If you want to combine hiking and architectural history in Vauxcéré, there are two clear starting points: a variant of the La Belle-Aumône Route and the parish church, Église paroissiale de la Nativité de la Vierge. There are also houses built against caves. This means the stay is shaped not only by the landscape and the trail, but also by the village itself and the church’s architectural history, which give it a specific theme.

Route, village and views

A variant of the La Belle-Aumône Route leads into the village. Near the church, the route continues along a paved path. For navigation, this means that Vauxcéré is a named stop along the route, and the church is a specific point on it. Trail conditions may change, so check them before setting out.

The houses in Vauxcéré are built against caves. This relationship between the buildings and the caves gives the walk through the village an architectural theme. The section of the route through Vauxcéré also offers a panorama over the Aisne Valley and the Chemin des Dames plateau. The view takes in two distinct types of landscape; visibility may vary with the weather. In very clear conditions, you can also see the cathedrals of Soissons, Reims and Laon from the route’s viewpoint. This distant view is explicitly dependent on clear conditions and is distinct from the panorama over the valley and plateau.

The architectural history of the parish church

The Église paroissiale de la Nativité de la Vierge stands on Rue de l’Eglise. It was built in the late 12th or 13th century. Its architectural history therefore reaches back to the Middle Ages, while several later alterations provide further points of reference.

The bell tower was rebuilt in 1788 by Jean-Baptiste Mulette, a building contractor from Fismes. In the late summer of 1918, the church was severely damaged during the retreat of German troops; restoration followed from 1924 to 1931. This sequence distinguishes the bell tower’s reconstruction from the later war damage and restoration.

Earlier changes are also part of the story: probably as a result of damage during the Hundred Years’ War or the Wars of Religion, the church lost its aisles and south transept arm. Since the restoration, a bell gable has replaced the former crossing tower—that is, the tower above the crossing where the nave and transept meet. The history cannot therefore be reduced to a single building phase: its medieval origins, reconstruction, losses and later architectural solution all stand side by side.

Which focus suits your trip?

The route brings the landscape and village houses into view; the church offers several building phases that can be placed in chronological context. If you mainly want to spend time outdoors, focus on the route section through Vauxcéré and the panorama. If you are more interested in architecture, you can trace the parish church’s development from its medieval construction to its restoration. Two conditions are especially relevant when planning: trail conditions may change, and the distant view of the three cathedrals is possible only in very clear conditions.

Discover more destinations: Viels-Maisons, Origny-En-Thiérache, Prémont, Wimy, Beaumont-En-Beine, Ugny-Le-Gay, Vendeuil, Serches.

Return to the regional travel overview: Aisne.