48 hours in Charleville-Mézières and the Meuse Valley

Great East/2024

Charleville, attached to its neighbor Mézières, is the prefecture of one of France's most beautiful departments, the Ardennes, rich in prodigious natural beauty, with the immense Ardenne forest covering a large part of it and extending into Belgium, Luxembourg and as far as Germany. This deep, magnificent massif, which nestles in the meandering river, inspires many tales and mysteries.

With its Place Ducale, Charleville boasts a veritable jewel of Baroque architecture from the Louis XIII period: 26 stone and brick pavilions with slightly bluish Fumay slate roofs, in remarkable harmony, with the added grace of a gallery of arcades. The four streets that run perpendicular to it define the downtown districts around this square. The architect's name is Clément Métezeau, the brother of Louis Métezeau, who designed the Place des Vosges at the same time (1606-1607), hence the resemblance between the two works. Charleville-Mézières is also, through two of its great figures - Charles de Gonzague, who founded it, and Arthur Rimbaud, who grew up here - an incredibly romantic and inspiring place for those who wish to follow in the footsteps of these heroes. The first, Charles de Gonzague, was Prince of Mantua and Duke of Rethel on his father's side, and Duke of Nevers on his mother's. His father was an aristocrat. He toured all the battlefields of Europe, had Charleville built in 1606 as his capital, had six children with his wife Catherine, and died in Mantua at the age of 57. As for Arthur Rimbaud, a brilliant pupil noticed as a solitary genius from childhood by his teachers, he grew up in the shadow of an authoritarian mother before leaving Charleville (which he called "Charlestown") as if he were escaping from it. Rereading his poems Roman ("You can't be serious when you're seventeen") or Ma Bohème ("I was leaving, my fists in my tired pockets"), it's hard to resist wandering these streets, following Rimbaud's itinerary or visiting the museum dedicated to him. Then take the forest road, following the Meuse and its loops to Monthermé and Revin; the landscapes are dark, secret and beautiful. To soak up even more of it, book an evening at Tchar Scaille and follow the ruisseau de l'Ours along the small forest road called Six Chenons to Hautes-Rivières. On the way back, pass by Mont Malgré Tout, enjoy the superb views over Revin and the Meuse valley, and plan another stopover at the Ferme-auberge du Malgré Tout.

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