIEVILLE SOUS LES CÔTES Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 58 64 http://assoc.wanadoo.fr/observatoire.t83/ Contact: Marc and Marie-Hélène KASCHINSKI or Stanislas FAVERAUD • Opening dates and times: Daily with advance booking. • Description: Located at the foot of the Meuse Hills, the observatory has one of the largest telescopes in Europe open to the public. Stargazing evenings with the 83cm telescope, and the “Star Amphitheatre” for exploring the sky with the naked eye. Video projection. Tours for children and school parties: special daytime activities and stargazing evenings. Duration of visit: 3 hrs. • Prices: A = €16 - C (6 to 16) = €11.50.

117 Rue de la Libération - 55120 DOMBASLE-EN-ARGONNE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 83 15 http://perso.orange.fr/sylvain.jannot e-mail: t.daudier@wanadoo.fr Contact: Thierry DAUDIER • Opening dates and times: Daily with advance booking. • Description: The “Champ Chipolé” observatory is an astronomy site in the depths of the countryside, 5 minutes from Saint-Mihiel. Tour of the observatory (at night): duration 2 hrs. “Let’s play with the sun”: special visitor activity, duration 2 hrs. Tour of the planetarium and films: duration 2 hrs. For children: “Sun Special” day. • Prices: tour of the observatory (at night, duration 2 hrs): A = €6, C = €2.50. Group price.

Environment f5

C.P.I.E. WOËVRE CÔTES MEUSE IN BONZEE

• Opening dates and times: Open all year from 8.30am to noon and from 1.30pm to 6.00pm. • Description: General-interest ramble: discover more about nature. Equipment provided: telescopes, handheld magnifying glasses, butterfly nets, shrimping nets, guidebooks etc. • Prices - Individuels : A = €2.50, C = €2.50. No charge for members and for under 12's.

Maison de l’Arsen - 14 Rue chaude - 55160 BONZEE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 36 65 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 34 01 http://www.cpie-meuse.eu e-mail: cpie.meuse@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: All year from 9.00am to 6.30pm • Description: Disabled access: 1st floor in the building and some of the events. Special events for children and adults: nature rambles, educational farm, novice pony rides, discovery trail, educational and fun workshops on environmental subjects (water, forest, birds etc). School parties and other groups, families and hikers welcome. Full board, half-board or no meals. Instructors available for groups, with advance booking: discovering the heritage of nature and history, talks, discovering nature on horseback. Personalised ecotourism activities for groups, per day or whole stay. • Prices: contact us.

CONSERVATOIRE LORRAINS

DES

LIGUE DE PROTECTION DES OISEAUX

47 Rue des Rosiers - 55700 STENAY Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 62 04 Mobil: 00 33 (0)6 83 29 25 47 Contact: Dominique LANDRAGIN • Opening dates and times: Open Sunday mornings and public holidays, from 9.00am to noon. • Description: Find out about the natural environment and bird life in Mouzay in the Meuse Valley. Exhibition and talks focusing on nature and environmental protection. Outing with wild life experts. Loan of telescopes. Outing lasts 3 to 4 hrs. • Prices - Individuals : A = €2. Outings on Sundays and public holidays are free. Charges are made for activities listed in the year’s programme, with some exceptions.

SITES

6 Rue de Vigneulles - 55210 NONSARD LAMARCHE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 04 40 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 04 41 Contact: Nicolas AVRIL 48

PARC NATUREL REGIONAL DE LORRAINE

01/07 to 31/08, daily from 2.00pm to 6.30pm Annual closure 16/12 to 28/02. • Description:Private trout farm. Information on trout, guided tour of the fish farm. Pay-per-weight angling. Children’s play area and picnic area in green surroundings with vegetation and flowers.

Logis Abbatial - Rue du Quai - BP 35 54702 PONT A MOUSSON Tel: 00 33 (0)3 83 81 67 67 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 83 81 33 60 http://www.pnr-lorraine.com e-mail: pnr.lorraine@pnr-lorraine.com • Opening dates and times: Mondays to Fridays, from 8.30am to 5.30pm • Description: The Lorraine Regional Country Park boasts a richly diverse natural and cultural heritage. The area includes a large number of beauty spots and tourist amenities open to the public, e.g. interpretative trails, birdwatching points, museum centres, shops selling local produce, environmental “Panda” gites etc. To give visitors even more insight into this unspoilt area, the Park organises a number of guided walks lasting from 1 hour to a full day, and a programme of cultural events throughout the year.

Pisciculture de Loisirs - 55300 LACROIX SUR MEUSE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 10 97 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 16 88 http://www.aubergedelapechealatruite.com e-mail: lafario.meuse@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: open daily. • Description: Includes 2 private lakes for trout fishing. Accommodation and meals on site (Logis de France). Trout fishing: half or full-day. Hire of lake and provision of a giant barbecue. Pay-per-weight angling for families. Expect a large catch! Tour and tasting. Seminar facilities including fully-equipped meeting rooms and restaurant. Educational fish farm. Educational tours for children, play areas, learning trail and angling. • Prices :A, C = €11 per rod per half-day, of fishing for small trout in a lake; €16 per lake for large trout, €3 tour (1 hr.), €9 with tasting.

Giant maize maze e4

« LA CLE DES CHAMPS » A BRAS SUR MEUSE

Meuse Labyrinthe - 15 Rue du Colonel Driant 55100 VACHERAUVILLE Tel:06 23 09 24 46 ou 06 30 52 61 84 http://bras.sur.meuse.free.fr e-mail: meuse.labyrinthe@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: 07/07 to 31/08, Mondays to Saturdays from 1.30pm to 7.30pm, Sundays from 10.30am to 8.00pm and weekends in September. During week for groups booked in advance. • Description: Laid out in an area covering 4 hectares, this is a fun location where young and old can enjoy getting lost! Left, right, dead end etc. All along the paths are opportunities to try out games and solve riddles. Several special-interest visits. • Prices : A = €4, C (under 14's) = €2, free for under 4's.

LAC DE MADINE

Maison de Madine - 55210 NONSARD Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 32 50 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 35 60 http://www.lacmadine.com e-mail: lacmadine@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - Open daily except Tuesdays - night fishing for carp from 1st May to mid-October - fishing for pike from 08/05 to 31/12. • Description: Fishing for carp and pike from the lakeshore, or from a boat on the lake. Fishing permits for a day, a fortnight or a year. • Prices : On request.

DOMAINE DE SOMMEDIEUE

1 Rue du Parc 55320 SOMMEDIEUE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 78 70 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 77 31 00 33 (0)6 22 61 17 40 http://www.fly-in-sommedieue.com e-mail: fly.in.sommedieue@wanadoo.fr Contact: Bruno FENAUX. • Opening dates and times: Open all year from 9.00am to 10.00pm, except 15/01 au 15/02. • Description: One of the most beautiful fly fishing estates in Europe. 12-hectare walled estate with 4 hectares of lakes and 3.5 kilometres of river. Angling: mornings, afternoons, evenings.

Angling l4

DOMAINE PISCICOLE LA PECHE A LA TRUITE

LA PECHE A LA TRUITE

55500 COUSANCES AUX BOIS Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 78 35 95 Contact: Philippe BETON • Opening dates and times: - angling lake, full-day and half-day: 01/03 to 31/10 from 8.00am to 6.00pm - pay-per-weight angling for families: 01/03 to 30/06 and 01/09 to 15/12, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and public holidays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm; 49

extra info : find full information on fishing in the Meuse in our brochure “Pêcher en Meuse”, available free of charge on www.tourisme-meuse.com

One-day seminars with hire of fully-equipped room (15 pers.), meal, cigar cellar, billiard room. • Prices: - Morning: €32 - afternoon: €40 - evening: €32 - Without accommodation: full day (with lunch) = €88 - short breaks (1 night + 1 breakfast + 2 lunches + 1 dinner + 2 days’ fishing), double room: €245

Hunting f5

DOMAINE DE SOMMEDIEUE

1 rue du Parc 55320 SOMMEDIEUE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 78 70 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 77 31 Mobile: 00 33 (0)6 22 61 17 40 http://www.fly-in-sommedieue.com e-mail: fly.in.sommedieue@wanadoo.fr Contact: Bruno FENAUX • Opening dates and times: Open all year from 9.00am to 10.00pm. • Description: Archery trail with 3D targets. • Prices: On request.

OFFICE NATIONAL DES FORÊTS DE VERDUN

Agence de Verdun - Route de Metz - 55100 VERDUN Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 78 77 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 83 70 87 e-mail: ag.verdun@onf.fr • Description:“Battue” hunts for boar and deer over 3000 hectares of the Verdun national forest from October to January. Bookings on 00 33 (0)3 29 84 82 27 Half-day visits for established groups. Theme: memorial forests, the red zone, remains of the Battlefields and history of the forests up to the present day (Argonne, Morthomme, Verdun, Eparges). Only for established groups and booked two weeks in advance on 00 33 (0)3 29 84 82 31.

Paintball i5

ASSOCIATION LORRAINE DE SHOOTING GAMES

PAINTBALL TEMPLE

50 Avenue Pierre Goubet - 55840 THIERVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)6 27 26 21 45 • Opening dates and times: 01/04 to 30/09 from Wednesday to Sunday 10.00am to 6.00pm non-stop. Open Mondays and Tuesdays with advance booking. • Description: Located in an 1875 fort, which has been adapted and converted exclusively for paintball. A unique environment with many outside and inside game options. • Prices: From €23.

37 Rue Nationale 55200 LEROUVILLE Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 17 69 - 00 33 (0)6 12 82 50 00 e-mail: alsg2@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: 7 days a week, games during the day and at dusk. Priority is given to members’ bookings at weekends. Groups welcomed if booked, after validation of planned event. • Description:The association is developing paintball as a game and adventure as a sport. Several sites in Commercy area (Lérouville, Pagny la Blanche Côte etc).

Caving and pot-holing j3

MAISON LORRAINE DE LA SPELEOLOGIE

caving and pot-holing. Courses also available over several days. Caving and pot-holing for beginners: half-day or full-day excursions. Hire of shelter for the night, a stopover or a holiday. Meeting room and meals on site or nearby. Total capacity: 30 people. • Prices: - caving and pot-holing excursions: on request - shelter hire: overnight, €10 - camping: €8 - stopover without overnight stop: €5 - meeting room: €10 - hire of ground floor: €75 - hire of whole building: €250.

17 Rue Henry Chevalier - 55000 LISLE EN RIGAULT Tel./Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 71 30 12 Contact: Mr CLAUDE http://maison-lorraine.ffspeleo.fr • Opening dates and times: Open all year with advance booking. • Description:Available during school holidays and by prior arrangement, for outdoor clubs, holiday clubs and for various groups. Guided discovery tours in the underground environment, half-day and full-day 50

FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS

Young people learn and mature through travel. In the Meuse we put this into practice with an invitation to young people to come and explore. For example, farms where they can learn as they play. Everything is done with the children in mind, and they can enjoy a dream holiday as they learn to understand and to love nature. Under the stars! The magic of distant places. The astronomical observatory of the Côtes de Meuse at Viévillesous-les-Côtes for example, inside the Lorraine Regional Nature Park, or the Centre Permanent d’Initiatives pour l’Environnement Woëvre Côtes de Meuse (Permanent Centre for Environmental Initiatives in Woëvre Côtes de Meuse) at Bonzée. Expert guides will help you enjoy the marvels. The more adventurous youngsters can even try a donkey ride! Great, isn’t it?

There is plenty for children and teenagers…As you thumb through these pages, look for this pictogram, showing activities specially designed for them. 51

Meet the animals! Farm holidays The farmers want to share their enthusiasm, and offer lots of activities for children attracted by the countryside and farm life. Ask for the "Bienvenue à la Campagne" (Welcome to the countryside) guide or contact the Meuse Chamber of Agriculture on 00 33 (0)3 29 76 81 44

In the natural environment! Educational farms Farmers and teachers work together to produce activities within the framework of an educational project. This visit will enable children to learn about life on the farm and the reality of the world of agriculture in a relevant and exciting way. These farms have the stamp of approval of the Inspection Académique (Educational Inspectorate).

Discovery farms “Discovery farms” invite you to visit the farm and its environment in the company of the farmer himself. They also offer local produce to sample on the spot or take away with you.

Farm holidays for children Many farmers welcome children, during the week or at weekends, throughout the school holidays, to introduce them to the life of the farm. Families welcome two to four children, who share the life of the family and the farm: an unforgettable holiday for those who love the countryside and farm animals. Booking service for Children’s farm holidays on 00 33 (0)3 29 75 76 76.

SKILLS, INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE AND CRAFTS

Enjoy the daily life of the Meuse ! Quiet… the Meuse? Not at all!... just calm, for sure. Far from sleepy, though. From the borderlands of the north to the hills of the Barrois, from the Woëvre Plain to the Argonne, the valleys of the Ornain or the Saulx to that of the Meuse, there are plenty of signs of this multi-faceted and creative activity. So many skills, both traditional and contemporary, are on offer to be shared with visitors. Do not miss these opportunities for discovery, by visiting businesses and workshops or studios in a range of sectors (food and farming, crafts, textile industry, toys and research) which blend the useful with the enjoyable, self-indulgence with beauty and productivity with innovation. Here is a great chance to enjoy the daily life of the Meuse and to talk to the people who, from its origins, have fashioned its attractive personality.

Business site visits Do you want to discover the secret of the famous Dragées de Verdun or the Madeleine de Commercy? We invite you to. Did you know this about Etain? The Petitcollin toy company are still manufacturing the famous bather doll. An item for your diary, along with other more futuristic ones. At Bure, for example, where the National Agency for the Management of Nuclear Waste has its underground research laboratory. One thing is sure, business in the Meuse opens its doors to tourists. Why miss the opportunity? j3

BERGERE DE FRANCE

waste storage in clay-based rock 500 metres under the surface. Guided tour of the surface installations and a life-sized model of the underground galleries. Tour lasts 2 hrs. • Prices: no charge (max. 49 pers.).

Office de Tourisme de Bar-le-Duc 7 Rue Jeanne d’Arc - 55000 BAR LE DUC Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 11 13 – Fax: 00 33 (0) 29 79 21 95 e-mail: barleduc.tourisme@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: from March to December. • Description: Bergère de France, with its premises covering 40,000 sq m, is well established in Bar-leDuc, and is one of Europe’s largest and most competitive woollen mills. Follow the tourist-office guide and explore all the sections of the mill, then the packaging process (mail order sales). Afterwards, wools and reduced-price items can be bought in the factory shop. Duration of visit: 2 hrs. Booking required. Maximum: 25 people. From 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm. Guided tours for groups can be arranged during the week.

LES MADELEINES SAINT-MICHEL

BALHSEN

See page 57.

SOCIETE MADELEINES ZINS See page 57.

JOUETS PETITCOLLIN

Office de Tourisme 31 Rue Raymond Poincaré - 55400 ETAIN Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 20 80 http://www.petitcollin.com http://www.tourisme-etain.fr e-mail: otsi.etain@tele2.fr • Opening dates and times: Closed on public holidays and during Christmas holidays. Open Mondays to Thursday from 9.00am to 11.00am and from 1.30pm to 4.00pm; Fridays from 9.00am to 11.00am Tour lasts 90 mins. • Description: Guided tour of Jouets Petitcollin, a unique factory in France, the last wholly Frenchowned manufacturer of toys and dolls (see the various stages in the production of dolls and bathtub babies). Advance booking only. • Prices: A = €4.70, C = €4, no charge for under 6’s.

ANDRA RD 960 - 55290 BURE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 53 73 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 53 87 http://www.andra.fr • Opening dates and times: - All year, guided tour Saturdays and Sundays at 3.00pm, weekdays with advance booking - Information office open Tuesday to Sunday 2.00pm to 6.00pm all year - Closed 23/12 to 01/01 inclusive. • Description:The underground research laboratory of Meuse and Haute Marne is studying radioactive i4

DRAGÉES BRAQUIER SARL

See page 58.

CLAIR DE LORRAINE See page 63.

Crafts Artists.The peaceful countryside of the Meuse, the diversity of its natural resources and materials are a source of inspiration and creation to many artists and craftsmen. Meeting them offers the double pleasure of discovering people who are often remarkable, and a place which is always fascinating. Don’t hesitate! Basketry, glass, pottery, leatherwork, and much more: there is always something to see, to understand and to marvel at. j3

Daniel PIERRARD

• Description: In the centre of village, Francis Profit, who has been a potter for many years, extends a warm welcome throughout the year to visitors to his studio, set out in an old farm worker’s house. Faience entirely hand-made and decorated. Unique pieces made to order, customisation. No charge for tours of the studio and demonstration. Exhibition and sale.

136 Rue de Bar - 55500 Savonnières devant Bar Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 76 19 56 - 00 33 (0)6 23 78 75 03 http://daniel.pierrard.club.fr e-mail: daniel.pierrard@club-internet.fr • Opening dates and times: from 20/01 to 31/12 arranged in advance. • Description: Ceramist: working with clay, potter’s wheel and modelling.Capture the force of the alchemist’s mixture through creating – water, earth and fire – and share the emotions with the spectator. Includes welcome and creation of a small piece in unfired clay to take away (modelling).

A.R.E.F.E (Association Régionale d’Expérimentation Fruitière de l’Est) 55210 HATTONVILLE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 58 18 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 55 27 http://www.prunes-et-mirabelles-de-lorraine.com e-mail: contact@prunes-et-mirabelles-de-lorraine.com • Opening dates and times: Daily with advance booking, from 8.00am to 5.00pm. • Description:Video on fruit production. Tour of an experimental orchard. Tour adapted to suit visitor interests. Experts available to demonstrate pruning, give information on recognising insects and diseases, discuss fruit harvesting etc. School parties with advance booking. Duration of visit: 1 to 3 hrs. (depending on predefined programme). • Prices: Groups (min. 10 pers. or €37 min. per tour – max. 50 pers.): A = €3.70 - C = €2.50. No charge for drivers or leader (valid for groups of 10 min.). g6

ATELIER DE TISSAGE COLINE

Mrs CHATELET - 55120 BROCOURT EN ARGONNE Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 45 52 • Opening dates and times: Saturday and Sunday afternoons and during school holidays (except February). Advance booking required for weekdays. • Description: Individual visit to a weaving workshop – from bobbin to fabric. Explanations given about the idea of weaving using cotton, flax, wool, and sometimes silk. In a village in the heart of the Argonne, Colette Châtelet has worked for 20 years, weaving like our ancestors did. She demonstrates the confident movements of her rare craft under the attentive gaze of her visitors. A shuttlelauncher, weft thread, shuttle, warp threads and set of blades, sley and card produce high-quality fabrics for household linen in cotton, linen or wool. • Prices: no charge.

1 Avenue du Bois d'Ailly - 55300 SAINT-MIHIEL Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 25 48 e-mail: herman.kampman@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: only on request. • Description:Glassmaker’s art.Techniques: fusing, heat moulding, stained glass. Visit free for individuals. Workshop offers courses in fused glass making.

ATELIER DE L'ECLISSE

Mrs Josiane Becker-Duport 2 Route de Florent - 55120 LE CLAON Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 21 34 • Opening dates and times: Open from Wednesday to Saturday between 2.00pm and 6.30pm or with advance booking. Closed public holidays. • Description: Restoration of straw-bottomed and cane chairs, old traditional style. Free entry, apart from groups with organised visit. For groups of a maximum of 15 people, booked in advance: visit with detailed presentation and demonstration of different techniques, duration 30 to 45 minutes. • Prices: A = €1.50, group €15 minimum per visit.

HERMAN KAMPMAN VERRERIE D’ART

LE MOULIN DE TRAVERON

Mrs Anne BABEL - Hameau de Traveron - 55140 SAUVIGNY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 82 79 • Opening dates and times: All year 10.00am to noon and 2.00pm to 6.30pm • Description: Art pottery. Each piece is a unique creation. These ceramics are decorated: - mosaic style, with cloisonné enamel in colours evoking the seasons, or the impetuosity of flamenco. - fired, with decorations inspired by nature - raku style, which shows off all the power of fire. In the heart of nature, the workshop and the exhibition are in a watermill whose earliest written records go back to 1734. It is still equipped with a fountain turbine. Explanations of the different techniques and demonstrations of the wheel. • Prices: no charge.

POTERIE LE SAINT GERVAIS

Mr PROFIT - 25 Grande Rue - 55140 GOUSSAINCOURT Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 83 23 • Opening dates and times: All year, daily from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm 54

GASTRONOMY :THE MEUSE - HOME OF GOOD FOOD AND DRINK

Vive la difference ! There is so much to choose from… with the little bit extra that makes all the difference. Gastronomy in the Meuse is built on local produce. It also rests on a long culinary tradition in which imagination is important.A simple list of local specialities tells a lot about the skills and love of invention. Was not a certain madeleine the inspiration of Proust? Colbert loved the dragée de Verdun, and the redcurrant preservedeseeded using a goose quill-was a favourite of Alfred Hitchcock. It will make your mouth water… Professionals of the food business in the Meuse do everything they can to satisfy your palate.They join together to protect quality, and to guarantee a warm welcome both in town and countryside. In “Cuisineries Gourmandes” as well as in “ferme-auberges” (farm inns), local recipes make the most of the variety of local products. Good food and a warm welcome – that is the Meuse! Local wine producers also contribute, along with the distillers and one major extra: beer. For many years the Meuse has been a land of breweries, carrying on a tradition that today still retains the same creative spirit.A stop-off in one of the micro-breweries of the Meuse, which are enjoying a revival, will add to the enjoyment of a stay, which will without any doubt be a culinary experience to remember. Truffles, Mirabelle plums and trout for your enjoyment!

“ Meuse et Merveilles “

Les Cuisineries Gourmandes

the quality label. Farmers and craftsmen: they believe in quality and they want you to know it. “Meuse et Merveilles”, a collective brand specially created for this purpose, is their passport to quality local produce. Its lively logo guarantees you good flavour, enjoyment and unique quality. Whatever the product, redcurrant preserve, white wine, apple juice, green lentils or beer, to name but a few pleasures, you will be delighted. Origin and quality guaranteed. A list of all the "Meuse et Merveilles" products appears in the "Bienvenue à la campagne en Meuse" (Welcome to the Meuse countryside) brochure, available on request or on our internet site http://www.meuse-et merveilles.com

The call is as clear as the slogan which unites them. The restaurateurs of the Association des Cuisineries Gourmandes cultivate and share the art of good food. But there is more. Fresh produce from the Meuse region is a religion for them. Original and delicious menus are their passion. Don’t miss the fine food and the warm welcome.

Specialities of the Meuse Redcurrant preserve deseeded with goose quills, from Bar-le-Duc Madeleines from Commercy Croquets and Rochers confectionery from Saint-Mihiel Baisers de Dagobert and Crottes de Satan confectionery from Stenay Jeannettes confectionery from Vaucouleurs DragĂŠes de Verdun Lorraine Truffles The chocolate Lorgnon LinĂŠen pages 57/58

Beers of the Meuse page 59

Wines of the Meuse page 60

Mirabelle plums page 61

Local produce pages 61 to 63

GASTRONOMY :THE MEUSE - HOME OF GOOD FOOD AND DRINK

Specialities of the Meuse Each town has its own highly-recognised speciality. Commercy has its madeleine, Verdun its dragées, Bar-le-Duc its redcurrant-preserve “caviar” and Vaucouleurs its Jeannettes....The Meuse and Lorraine will continue to delight your palate. At the end of the 17th century it was the leading region in France for the production of truffles (the famous tuber uncinatum and tuber mesentericum), still as exquisite as ever. Come and try them!

Redcurrant preserve from Bar-le-Duc j3

CONFITURES A LA LORRAINE

Mrs Anne DUTRIEZ 35 Rue de l’Etoile - 55000 BAR LE DUC Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 06 81 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 77 19 74 http://www.groseille.com e-mail: contact@groseille.com • Opening dates and times: All year, Mondays from 2.30pm to 6.00pm, Tuesdays to Fridays 10.00am to noon and from 2.30pm to 6.00pm, Saturdays from 10.00am to noon. • Description: Production of jam made from redcurrants that are deseeded using a goose quill. Deseeding demonstration in summer, when the redcurrants are ripe. Sale of products on site.

CONFRERIE DE LA GROSEILLE ET SAVEURS DES DUCS

Mr DESVOY - 53 Bd de la Rochelle 55000 BAR LE DUC Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 36 27 Mobil: 00 33 (0)6 17 76 12 10 – 00 33 (0)6 84 14 29 42 http://www.confreriegroseilles.com e-mail: confrerie.groseilles@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: From April to October and with advance booking. • Description: Production of jam made from redcurrants that are deseeded using a goose quill. Members of the Redcurrant Brotherhood act as guides for visitors to the press in Rue des Ducs. Also photographic exhibition, a chance to watch deseeding in the redcurrant season and tasting of jam and Ambroseille. Duration of visit: 1 hr.

Madeleines from Commercy j5

A LA CLOCHE LORRAINE MADELEINES GROJEAN

8 Place Charles de Gaulle 55200 COMMERCY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 25 16 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 03 75 e-mail: madeleine.grojean@stmichel.fr • Opening dates and times: Daily 9.00am to noon and 2.00pm to 6.00pm. • Description: Projection of a film – duration 20 mins. Tasting of a Madeleine cake with a tea or coffee in the tea shop. By appointment only for groups. Every afternoon from 2.30pm to 6.00pm for individuals. Opportunities for purchases in shop. • Prices: A = €2.50 including 1 madeleine + 1 tea or coffee or chocolate.

SOCIETE MADELEINES ZINS

La Boîte à Madeleines ZAE La Louvière - 55200 COMMERCY Tél.: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 40 86 Fax.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 87 47 http://www.madeleines-zins.fr e-mail: madeleines.zins@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Open every day all year, from 8.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 7.00pm. Production hours: from 9.30am to 11.30am and from 2.30pm to 5.30pm. Production plant open for visits daily except Mondays and Sunday mornings. Annual closure: 3rd week in January. • Description: Production and sale of craftsman-made madeleines (sponge cakes): mirabelle plum madeleines, chocolate madeleines, madeleinettes. Production seen through glass window. No charge. Tasting room. On advance booking for groups (15 pers.). • Prices : A = €2.10 (1 drink + 1 butter madeleine + 1 mirabelle plum madeleine).

Croquets and Rochers (confectionery) from Saint-Mihiel h5

• Opening dates and times: For individuals and groups: all year, Mondays to Fridays at 9.30am, 10.30am, 2.30pm (except Friday afternoons). Virtual visits all year round Saturdays and Sundays at 10.00am and 3.00pm. Factory shop open every day from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 1.30pm to 7.00pm • Description: Manufacture of sugared almonds and other sugared products. Manufacture of explosive shell in chocolate.Guided tour + corporate video (with advance booking). • Prices: A and C = €2.

LES CROQUETS ET ROCHERS DE SAINT-MIHIEL

Pâtisserie Boulangerie MORIN - 4 Rue Pershing 55300 SAINT-MIHIEL - Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 01 44 • Opening dates and times: With advance booking only. For groups of adults. • Description: Pastries, confectionery, chocolate, Croquets, Rochers, Sammielloises de Ligier Richier (all different confectionery), registered trademarks. Traditional French bread. Visit the laboratory, see the specialities made, and tasting: duration 1 hour. Sale of products on the premises. • Prices: A = €6.70 (150 g of Croquets and Rochers included).

Lorraine Truffles g6

Mr GARZANDAT 55160 SAINT REMY LA CALONNE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 30 63 http://www.truffiere.org • Opening dates and times: Weekends from October to December. 2 tours starting at 2.30pm and 4.00pm. Guided tours of the truffle area: - demonstration of a truffle dog at work - tasting of truffle specialities from Lorraine - sale of fresh local truffles and truffle stock. Duration of visit: 90 mins. Guided tours available on weekdays with advance booking. • Prices: A = €13, C = €5 (guided tour and tasting).

Baisers de Dagobert and Crottes de Satan from Stenay b3

MICHEL BAUMAUX

4 Rue de l'Hôpital - 55700 STENAY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 33 34 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 69 10 • Opening dates and times: Open all year round from 6.30am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 7.00pm. Closed Wednesday. • Description: Baker, pastry chef, chocolate maker. Production of Les Délicieuses madeleines, registered trade mark, cochon biscuits, registered trade mark. Specialities: chocolate confectionery crotte de Satan, Baiser de Dagobert, pavé stenaisien, fruit jellies with beer. Tasting and sale of products on the premises.

CONFRERIE DE LA TRUFFE EN LORRAINE

8 Rue d’Abainville - 55130 HOUDELAINCOURT Tel: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 64 14 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 78 84 • Description: Founded in 1996, the role of the Confrérie de la Truffe en Lorraine (Brotherhood of Lorraine truffles) is to promote and publicise Lorraine truffles. Grand Maître de la Confrérie (Confrérie Grand Master): Jacky HAIM. From October to March, every Saturday morning, cookery lessons on truffles and foie gras. Exhibition, events, truffle menu. Sale of fresh truffles.

Jeannettes from Vaucouleurs k6

TRUFFIERE DE SAINT-REMY

PATISSERIE TOMMASI FABRICE

56 Rue Jeanne d'Arc - 55140 VAUCOULEURS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 43 16 • Opening dates and times: Open all year round from 6.00am to 7.30pm. Closed Wednesday. • Description: - Jeannettes de Vaucouleurs: chocolate, hazelnuts, honey toffee - Châtelaines de Gombervaux: raspberry, almond cream, coconut - Le Valcolorois: new speciality (pralines, dark chocolate, nougatine) - Fruit gateaux a speciality.

Le Lorgnon Linéen

Dragées de Verdun

29 Rue du général de Gaulle 55500 LIGNY EN BARROIS Tel. 00 33 (0)3 29 78 41 71

Confectionery from Ligny-en-Barrois: the lorgnon is a white or dark chocolate, filled with a delicious mixture of redcurrants. It has a gold circle around it, and has a picture of lorgnettes on it, which recalls the economic activity linked to the manufacture of optical glass, established in the city from the 19th century.

DRAGÉES BRAQUIER SARL

PATISSERIE VOIRIOT

BOULANGERIE DEMÉE

5 Rue de Strasbourg 55500 LIGNY EN BARROIS Tel. 00 33 (0)3 29 78 40 18 e-mail: cyril.demee@wanadoo.fr

50 Rue du Fort de Vaux - 55100 VERDUN Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 30 00 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 83 90 51 http://www.dragees-braquier.com e-mail: ets.braquier@wanadoo.fr 58

GASTRONOMY :THE MEUSE - HOME OF GOOD FOOD AND DRINK

Beers of the Meuse Beer, the Meuse tradition In the Meuse, beer production took off in the middle of the 19th century. During this period of unprecedented population growth, nearly 40 local producers in the North of the Meuse, the Argonne, the Woëvre, the Val de Meuse and the Barrois were serving their product to customers in town and country. Starting in the 1870s, competition and mergers led to the closure of many sites.The First World War caused another break in the history of the breweries.At the end of the Great War, only ten breweries remained.Among them were the two largest: the Brasserie de la Meuse and the Brasserie Croix de Lorraine at Bar-leDuc. It was these two breweries that had greatest impact on the national imagination through the publication of the famous advertising posters by Mucha and Bastard. With their majestic designs, these works came to personify the Meuse.They are a veritable ode to the river and land of the Meuse, rich in its produce, with the image of the ancient goddesses of fecundity. Despite the closure of the plant in Bar-le-Duc in 1949, the Meuse beer brand has survived with one of the major European brewery groups, the Société Européenne de Brasserie (S.E.B.). Even today, the simple evocation of the name and its different attributes conjures up the idea of the symbolism of the early years of the century, full of finesse, gentleness and lightness.The image of a noble beer, bearing witness to the past greatness of the département.The development of micro-breweries in the Meuse during the last 20 years illustrates the revival of the beers of the Meuse. Enjoy your trip and take the opportunity of a unique and original journey, exploring times past and present.

MUSEE EUROPEEN DE LA BIERE

• Description: A farmer will take you “from the field to the foaming pint” and from the “countryside to the crust”. Visit the fields, maltings, brewery and jammaking plant. Tasting and sale of real farm-made beer and traditional jams in which the flavours are concentrated by slow simmering in copper pans heated over an oil bath. Teaching farm with national "Bienvenue à la Ferme" (welcome to the farm) accreditation. New : special mini-golf linked to beer production, countryside trails and plant maze. • Prices: - free access to workshops, countryside trails and maze

See page 26.

BRASSERIE DE CHARMOIS

Haut Château de Charmois 55700 MOUZAY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 48 19 Mobil: 00 33 (0)6 09 90 05 00 • Opening dates and times: All year with advance booking only. • Description: Hidden away in the oldest part of the Charmois estate, is the brewery in whose secrecy Charmoy beer is produced. This bottle-aged top fermentation light beer is neither filtered nor pasteurised, in line with the purest of beermaking traditions. It undergoes a slow, second fermentation process in the bottle and is surprising for the roundness and richness of its subtle flavours. On sale at the brewery. Soon a small malthouse will be set up, which will enable malt to be made from the barley cultivated on the agricultural land.

- mini-golf : A = €2 , C = €2 (- 12 ans).

L'Aventure de la Bière 45 rue des Rouyers - 55100 VERDUN Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 07 86 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 90 59 http://www.brasserie-de-verdun.com e-mail: lestam@wanadoo.fr • Description: Micro-brewery. Production of 5 types of beer. Great choice of more than 250 beers made by craftsman or semi-craftsman breweries, and a new list of more than 20 whiskies. Talk on beer every month. Concerts on Friday evenings. Snooker upstairs.

FERME DE LA VALLEE

Mr Jacques FAGOT - 55120 RARECOURT Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 41 95 http://www.rarecourtoise.com e-mail: ferme@rarecourtoise.com • Opening dates and times: the 1st Sunday of each month, and all the Sundays of July and August. Special weekday openings featured on www. argonne7sur7.com. Open for groups every day with advance booking.

BAR L’ESTAMINET

Wines of the Meuse Wines for enjoyment The wines of the Meuse and Côtes de Meuse are perfectly adapted to the local cuisine.White, red or gris (a kind of rosé), they have frank and fruity acidulous aromas which encourage a good time. Sample them at table, in the cellars of the vineyards or at the Maison Vigneronne at Hannonville-sous-les-Côtes. g6

DOMAINE DE MONTGRIGNON

Mr. Daniel et François PIERSON 9 Rue des Vignes - 55210 BILLY SOUS LES CÔTES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 35 55 ou 00 33 (0)3 29 89 58 02 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 01 04 • Opening dates and times: All year with advance booking. Duration 1/2 hr. • Description:Pays de la Meuse wines producer: white, red, gris (a kind of rosé), traditional production methods and sparkling brut mirabelle. Cellar tour and tasting. Sale of products on the premises. • Prices: no charge.

• Opening dates and times: Daily with advance booking. • Description: Pays de la Meuse wines producer: white, red, gris, traditional production blanc de blancs and rosé. Other products: Mirabelle de Lorraine, marc des Côtes de Meuse, pear, raspberry and questch (plum), crème de mirabelle, crème de quetsche, crème de pomme, lirette aperitif. Cellar tour and tasting. Sale of products on the premises. Duration of visit: 1/2hr. • Prices: No charge – max. no. of visitors: 50.

DOMAINE DE MUZY

Mr Jean Marc LIENARD 3 Rue de Muzy - 55160 COMBRES SOUS LES CÔTES Tél.: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 37 81 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 35 00 http://www.domainedemuzy.fr e-mail: muzylienard@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Daily with advance booking, preferably from 9.00am to 11.45am and from 1.45pm to 6.30pm Closed Sundays and during harvesting. • Description: Pays des Côtes de Meuse area wine producer: white, red, gris, traditional production methods, blanc de blancs and rosé. Other products: Mirabelle de Lorraine, poire Williams, marc des Côtes de Meuse, crème de mirabelle de Lorraine, Lirette. Tasting for individuals. Sale of products on the premises.

Mr and Mrs Philippe et Evelyne ANTOINE 6 Rue de l’Eglise 55210 SAINT MAURICE SOUS LES CÔTES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 38 31 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 01 80 • Opening dates and times: Daily. • Description: Pays de la Meuse wine producer: white, red, gris, traditional production blanc de blancs. Other products: Mirabelle de Lorraine, quetsche, poire Williams, prunelle, marc des Côtes de Meuse, crème de Mirabelle de Lorraine, Lirette (local aperitif). Cellar tour and tasting. Sale of products on the premises. • Price: free tasting for individuals.

SCEA DOMAINE DE COUSTILLE

10 Rue Basse - 55210 CREUË Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 33 81 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 01 88 • Opening dates and times: Daily with advance booking. • Description: Pays des Côtes de Meuse area wine producer, white, red, gris, traditional methods, eaux de vie, Mirabelle de Lorraine, Williams pear, quetsche (dark-red plum), marc brandy. Visits on request. Tasting and sale of products on the premises. Sales at the Domaine de Coustille. 23 Grand' Rue 55300 Buxerulles

DOMAINE DE LA GOULOTTE

GAEC DE L’AUMONIÈRE

Mr BLANPIED 55210 VIEVILLE SOUS LES CÔTES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 31 64 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 00 92 • Opening dates and times: All year. • Description: Pays de la Meuse wine producer: auxerrois, pinot noir, gris, traditional production blanc de blancs and rosé, spirits, liqueurs, traditional fruit juices. • Price: free tasting for individuals.

DOMAINE DE GRUY

Mr Laurent DEGENEVE 7 Rue des Lavoirs - 55210 CREUË Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 30 67 e-mail: laurent.degeneve@wanadoo.fr 60

GASTRONOMY :THE MEUSE - HOME OF GOOD FOOD AND DRINK

Mirabelle plums Land of the Queen of Plums! The mirabelle, dubbed the “Queen of Lorraine”, owes much to the growers of the Côtes de Meuse, who are as devoted to producing a delightfully sweet and juicy mirabelle plum as they are to refining its quality and renown. Try them in the open air, or at a distillery. Ancient recipes and local spirit guaranteed! Come now and taste the tarts, preserves, soufflés and other delicacies, both savoury and sweet… You will find details of manufacturers of fruit eaux de vie under the heading “les vins de Meuse”, page 60.

Local produce Pure Meuse! The generosity of nature, long traditions and the human touch. In the Meuse we know how to produce the best trout and truffles! Some local products are in the liquid state: juicy and thirst-quenching drinks. Cheeses too! Local specialty cheeses always go down well.We know this in the Meuse, and we produce 78% of the famous Brie de Meaux. Did you know that?

! Before your visit to these establishments, please contact them to confirm the opening dates and times.

FERME DES BAS DE COTE

• Description:Tour programme available on request. Tree growing in the Meuse Hills, Mirabelle plums in Lorraine, the working of the cooperative, production methods etc. For groups only. Special children’s tour showing how the fruit is turned into eau de vie. Shop selling regional products. • Price: A = €2 with tasting (local aperitif + dried mirabelle plums).

Mr. Dominioque LORANG 9 Rue de l’Enclos - 55210 BILLY SOUS LES CÔTES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 35 25 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 07 12 e-mail: dominique.lorang@orange.fr • Opening dates and times: 15/09 to 31/12, Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm, and weekends by arrangement. Rest of the year, by appointment. • Description: Raising and processing of fattened ducks (foie gras, terrines, rillettes [type of potted meat], confit, prepared dishes).

FERME DE NAVI

12 Route de Clermont - 55300 BISLEE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 11 34 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 96 74 • Description: Truffles from Meuse and Burgundy.

JARDIN DE LORRAINE

Mrs Joëlle DEPUISET 32 Rue de la Mirabelle 55210 BILLY SOUS LES CÔTES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 32 24 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 00 94 http://www.jardin-de-lorraine.com e-mail: contact@jardin-de-lorraine.com • Opening dates and times: 01/10 to 30/06, Mondays to Fridays from 8.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm.

LA FERME DE BROUENNES

11 Rue du Calvaire - 55700 BROUENNES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 69 00 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 65 38 • Description: Duck foie gras, farm poultry. Cold meats, specialities, local products. At Verdun market.

CHEVRERIE DE CHAILLON

Mrs Hélène LEBAS 32 Grande Rue - 55210 CHAILLON Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 09 39 e-mail: helene.lebas@free.fr • Opening dates and times: Thursday, Friday and Saturday 3.00pm to 6.00pm or by arrangement. • Description: Alpine goat farm. Cheese making and farm shop. Goats’ and cows’ milk products. Educational farm for kindergarten and primary and year 7. Duration of visit: 1 to 2 hrs. Farm shop selling local produce. • Price: no charge if no tasting.

Mr Jacques HAIM - 55130 HOUDELAINCOURT Tél.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 64 14 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 78 84 • Opening dates and times: Daily except Mondays from January to August and from October to December. Closed in September. • Description:Sale of local products. Terrines, foie gras, smoked salmon, fresh and tinned truffles. • Price: No charge - max.: 50 pers..

DOMAINE PISCICOLE DE LOISIRS

Route de Seuzey - 55300 LACROIX SUR MEUSE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 10 97 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 16 88 http://www.aubergedelapechealatruite.com e-mail: lafario.meuse@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: All year with advance booking. • Description: - tour of fish farm (various species, growing, reproduction, flora and fauna etc. (90 mins.) - tour of fish farm and tasting (2 hrs.) Children’s package: educational tours. • Prices - Individuals : A and C = €3 (tour of fish farm), A and C = €9 (tour of fish farm and tasting).

MIEL DRONET

77 Rue des Capucins - 55200 Commercy Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 05 19 http://www.mieldronet.com e-mail: guillaume@mieldronet.com • Opening dates and times: 7 days a week from 8.00am to 8.00pm. • Description: Bee-keeping enterprise consisting of 500 hives. The hives are moved around in several départements, including the Vosges, Moselle, Meurthe and Moselle, Marne, and Hérault, depending on the years and the flowers available for the bees. Honeys and other bee products are packaged very carefully in Commercy, and so retain all their natural properties. Products: flower honey – from acacia, lime, forest flowers, pine – flower pollen, gingerbread, propolis, beeswax, mead, and nougat. Sampling and sales on site. • Price: invididual visit free.

LA BOUTIQUE DU PERE LOUIS

LES RUCHERS DE LAHAYMEIX

Mr DUFRAIGNE Christophe 1 Grande Rue - 55260 LAHAYMEIX Tel./fax: 03 29 75 08 72 e-mail: christophedufraigne@yahoo.fr • Opening dates and times: with advance booking. • Description: Production of Meuse honey.

LES VERGERS DE COUSANCELLES

Mr Philippe PROT - 2 La Tuilerie 55170 COUSANCES LES FORGES Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 80 71 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 89 21 • Opening dates and times: 01/11 to 31/08 with advance booking. • Description:Organic fruit production: apples, pears, cherries, hazelnuts, jostaberries, currants, gooseberries. Pure apple and pear juice. Nectars of jostaberry, currants, gooseberry, peach, pear, cherry. Sparkling drinks from apple, apple-pear, apple-currant-gooseberry (alcohol-free), cider, “confidoux” (jam sweetened without sucrose), sorbets. Biodynamic agriculture: Demeter and Nature et Progrès accreditation. Guided tours for individual visitors and groups: orchard with an explanation of organic farming methods and produce tasting. Sale of products on site. Duration of visit: 90 mins. • Prices (10 min.) : A = €2.30, C = no charge for under 12’s.

FERME DES TERRES FROIDES

Mr and Mrs ORBION 4 Rue de Domremy 55500 NANCOIS LE GRAND Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 78 02 64 e-mail: claude.orbion@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: All year with advance booking. • Description: Organic Barrois green lentils.

FERME JACQUEMIN

5 Rue d'Avocourt 55120 NEUVILLY EN ARGONNE Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 42 84 • Opening dates and times: All year with advance booking. • Description: Goats’ and cows’ milk cheese. Goats’ meat sausages. Shop selling local products. Visit to the goats, teaching farm, groups welcome if booked in advance. • Prices: On request and according to attraction.

LES MOULINS DE NUBECOURT

• Description: Small-scale producer of pork meat products (sold in jars), jams and Mirabelle plums in syrup. Also distributor of local Lorraine products. Sale to individual customers, works committees and retailers. Choice of gift packs all year on request. Free tour of the production plant with advance booking (10 people maximum).

1 Chemin du Moulin - 55250 NUBECOURT Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 71 62 • Description: Manufacture of flours.

SAVEUR D'ORNAIN

Mr Guillaume 4 Rue André Maginot - 55800 REVIGNY SUR ORNAIN Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 61 61 Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 26 60 02 32 • Opening dates and times: Open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 12 noon, and from 2.30pm to 6.30pm • Description: Producer of strawberries, raspberries, asparagus, and sweet strawberry wines: “Revigny” fermented from strawberries, sparkling “Revigny”, and “Revigny” aged in oak, and sweet raspberry wine. Strawberry and raspberry syrups. Strawberry and raspberry jams.

20 Rue Raymond Poincaré 55210 VIGNEULLES LES HATTONCHATEL Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 30 12 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 02 93 • Description: Local saucisson.

FERME AUBERGE DU COLOMBIER

10 Rue du Mont - 55260 VILLOTTE SUR AIRE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 00 19 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 06 14 http://www.chez.com/fermeaubergeducolombier e-mail: ferme-auberge-du-colombier@wanadoo.fr • Description: Sale of local produce: mirabelle plums in syrup, jams, traditional pork meat products etc.

DOMINIQUE PARMENTIER

5 Rue Haute 55220 SAINT-ANDRE EN BARROIS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 55 24 e-mail: domichevrette@hotmail.fr • Opening dates and times: Open between March and November from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 2.00pm to 8.00pm by arrangement. • Description:Traditional production of goats’ cheese. Free visit to the factory. Tasting and sale of products on the premises. At the markets in Verdun on Fridays and in Bar-le-Duc on Saturdays.

Mr Michel BADIER

CLAIR DE LORRAINE

Place de l’Eglise - 55190 VOID VACON Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 80 00 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 86 65 http://www.clairdelorraine.fr e-mail: info@clairdelorraine.fr • Opening dates and times: Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 2.00pm to 7.00pm, weekends and public holidays from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm • Description:Sales of local gastronomic products (more than 250 specialities) preparation of hampers and gift packs. Producers of currant, mirabelle plum and raspberry wines etc. Visit with tasting (by arrangement) and sales on the premises.

LES TERRINES DU BARROIS

SARL Le Clos de Sarney 4 Rue Henry Estienne - 55000 VAVINCOURT Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 79 70 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 75 79 71 http://www.lesterrinesdubarrois.fr e-mail: contact@lesterrinesdubarrois.fr • Opening dates and times: Shop selling local Lorraine products. Open all year, Mondays to Fridays. Annual closure 01/08 to 15/08.

extra info: To find out more about the specialities from the Meuse, order our new free brochure "Bière et spécialités meusiennes" (Beer and specialities from the Meuse).

CURIOSITIES

PRESSOIR SEIGNEURIAL DE BAR-LE-DUC

bird, messenger of the Spring, symbol of happiness and fertility, to nest here regularly. At Damvilliers, a fenced enclosure provides a nesting site for several pairs of white storks.

75 Rue des Ducs de Bar - Office de Tourisme 7 rue Jeanne d’Arc - 55000 BAR LE DUC Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 11 13 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 21 95 http://www.barleduc.fr e-mail: barleduc.tourisme@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: Open all year round, free entrance. • Description: Lever press, characteristic of the 15th century, recalling the production of Pinot wines at Bar-le-Duc up to the end of the 19th century.

Euville Town Hall and the Pharmacy at Commercy are the only examples of art nouveau in the Meuse.

LES PONTS SUR LA SAULX

PRESSOIR DE BEAULIEU EN ARGONNE

Office de Tourisme - 6 place de la République 55120 CLERMONT EN ARGONNE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 42 22 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 42 43 e-mail: tourisme.argonne@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: All year. • Description: Thirteenth-century press.

ETANG DE LACHAUSSEE

Domaine du Vieux Moulin - 55210 LACHAUSSEE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 36 02 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 90 00 47 http://www.domaineduvieuxmoulin.com • Description:The lake of Lachaussée, in the Lorraine Regional Natural Park, spreading over more than 300 hectares, is situated in the centre of a vast network of wetlands of major biological interest in the clayey Woëvre plains. This lake is colonised naturally by a series of rings of different kinds of vegetation. There are large areas of reedbeds and zones of bushes surrounded by wetlands which make a very good habitat for animals. In order to preserve the ecological interests of the site, it has been classified as an Espace Naturel Sensible (Environmentally Sensitive Area).

At Bazincourt sur Saulx, very beautiful 17th-century stone bridge over the Saulx. At Haironville, beautiful work of art with twelve arches, protected by a cross. At Rupt-aux-Nonains, beautiful work of art with eight arches, dating from 1557, protected by a raised cross in the centre.

ART NOUVEAU IN THE MEUSE

FONTAINE-LAVOIR (LAUNDRYFOUNTAIN) OF MAUVAGES

In the centre of the village, a surprising neo-Egyptian monument known as “The Déo”, a listed Historical Monument. Its classical, colonnaded façade, featuring capitals with palmettes, is constructed in a remarkable way, with a semi-circular design. This building was restored in 1999, and has been re-filled with water.

IN DAMVILLERS

STATUE OF JULES BASTIEN-LEPAGE BY RODIN Situated in the Allée des Tilleuls, this bronze statue, representing Jules Bastien-Lepage, was created by his friend, the sculptor Rodin. It was unveiled in 1889. After his studies, Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884) started at the Beaux-Arts, and in 1875, he was 2nd in the Grand Prix de Rome. He was a painter of rural life who wanted to create an open-air workshop at Damvilliers. He was also a portraitist, and his work is reminiscent of Flemish realism. He died aged 36, leaving many works exhibited in museums all over the world. More info: another Rodin creation is to be found in Verdun.The original of this statue was created in 1879, and this copy was commissioned by the Netherlands in 1916, one year before the artist’s death. In 1920, the Dutch authorities offered the work to the town of Verdun. It was first placed on the Esplanade de la Roche, then installed in the Place Saint Paul.

CRYPTE SAINT-DAGOBERT A STENAY

Cercle Saint-Dagobert II 3 Place Raymond Poincaré - 55700 STENAY Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 48 04 - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 48 19 e-mail: cerclesaintdagobert@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: All year round Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 12 noon and from 3.00 pm to 5.00pm, weekends by arrangement. • Description In the crypt, door to the church of Saint Dagobert (9th to 12th century), the mysterious stone of Stenay, the stele of the Lost King. In the hall of Saint Dagobert, permanent exhibition of Merovingian history and archaeology, history and legends of Saint Dagobert II. • Prices: A = €2.50 - C = €2. Free entrance on National Heritage Day.

STORKS The white stork has nested in the Meuse in the past. Since 1991, the Cigognes et Nature en Meuse (Meuse Storks and Nature) organisation has been helping this

LE VENT DES FORETS See page 66. 64

DISCOVER THE FESTIVALS OF THE MEUSE

Light-hearted! So much for the tourist to see, so many excuses for a festival – throughout the year, the life of the Meuse is enlivened by a myriad festivals.The calendar is punctuated with real events, each one an occasion to meet people, make discoveries and indulge the pleasures of the senses and the emotions. The sound and light show “Des Flammes… à la Lumière” at Verdun in the summer invites you to step back into history for an evening. Gripping! Exciting in a different way may be an outdoor evening meal around a horse-drawn caravan on the historic route of the Kaiser Tunnel, in the heart of the Argonne.There are more lights, at the height of the Lorraine summer, with the excitement of the Renaissance Festival at Bar-le-Duc – a great opportunity to discover this architectural centre, when the Chateau of Ville-sur-Saulx, which also dates from the Renaissance, is the setting for a similar extravaganza!

Nature is also a source of inspiration – witness the fascinating event offered in July by the “Vent des Forêts” in Lahaymeix and the surrounding area. Come and meet international artists here, who create original yet ephemeral work in the natural environment using natural materials. From March to September, an exceptional discovery. Other unmissable rendezvous with tradition: at Azannes in the Meuse, on Sundays in May, more than 400 volunteers create a living reconstruction of some hundred crafts of the 19th century. Remarkably authentic! Indeed, it is only by immersing yourself in the events guide of the Meuse Département Tourism Committee that you can begin to appreciate just how much there is – in every corner of the area, and on every topic. Good examples are the truffle market at Houdelaincourt at weekends in the autumn, the International Circus Festival at Vaucouleurs in the spring, nocturnes at the Montmédy citadel in July and August, the Festival des Granges at the end of August, the biennial festival of the crèches at Muzeray, the December celebrations of the festival of the patron saint of Lorraine, Saint-Nicholas, and many others. For all ages. Order the Guide des Manifestations (Events guide) without delay.

Les Dimanches de Mai en Meuse "Les vieux métiers"

Since 1997, six forest villages have been hosts to international artists in the summer, during the first two weeks in July. During these periods, 130 works of art have been created, along 45 kilometres of specially-marked trails which are easily accessible between March and September on foot, on horseback or on a mountain bike. The “Vent des Forêts” works will give you rich insights into the personal development of these artists and our rural, woodland surroundings. Pause as you pass by and enjoy some charming, surprising, pleasing moments, or maybe ask yourself some questions. Circuit with lecture available if booked in advance. • Information from: Le Vent des Forêts Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 71 01 95. http://www.leventdesforets.com e-mail: leventdesforets@mcom.fr

Every Sunday in the month of May, and Ascension Day, at Azannes. A living representation of more than 80 19th-century occupations in a village built in an identical style. A “grand reality” renactment!

• Information from: Domaine des Roises Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 60 62 http://www.vieuxmetiers.com See page 23.

Festi' Val des Couleurs du Cirque Beginning of June in Vaucouleurs. Shows, teaching days for schools. Street theatre. Exhibitions about circus models. Grand parade. Gala evening with dinner and show, and election of the best items by the public, presentation of festival prizes. Mass in the big top. Stamp

Festival « RenaissanceS »

End of June/beginning of July at Bar-Le-Duc. The whole town is transformed and takes part in the spectacle, with decorated façades and costumed tradesmen, Renaissance menus, lectures, concerts, evening shows, a market, street theatre, a Renaissance tavern, and much more. Guided visits and trails illustrated with moments of dance, music, comedy and song will immerse you in the atmosphere of the Renaissance. • Information from: Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 32 65 http://www.barleduc.fr e-mail: barleduc.tourisme@wanadoo.fr

exchanges. • Information from: Office de tourisme de Vaucouleurs Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 51 82 http://www.otsi-vaucouleurs.com

Le Vent des Forêts

Son et lumière Evénement-Spectacle "Des flammes à la lumière"

Friday and Saturday evenings in June and July in Verdun. 600 volunteers in the “Connaissance de la Meuse” Association remember one of the largest conflicts in the history of mankind – the Battle of Verdun. 300 French and German actors on stage, 900 costumes, 1000 spotlights, 40 km of cables are combined with special effects to provide an imposing reminder of history in an outstanding setting in Verdun. In a performance lasting 75 minutes, the major events spanning the period between the Edwardian Era and the Great War will be unfurled before your eyes. The show ends with a message of hope with a particular significance in Verdun, since the town has become a global symbol of reconciliation. • Information from: Connaissance de la Meuse Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 50 00 http://www.connaissancedelameuse.com

DISCOVER THE FESTIVALS OF THE MEUSE

Festival International de Musiques et de Danses d'Aujourd'hui "Densités"

Les Poupées d'or du folklore

Beginning of July at Etain. The villages of the Etain area get involved with World Folklore. Shows, events, and much more, including a succession of parades which will make the day of young and old alike.

Second to last weekend in October at Fresnes in Woëvre. “Densités” offer a vast artistic “world” landscape, punctuated with surprises from free jazz to electronic music, via poetry and dance. • Information from: Association Vue d’un œuf Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 38 26. http://www.vudunoeuf.asso.fr

• Information from: Office de tourisme Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 20 80 e-mail: jean.schwartz@libertysurf.fr

Saint-Nicolas Thillombois fête de la SaintNicolas (St Nicholas’ Day)

Festival des Granges "Sur la route des guitares acoustiques" End of August at Laimont. Two days of music, more than 30 concerts, trendy and alternative, featuring pop, folk, blues, classical music, gipsy, world music, and much more – pure enjoyment! A perfect mixture of timeless music and today’s music. A festival to discover, for its eclectic quality and its friendliness.

Last weekend in November. Fête de la Saint-Nicolas. Exhibition, lectures, Saint Nicolas market, workshop and shows for children. • Information from: Connaissance de la Meuse Tel. : 00 33 (0)3 29 84 50 00 http://www.connaissancedelameuse.com

St Nicolas’ day in the towns and villages in the Meuse Around 6th December. Patron saint of children and schoolboys, who rewards good children with chocolate and gingerbread, while “Père Fouettard” gives disobedient children a beating. Many different parades in the streets of towns and villages of the Meuse attract the crowds.

• Information from: Festival des Granges Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 70 59 61. http://www.festivaldesgranges.com e-mail: contact@festivaldesgranges.com

Did you know ? Great sons of the Meuse Ligier Richier (1500-1567) : born into a family of stonemasons, he is considered the greatest sculptor of the Renaissance. Most of his works are in the Meuse.They include the famous “Transi” at Bar-le-Duc, the Sepulchre and the Fainting Virgin at Saint-Mihiel…. See page 38. Jules Bastien Lepage born at Damvillers, was a naturalist and portraitist, the leader of a school of painting which reconciled academism and impressionism. There is a museum in his honour at Montmédy At Damvillers is a bronze statue representing Jules Bastien Lepage. It is the work of his friend, the sculptor Rodin. See page 62. There is another of Rodin’s works at Verdun. This statue, the original of which was produced in 1879, is a copy requested by the Netherlands in 1916, a year before the artist’s death. In 1920, the Dutch authorities offered the work to the town of Verdun. First sited on the Esplanade de la Roche, it was later installed on the Place Saint Paul.

of Le Grand Meaulnes was discovered in 1991 in the Forest of St Rémy. His tomb, and the grave where they were buried, are open to visitors. Jean IPOUSTEGUY (1920-2006). IPOUSTEGUY (he took this from his mother’s maiden name), whose real name was Jean ROBERT, was born at Dun-sur-Meuse in 1920. First of all he was absorbed in the painting which he had studied at evening classes in the city of Paris in 1938, but he then progressed in 1953 to drawing and watercolours, then writing. But it was in sculpture that he flourished above all. His work progressed very quickly beyond the pure lines inspired by Henri-Georges ADAM, to a more abrupt style with which he made his name world-wide. Returning to the Meuse and his roots at the end of his life, he passed away at Doulcon on 8th February 2006.

Jean Berain, born at Saint-Mihiel in 1639, was Louis XIV’s ornamentalist. He made the costumes for Lully’s operas and the court entertainments. It was Maurice Barrès who gave the Voie Sacrée its name.A few figures: day and night, in both directions, one vehicle every 14 seconds carried troops, artillery, munitions, wounded, food, or, each week, 50,000 tonnes of equipment and provisions and 90,000 men. The maintenance of this route required 900,000 tonnes of pebbles. The Voie Sacrée has become a national monument, and is the only national highway in France not required to be numbered. Its kilometre posts are surmounted by a poilu’s helmet, and decorated with martyr’s palms. See page 20.

André Maginot (1877 - 1932). A French politician, especially known for having allowed the building of the Maginot Line. Although born in Paris, André Maginot came from a family whose origins go back to the beginning of the 18th century in the annals of Revigny-sur-Ornain (Meuse). In 1909, at the age of 33, he began his political career when he was elected General Councillor for the Canton of Revigny-sur-Ornain, then Député (Member of Parliament) for Bar-le-Duc, which he remained until his death.

At SAMPIGNY, a few kilometres south of Saint-Mihiel, is “Le Clos”, the summer residence of Raymond Poincaré. Today the building is a museum devoted to this man, born in the Meuse, who was President of the Republic from 1913 to 1920 during the difficult years of the Great War. See page 26. Pierre Michaux, born in Bar-le-Duc in 1813, invented the pedal bicycle in 1861 with his son Ernest, and then the motor bicycle in 1870.

Fernand Braudel (1902 - 1985). Historian, born in Lumeville-en-Ornois. Qualified as a history teacher in 1923, Fernand Braudel was unable to obtain a post at the Bar-le-Duc lycée, and was sent by the vagaries of the public-appointments system to French Algeria. He then went on to teach in Brazil. After World War II, he joined the historical magazine Annales, Économies, Sociétés, Civilisations (Annals, Economies, Societies, and Civilisations), and taught at the Collège de France from 1949. He opened history up to the study of large geographical areas and phenomena covering long periods, and became interested in pre-industrial European economics. He was elected to the Académie Française on 14 June 1984. He died in the Savoie on 27 November 1985. Fernand Braudel is internationally recognised as one of the greatest historians of his time.

Frédéric Dyckhoff invented the Diesel engine in 1897 at Barle-Duc.As he could not find a financial backer in France, he sold his invention in Germany to Mr. DIESEL. Rémi-Isidore Exelmans born in Bar-le-Duc in 1775. He was a Marshal of France, a hero of the Imperial Cavalry, and fought his last battle at Rocquencourt in 1815 against the Prussians. Nicolas-Charles Oudinot orn at Bar-le-Duc in 1775.A Peer and Marshal of France, Duke of Reggio and Governor of the Invalides. He fought with distinction at Austerlitz and Wagram. At St Rémy la Calonne lie the remains of Alain Fournier and his companions.After disappearing in battle in 1914, the author 68

Useful addresses To learn more about all these places, the following organisations are at your service:

DIEUE SUR MEUSE Office de Tourisme du Val de Meuse Rue Marlin - 55320 DIEUE SUR MEUSE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 60 75 - Fax. : 00 33 (0)3 29 88 27 86 e-mail: valdemeuse-dieue@wanadoo.fr

Tourist offices and information centres BAR LE DUC Office de Tourisme *** 7 Rue Jeanne d’Arc - 55000 BAR LE DUC Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 11 13 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 79 21 95 http://www.barleduc.fr e-mail: barleduc.tourisme@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - From 01/04 to 31/10, Monday to Saturday 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 6.00 pm - From 01/11 to 31/03, Monday to Saturday 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm.

DUN-SUR-MEUSE/DOULCON Office du Tourisme du Val Dunois * 3 bis, Avenue de la Gare 55110 DUN-SUR-MEUSE/DOULCON Tél.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 82 27 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 82 80 http://www.dun-sur-meuse.com e-mail: tourisme@dun-sur-meuse.com • Opening dates and times: - in February, March, April and October, every day (except weekends) from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - in May, June and September, every day (except Tuesday, Saturday morning and Sunday morning) from 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 6.30pm - in July and August, every day (except Tuesday) from 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 6.30pm

CHARNY SUR MEUSE Syndicat du Pays Verdunois – Canton de Charny ZAC des marronniers - 55100 CHARNY SUR MEUSE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 33 44 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 45 84 CLERMONT EN ARGONNE Office de Tourisme ** 6 Place de la République - 55120 CLERMONT EN ARGONNE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 42 22 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 42 43 e-mail: tourisme.argonne@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - from October to February, Monday from 1.30pm to 5.00pm and Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 5.00pm - from March to June and in September, Monday from 1.30pm to 5.30pm and Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm - in July and August, Monday to Sunday from 9.00am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6.00pm

ETAIN Office de Tourisme ** 31 Rue Raymond Poincaré - 55400 ETAIN Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 87 20 80 http://www.tourisme-etain.fr e-mail: otsi.etain@gmail.com • Opening dates and times: - from 01/10 to 31/03, Monday to Saturday from 1.30pm to 5.30pm - from 01/04 to 30/09, Monday 1.30pm to 5.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm Closed on public holidays and the week between Christmas and the New Year. GONDRECOURT LE CHATEAU Syndicat d'Initiative La Tour Ronde - Musée du Cheval 55130 GONDRECOURT LE CHATEAU Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 43 91 ou 00 33 (0)9 64 03 11 72 e-mail: officedutourisme.gondrecourt@orange.fr • Opening dates and times: All the year round Tuesday to Saturday from 2.00pm to 6.00pm

COMMERCY Office de Tourisme** Château Stanislas - 55200 COMMERCY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 33 16 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 91 75 75 http://www.commercy.org e-mail: ot.commercy@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - between 01/10 and 31/05, Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - between 01/06 and 30/06 and between 01/09 and 30/09, Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - between 01/07 and 31/08, Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm, Sundays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm

LIGNY EN BARROIS Office de Tourisme** 7 Rue de l’Asile - Espace St Charles - 55500 LIGNY EN BARROIS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 78 06 15 - Fax.: 00 33 (0)3 29 77 02 27 e.mail : office-tourisme@lignyenbarrois.fr • Opening dates and times: - between 16/09 and 14/06 Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm - between 15/06 and 15/09 Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 12 noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - in July and August also open Sundays and public holidays from 10.00am to 12 noon.

DAMVILLERS Office de Tourisme du Canton de Damvillers * 23 Rue Carnot - 55150 DAMVILLERS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 85 57 01 e-mail: otsidam@wanadoo.fr http://www.cc-damvillers.fr • Opening dates and times: between 15/06 and 30/08 and by arrangement all year round.

MARVILLE Syndicat d’Initiative transfrontalier de Marville et des territoires environnants Mairie - 55600 MARVILLE Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 15 15 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 14 60 e.mail : syndicatdinitiativemarville@gmail.com 69

• Opening dates and times: monday to Friday from 9.00am to 12.30pm and from 1.00pm to 5.00pm

Friday from 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6.00pm, Sundays and public holidays from 10.00am to noon and from 2.30pm to 5.00pm - in July and August, Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 7.00pm, Sundays and public holidays frm 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm.

REVIGNY SUR ORNAIN Office de Tourisme ** Rue du Stade - 55800 REVIGNY SUR ORNAIN Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 78 73 34 http://www.ot-revigny-ornain.fr e-mail: contact@ot-revigny-ornain.fr • Opening dates and times: - from 01/01 to 31/05 and from 01/09 to 31/12, Monday to Friday from 8.30am to noon and 2.00pm to 6.00pm, Saturday from 9.00am to 11.30am - from 01/06 to 31/08, Monday to Friday from 8.30a.m. to noon and 3.00pm to 7.00pm, Saturday from 9.00am to 11.30am and Sunday from 5.00pm to 6.00pm Closed annually the last 2 weeks in December (Christmas holidays).

Maison du Tourisme Place de la Nation - BP 60232 - 55106 VERDUN Cedex Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 86 14 18 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 22 42 http://www.verdun-tourisme.com e-mail: info@verdun-tourisme.com • Opening dates and times: - in January, Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to noon and from 1.30pm to 5.00pm, closed Sundays and public holidays - in February, Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to noon and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm, closed Sundays and public holidays - in March, Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to noon and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm, Sundays and public holidays from 9.00am to 1.00pm - in April, Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to noon and from 1.30pm to 6.00pm, Sundays and public holidays from 9.00am to 4.00pm - between May and September, Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 6.30pm, Sundays and public holidays from 9.00am to 4.00pm - in October and November, every day from 9.00am to noon and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm, Sundays and public holidays from 9.00am to 1.00pm - in December, Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to noon and from 1.30pm to 5.00pm, Closed Sundays and public holidays. • Activities: News, information, requests for literature, show tickets, accommodation bookings etc. Brochures and packages for visits, trips and stays for groups or individuals. Guided visits by bus for individuals. Battlefield Discovery Circuit : Price: A = €29 (reduced price booked on the internet) e-mail: resa@verdun-tourisme.com

SAINT-MIHIEL Office de Tourisme ** Rue du Palais de Justice - BP 69 - 55300 SAINT MIHIEL Tel./fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 06 47 http://www.otsi.saint-mihiel.fr e-mail: otsi.saint-mihiel@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - from 01/04 to 31/10, every day from 9.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - from 01/11 to 31/03 Mondays from 2.00pm to 6.00pm, Tuesday to Friday from 1.30pm to 5.30pm, Saturday 9.00am to noon. STENAY Office de Tourisme ** 5 Place Raymond Poincaré - 55700 STENAY Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 64 22 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 80 62 59 e-mail: otsistenay@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - in Spring/Autumn,Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm - in Summer, Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm, Sunday from 10.00am to 12.30pm - in Winter, Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Closed on Mondays.

Point info Arche Autoroute A4 – Aire Saint-Nicolas 55160 HAUDIOMONT - Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 88 32 06

Accommodation

VAUCOULEURS Office de Tourisme du Canton de Vaucouleurs** 15 Rue Jeanne d’Arc - 55140 VAUCOULEURS Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 51 82 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 89 27 43 http://www.otsi-vaucouleurs.com e.mail : o.t.s.icanton-vaucouleurs@wanadoo.fr • Opening dates and times: - January to April and October to December, Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 5.30pm - May to September, Monday to Friday from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm, 7 days a week in July and August.

Logis de France Tél : 00 33 (0)3 29 45 78 4 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 45 78 45 http://www.logis-de-france.fr e-mail: contact@tourisme-meuse.com Relais des Gîtes de France Tél : 00 33 (0)3 29 45 79 76 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 45 78 45 http://www.gites-de-meuse.fr e-mail: contact@gites-de-meuse.com Order the accommodation and restaurant guide on 00 33 (0)3 29 45 78 40

VERDUN Office du Tourisme Hôtel de Ville - 11 Rue du Président Poincaré New address from April 2008 : Pavillon Japiot Avenue du Général Mangin - 55100 VERDUN Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 29 84 55 55 – Fax: 00 33 (0)3 29 83 44 23 http://www.verdun.fr • Opening dates and times: - in January, February and December, Monday to Friday from 10.00am to noon and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm, Sundays and public holidays from 10.00am to 12.30pm - March to June and September to November, Monday to

Regional Tourism Committee PONT A MOUSSON Comité Régional du Tourisme de Lorraine Abbaye des Prémontrés BP 97 - 54704 PONT A MOUSSON CEDEX Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 83 80 01 80 - Fax: 00 33 (0)3 83 80 01 88 http://www.crt-lorraine.fr e-mail: crt@crt-lorraine.fr • Opening dates and times: all year round, Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 5.30pm, Fridays until 4.30pm. 70

You can spend unforgettable, original holidays, weekends or short breaks – in the Meuse! At any time of year, with family or friends, or on your own, one of the packages in our “Courts séjours et idées d’excursions” (Short Breaks and Day-trip Ideas) brochure will be just what you’re looking for. Discover the short breaks, 2 days/1 night or 3 days/2 nights, ready for you to enjoy with their different themes: remembrance, history, gastronomy, relaxation, biking, fishing, hunting, etc. Don’t delay – order this brochure on our internet site www.tourisme.meuse.com, and contact us for any further information you need.

OBTAINING TOURIST BROCHURES Request for information to be returned to the Meuse Département Tourist Committee Hôtel du Département BP 514 - 55012 BAR-LE-DUC Cedex - France Tél. 00 33 (0)3.29.45.78.40 - Fax. 00 33 (0)3.29.45.78.45 e-mail: contact@tourisme-meuse.com Site : www.tourisme-meuse.com Name : Surname : Addresse :

Town :

Country :

Tel.: e-mail:

I would like to receive the Meuse Département Tourist Committee newsletter* I would like to receive the following free literature

tourist map

discovery trails Argonne

guide to the Route Ligier Richier guide to the museums

Côtes de Meuse Renaissance, Bar-le-Duc Saint-Mihiel Villages détruits

tourism and fishing guide

(villages destroyed in the Battle of Verdun)

practical biking guide– 24 circuits in the Meuse

welcome to the countryside

events guide

guide to Gîtes de France

short stays and excursion ideas

Remembrance tourism

guide to accommodation and restaurants According to the “data protection” law of 6th January 1978, you have the right to access, modify, correct and delete computerised data which concern you. The information collected is the property of CDT Meuse and will not be divulged to any third party.

Keys This guide goes with the tourist map. Each site and each place has been given a code (according to the map grid) so that it can be located, and they are classified according to theme, in alphabetical order. You will also find symbols for young people/children and disabled visitors, which will allow you to see the facilities of the places concerned. Before your stay, or your excursion, be sure to contact the Tourist Information Offices in order to confirm days and times of opening.

Tourist offices

Boat hire, river cruising

“Renaissance and 17th Century”

Horse riding and equestrian tourism centres

Tourist information centres

Canoeing

Museums and cultural sites

Golf courses

“Monuments Historiques” (Historical monuments)

“Jardins remarquables” (Outstanding gardens)

For children and teenagers

Facilities for disabled visitors

Curiosities

“Remembrance tourism” sites open to the public

Fascinating religious sites and buildings

“Remembrance” sites with free access

Location on the map

Meuse Accueil guaranteeing quality service

Mediaeval buildings Local products “Meuse et Merveilles”

Chateaus

Price list key (*):

Mirabelle plum production area

Archaeological site Small breweries

A = adult. C = child Family (2 A 2 C) = composed of 2 Adults and 2 Children(**). AG = group of adults

“Stations vertes de vacances” (Rural holiday resorts) Parks and gardens

Specialities of the Meuse

SG = school group D = disabled BG = business group

Factory tours and arts and crafts

Leisure complexes

(*) All prices are quoted per person.

“Musées de France” (Museums of France)

(**) Overall price per family.

Please note: The practical information contained in this guide has been obtained from each place, or gathered in collaboration with the council offices and Tourist Information Offices who are partners in the databases of the regional tourist information network. We have taken the greatest possible care in producing this document. The Meuse Département 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 Département Tourist Committee in October 2007. Please do not hesitate to inform us of any comments or suggestions. Thanks: A big thank you to everyone who has taken part in producing this document (editorial, design, logistics etc). Photo credits: Agence PLP – Michel PETIT – Maison du Tourisme de Verdun – Jean-Marie LECOMTE – Vincent MUNIER – Frédéric BOITEUX – Daniel LEROY – Musées de la Meuse – Reza A. NADERI. Editing of general text: Claude VAUTRIN.