3 fortified sites within a 30 km radius
It is exceptional but in Avesnois, 3 towns were fortified by Vauban. A commercial and military crossroads in Europe, Louis XIV asked the famous builder to modernize the defenses of the cities he had just annexed. Le Quesnoy, Avesnes-sur-Helpe and Maubeuge were thus rebuilt according to his wishes. So don't hesitate to come and discover the best preserved fortified town in France, Le Quesnoy, which has remained intact since the XNUMXth century.rd century. Go to Maubeuge where there is a Zoo in the heart of its ramparts! And finish by taking the hiking trails along the walls of Avesnes-sur-Helpe which run along the Helpe river and the Saint Nicolas Collegiate Church of the 11thrd and XIIrd centuries (currently closed for works, visible only from the outside).
Maubeuge
La Gate of Mons is undoubtedly the emblem of the city's fortifications. It is also in this magnificent building that the Tourist Office is located. A little further, another specificity of Maubeuge, zoo. It's a dive in the ditches which allows you to discover the enclosures of the hippopotamus, zebras and zebus. Conversely, by climbing the steps that lead to the bastion, you can rub shoulders with llamas and alpacas. And above all, have a breathtaking view of this city which has been rebuilt many times.
To discover the fortifications, visits are offered all year round for groups and during the summer for individuals, through the Tourist Office.
Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Avesnes appears around 1080 as a castle town located between the towers of its first known lords Wédric the Bearded and Thierry, on a cliff overlooking the Helpe.
Avesnes becomes one of the main strongholds of Charles V. From the 1540s bastioned fortifications, built under the direction of Jacoppo Seghizzi, of which the underground rooms of the Bastion de la Reyne are the testimony, enveloped the medieval fortifications. The fortifications are constantly enlarged as evidenced by the spectacular Bastion Saint-Jean completed in 1659.
The city returned to France in 1659. Then came a quiet period when, sheltered from the fortifications revised by Vauban (in particular the Pont-des-Dames), the Town Hall and 300 houses were rebuilt.
The Restoration saw the creation of the Bastion Saint-Louis which included casemates serving as stores. But from 1873 the dismantling took place, which nevertheless left most of the ramparts remaining.
The Quesnoy
The largest fortified site after Carcassonne, when you enter the city, you immediately feel the strength of these ramparts erected there too, by Vauban. Its gates, its bastions, its half-moons, its curtain walls are all opportunities to immerse yourself in the history of this incredible place. Besides here they say, “Go for a walk in the ramparts” and that is the advice we give you. Multiple walks allow you to appreciate the work of the 17th century builders. The circuit of the ramparts takes you sometimes into the ditches, some of which have been transformed into preserved wetlands, sometimes to the heights to fully appreciate the view of the city.
Eric Leclercq
Eric Leclercq