CHARLEVILLE-MEZIERES, Ville Fleurie "3 Fleurs"

Nearly 50 "Carolomacériens" live in the capital of the Ardennes department.

City of the knight Bayard (1521), of the Italian prince Charles de Gonzague (founder of Charleville in 1606) and city which saw the birth of the poet Arthur Rimbaud, Charleville-Mézières has more than "one story up its sleeve"….

As you stroll through the lively streets of the town, don't miss:

– Place Ducale (architectural jewel of the 17th century)
– the Ardennes Museum
– the Rimbaud Museum (attention! Closed for work in 2014)
– the fortifications of Mézières
– the Notre Dame d’Espérance Basilica, in flamboyant Gothic style
……

World Capital of Puppetry Arts, the city hosts, every 2 years, the World Festival of Puppet Theaters – See www.festival-marionnette.com
Original …. : the Great Puppeteer's Clock, an automaton reciting 12 scenes from the Ardennes legend of the Four Sons Aymon (visible all year round) a stone's throw from Place Ducale.

Charleville's "green lungs":
– Mount Olympus
– the island of Vieux-Moulin
– Pierquin Park
– the station square
and the numerous playgrounds and squares…

On the leisure side…: aquatic center, cinema, bowling…. without forgetting the Trans-Ardennes Greenway for walks, bike rides or rollerblades.

Terroir side: every 2nd Friday of each month between June and September Local Producers Market on the Place Ducale