Ardennes: Rimbaud's Homeland and the Forest Frontier
Ardennes, France's northernmost department, shares borders with Belgium. The forested Ardennes hills were the route of the German offensive in both 1940 and the 1944 Battle of the Bulge (though the latter was primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg). Charleville-Mezieres, the prefecture, is the birthplace of Arthur Rimbaud, who grew up here and wrote most of his revolutionary poetry before the age of twenty. The city hosts an international puppet festival every three years.
Sedan has the largest medieval fortress in Europe by footprint. The Battle of Sedan in 1870 led to Napoleon III's capture and the fall of the Second Empire. The department has about 272,000 residents and has been losing population. The Meuse river winds through the department's western portion. Metallurgy and foundry work, once major industries, have declined significantly.
Show more
Ardennes, France's northernmost department, shares borders with Belgium. The forested Ardennes hills were the route of the German offensive in both 1940 and the 1944 Battle of the Bulge (though the latter was primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg). Charleville-Mezieres, the prefecture, is the birthplace of Arthur Rimbaud, who grew up here and wrote most of his revolutionary poetry before the age of twenty. The city hosts an international puppet festival every three years.
Sedan has the largest medieval fortress in Europe by footprint. The Battle of Sedan in 1870 led to Napoleon III's capture and the fall of the Second Empire. The department has about 272,000 residents and has been losing population. The Meuse river winds through the department's western portion. Metallurgy and foundry work, once major industries, have declined significantly.
Country selected
Region selected
Optional — select or proceed
