Tourist guide

Marne DEPARTMENT

Préfecture : Châlons-en-Champagne
Sous-préfectures : Epernay, Reims, Sainte-Menehould, Vitry-le-François
Population : 566 000 hab
Site web : www.cg51.fr

MONTMIRAIL

KM 31.5 : MONTMIRAIL (Pop: 3,800)

Montmirail is noted for the battle which took place on February 11, 1814 and saw the victory of Napoleon troops against the Russian forces led by General Osten-Sacken and the Prussians of General Johann Yorck. The town also has a nice 16th century castle.

SEINE-ET-MARNE DEPARTMENT

Prefecture : Melun
Population : 1,250,000
Web site : www.seine-et-marne.fr

Wheatfield and battlefields have marked the history of the department. Long considered Paris food cellar, Seine et Marne has retained its reputation for fine food with products such as the Brie cheese or the Meaux mustard. Its strategic importance and its proximity with Paris have led prominent figures to settle here. The Vaux le Vicomte or Fontainebleau castles bear witness to the department’s prestigious past. The development of the Paris region since the 1950s saw the department’s population double in 40 years to reach 1.2 million today. New towns such as Melun-Senart or Marne la Vallee were created after the War. Marne la vallee is home to Eurodisney, the department’s main employer.

PROVINS

KM 81.5 : PROVINS (Pop: 12,600)

Built on a hill where once stood a Roman fort, Provins is a charming town registered as a World Heritage site since 2001. Its importance was already evident in the 9th century when the town issued its own money and held a major fair under the protection of the Dukes of Champagne. This wealthy period, which made Provins the third biggest town in France behind Paris and Rouen, left a lasting mark on the city. Its famous walls, built between 1226 and 1314, are 1.2 kms long and include 22 towers of various shapes. The most famous is the Cesar Tower, the only known octagonal tower with a square base. It was mostly used as a prison and was held by the English during the 100 years War. Mysterious galleries run beneath the walls and have been used as a setting by novelist Umberto Eco in his book Foucault’s Pendulum. Provins is also the birthplace of David Moncoutie, twice a stage winner on the Tour. He finished 13th overall in 2002.

LONGUEVILLE

KM 90 : LONGUEVILLE (Pop: 1,700)

The town is known for its railway viaduct but also for a huge engine shed, the only one of its kind left from the early 20th century. Made of wood, bricks and glass panes, the semi-circular warehouse was built in 1911. With a 90 metres diameter and a turning bridge in its centre, the rotunda was equipped to serve 20 railways and until its closure in 1962 was solely used for steam engines. It was restored in 2006 and open to the public who can visit the railroad museum inside.

MONTEREAU-FAULT-YONNE

KM 117 : MONTEREAU-FAULT-YONNE (Pop: 18,000)

Montereau has been famous since 1419 when the Duke of Burgundy, John the Fearless fell in an ambush while he was meeting King Charles VII. He was murdered by knights Tanguy du Chatel et Sir Barbazan. The Notre-Dame et Saint-Loup church holds a sword thought to have belonged to John the Fearless. His son Philippe took the town, which remained under the control of England’s and Burgundy’s allies for eight years. Montereau was also the site of one of Napoleon’s very last victories in 1814, when he beat the Austrian army.
In the 19th century, Montereau became a small industrial centre specialising in earthenware and chemicals. In 1955, a huge basin was built at the confluence of the Seine and Yonne rivers to facilitate the traffic of barges. Montereau held three Tour stages in 1977, 2004 and 2009.

VILLE SAINT-JACQUES

KM 126.5 : VILLE SAINT-JACQUES (Pop: 723)

Nearby Moret-sur-Loing was the native town of Rene Pottier, winner of the 1906 Tour de France. He committed suicide in 1907.

NEMOURS

KM 144 : NEMOURS (12,600)

The Nemours castle, probably built as early as the 12th century, was restored by Jacques d’Armagnac, Duke of Nemours in the 15th century. It became the town’s property with the French Revolution in 1789 and was used as a warehouse, a theatre and a school. It has been a museum of local history since 1903. It is well worth a visit with paintings by Daumier, Delacroix and Goya as well as drawings made by Victor Hugo when he spent some time in town. Nemours held the start of the last stage of the 1988 Tour de France, won in Paris by Jean-Paul Van Poppel.

SAINT-PERRE LES NEMOURS

KM 148.5 : SAINT-PERRE LES NEMOURS (Pop: 5,700)

The site was always favoured by its location on the outskirts of the Fontainebleau forest and by the Loing river and it developed mostly along the hilly left bank. A church was built in the early 12th century: the St Pierre and Paul church, restored in the 15th century with its square tower and its slate roof.
The La Joie-les Nemours Royal Abbey, depending on the Citeaux order, was founded in 1211. Over the village , the Rochers-Greau forest with its 50 acres of wood is ideal for trekking and climbing. Among the town’s celebrities are writer and French resistant Jean Prevost (1901-1944) killed in action in the Vercors under the name of Captain Goderville. Cartoonist Allan Barte also comes from St Pierre.

CHATEAU-LANDON

KM 166 : CHATEAU-LANDON (Pop: 3,200)

In 52 BC, Julius Caesar besieged the town, which still gives his names to several local buildings like a bridge or a path which was possibly used by 60,000 Roman soldiers when they attacked the local Gauls. The town’s military vocation was later confirmed when walls were built. Very prosperous in the Middle Ages, Chateau Landon was the first home of the Plantagenet, who later reigned over England, as it was the birthplace of Foulque IV, the dynasty’s founder. Careers briefly brought a relative wealth but tourism is nowadays the town’s main asset.

LOIRET DEPARTMENT

Prefecture : Orléans
Population : 647,000
Web site : www.loiret.com

The Loiret department holds a major communication and strategic position in France, making it a much disputed area throughout history. Its economy is mostly rural, forest and cattle providing most of its wealth. Small industries have developed around towns like Orleans and Montargis while gastronomy remains an essential fixture with specialities such as vinegar and poultry in Orleans, pastries in Pithiviers, game in Sologne, honey in Gatinais and Loire Valley wines.