On
a
clear
day
the
towers
of
Laon
cathedral
can
be
seen
from
miles
around.
The
city
of
Laon
is
known
in
French
as
the
“Montagne
Couronnée”
(crownèd
hill).
Within
its
ramparts
stand
over
80
listed
buildings,
abbeys,
churches,
town
houses.
In
Laon
you
can
go
on
a
town
“hike”
as
there
are
kilometres
of
wooded
tracks
running
between
the
upper
and
lower
towns.
Around
the
city
the
hills
of
the
Laonnais
are
home
to
a
number
of
elegant,
historical
houses
known
as
“vendangeoirs”
(wine
grower’s
houses),
a
testament
to
the
time
when
this
region
produced
wine.
The
Vendangeoir
Trail
takes
you
through
some
lovely
villages,
such
as
Orgeval
or
Bourguignon
sous
Montbavin,
birthplace
of
the
Le
Nain
brothers.
Further
West
stands
the
forest
of
Saint-Gobain,
a
great
place
for
walks,
and
the
imposing
castle
at
Coucy.
To
the
South
is
the
Chemin
des
Dames,
a
place
forever
linked
to
that
bloodiest
of
conflicts,
the
First
World
War.
