The Surrounding Area and its Activities
As you can see below, our region provides a great choice of activities.
We ordered them into 4 categories:
- History and French Traditions
- Sports
- Outdoors Activities
- Gastronomy and Oeonology



History and French Traditions

The Stronghold of the Dukes of Guise à Guise (30 min from the hotel)
Fortified castle built in the 10th century. It exhibits the evolution of military architecture in the past millenium.

The The Familistère in Guise including the famous Godin factory in Guise (30 min from the hotel)
Created in 1857 by Jean-Baptiste-André Godin, this Familistère is known as the first large-scale experiment in social utopia.

The Museum of the Dark Ages in Marle (15 min from the hotel)
Come and discover the Franks during the times of Clovis at the Archaeological Park. You will travel across Early Middle Age, especially during the Merovingian period.

The Ecological Museum of the Avesnoise Region (30 min from the hotel)
Created 25 years ago, this network of 4 museums allows you to discover the traditionnal craft industries of the Avesnoise region.

The Laon Cathedral (45 min from the hotel)
Gothic cathedral built in the 12th century.

The Reims Cathedrale (1 h from the hotel)
Gothic cathedral built in the 13th century.

The fortified churches of Thiérache in the Brune valley (15 min from the hotel)
Those 60 churches were built in the 16th and 17th centuries to avoid ennemy invasions.

The Chemin des dames Museum: la Caverne du Dragon in Oulches-la-Vallée-Foulon (1 h from the hotel)
The Chemin des Dames is known to be an important battlefield during the First World War on which hundreds of thousands soldiers lost their life.

The Military museum of Thiérache in Martigny (25 min from the hotel)
This museum displays authentic documents and military artifacts from 1870 to today.

The Alfred Desmasure museum in Hirson (25 min from the hotel)
In the family house of Auguste Labouret, this museum is a tribute to Auguste Labouret, glassmaker and tile setter.

The Jean Mermoz Museum in Aubenton (30 min from the hotel)
Located at the aviator's birthplace, the museum presents photographs, correspondence, period newspapers, posters, models, personal belongings and medals.

The Rural life and Forest Museum in Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache (30 min from the hotel)
You will discover the traditionnal crafts of the region: forest exploitation and wood work, livestock farming and milk processing.

The Clog Museum in Buironfosse (25 min from the hotel)
Exhibition on the craft of clog making, its tools and its old machines.

His Eminence Pigneau de Behaine's Museum in Origny-en-Thierache (20 min from the hotel)
His Eminence Pigneau de Behaine was a French missionary who founded French Indochina.

The Castle and Museum in Montgobert (1 h 20 min from the hotel)
This castle has been built in the 18th century in a romantic park in which is the tomb of the French Général Leclerc.

The St Michael Abbey in Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache (30 min from the hotel)
Built in 945 et fully restored, This abbey shelters the famous Boizard organ (Louis XIV period) and wall paintings of the legend of Saint Benoît.

The Baroque music festival in Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache (30 min from the hotel)
Created in 1987, this music festival takes place in the St Michael Abbey. The2011 edition last June and July was a real success.

The Cistercian Abbey of Bohéries in Vadencourt (35 min from the hotel)
Built in 1143, this abbey is the last remain of the powerful Cistercian Abbey of Bohéries.

The "Le Démocrate de L'Aisne" weekly newspaper in Vervins (5 min from the hotel)
In a 19th century setting, the publishing of the "Démocrate de l'Aisne" remains unchanged: started as a daily newspaper, it is today a weekly one printing 1200 copies from their 1936 rotary press.



Sports


Tennis au Thiérache Vervins Tennis Club (5 min from the hotel)

Rifle Shooting in the Club de La Vervinoise (5 min from the hotel)

Golf 18 holes in the Golf de l'Ailette (50 min from the hotel)

Go-Karting in the club of Karting Hirson (25 min from the hotel)

Racecourses in the International Racecourse of La Capelle (20 min from the hotel)

Canoeing on the river Oise in the club Canoë Evasion d'Autreppes (10 min from the hotel)

Aquatic Centre of the Ile Verte in Hirson: Indoor and outdoor pools and slides, Spa, Fitness and Bowling (25 min from the hotel)

Pool and ice rink in the sport centre of Le Dôme in Laon (45 min from the hotel)

Hiking on the Axe Vert of Thiérache.

Several Riding Schools, Hiking Tours, Mountain bikes.

First flight in a hot-air balloon at the club of Mongolfières du Roy (20 min from the hotel)

Flying club of the Aéroclub de Thiérache in Vigneux-Hocquet (15 min from the hotel)

First and Second category Fishing.



Outdoors activities


Natural Reserve of the Stag Valley in Etréaupont (10 min from the hotel)
Discover more than 1000 stags, fawns in the wild.

Forest Walks with accredited guides.

Ferme de la Liesse in Nouvion-en-Thiérache (30 min from the hotel)
Go back in time in that farm and (re)discover the yesteryear farming life.



Gastronomy and Oeonology


The Champagne cellars in Reims (1 h from the hotel)
You can visit the reknowned Champagne cellars like Bollinger, Lanson, Martel, Mumm, Pommery, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot.

Ostrich meat production at Thiérache Autruches in Besmont (25 min from the hotel)

Organic Honey production in Lugny (10 min from the hotel)

Local farming products (Cider, jams, rabbit terrine) in the Ferme de la chapelle Jérôme in Nouvion-en-Thiérache (30 min from the hotel)

Traditional selection of beers produced by the Brasserie de Bernoville (created in 1856) in Aisonville-et-Bernoville (40 min from the hotel)

Regional cheese tasting (Maroilles, Vieux Lille, Boulette d'Avesnes, Dauphin) at Les fromagers de Thiérache in Nouvion-en-Thiérache (30 min from the hotel)

The market of Thiérache Fermière in Vervins (5 min from the hotel), the first Friday of each month



For more details, you can also visit the following websites: J'aime l'Aisne.