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Motorhoming in Aisne
Aisne is in the west of Picardie and touches the border of Belgium at the same time as being a neighbour to Paris. As well as being a place of cultural exchange, Aisne is also a place to visit when hiring a motorhome in France or hiring a motorhome in England. Travel around the department using the Aires de Service in Aisne for your stopovers and visit Aine’s towns, châteaux and sites of historical interest.
The ‘Chemin des Dames’ or the Ladies Route is so named because it was the route taken regularly by the daughters of Louis XV between the Château of the Bove and the residence of the Duchess of Narbonne. Stretching between the towns of Soissons and Laon, it was also the unfortunate territory which saw the biggest disaster of the 1914-1918 war when the French offensive led to the loss of 270,000 men in just a few days. The centre of Soissons was rebuilt in the 1920’s in an Art Deco style after being badly damaged in the war.
The town had grown in importance at the time of the industrial revolution and is today charming. The façade of the Abbey of Saint Jean de Vignes stands proud after being left to go to ruin and then disassembled stone by stone in order to restore the 12th century cathedral, equally magnificent and one of the most beautiful examples of early Gothic art. The ‘high’town of Laon boasts a cathedral, 3 Abbeys , 16 churches, a royal palace and more than 80 classed monuments and is protected by 8kms of ramparts. Victor Hugo said to his wife that everything about Laon was beautiful.
The department has several château which can be visited and also for those interested in the history of the war, the ‘Dragons Cavern’. The Germans converted these caverns, stone quarries which had been exploited between the 16th and 19th centuries, and occupied them during the war. They installed amongst other things a chapel and dormitories. The daily life of the soldiers can be imagined with the help of archives, photos and documents and is an unforgettable experience.
Motorhome travel in France wouldn’t be complete unless you go motorhoming in Champagne Ardenne, motorhoming in Ile de France or motorhoming in Haute Normandie.
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