BEGINNING OF THE MeuSE AND THE MARNE
Our route from the Netherlands to our home in Spain takes us through the heart of France, and this time we make a stop that feels like a reunion with old friends. After a short stay in Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg, we are now settling in Langres. This is a place where history becomes personal to us.
As we drive onto the campsite, our thoughts travel back to two years ago. Back then, we stayed here with the camper, an experience I already wrote about in detail at the time. We especially do not easily forget the walk along the city walls. But our memories go even further back, a full forty years.
Back then, we stayed here with a simple little tent, on our way back to the Netherlands after a summer holiday in France. Now, the tables are turned, we travel south and the tent has made way for a tent trailer.
Tent trailer, lesson in patience
Setting up our Camp-let North is a ritual that we are still refining. Although things are not going smoothly yet, we do notice that we are getting faster and more convenient than during our stop in Luxembourg. It is clearly a matter of the right order, an efficient logistics process and a good cooperation.
While we hammer the pegs into the French soil, we feel the sun of the Haute-Marne on our backs. We are on familiar ground again and no longer need to explore the city, which brings peace. However, we do want to discover something new.
The plan was actually to test our new Forza e-bikes in the area extensively. We looked forward to the wind in our hair during a ride through the rolling landscape. Unfortunately, Ankie’s injury – she strained several muscles – spoils those plans. A cycle ride of 35 kilometres is not possible at the moment, so we decided to take the car to visit some legendary springs nearby.
Pouilly-en-Bassigny, where the Meuse originates
Our first destination is Pouilly-en-Bassigny. Here, hidden in the landscape that at first glance seems flat, the Meuse springs. It is a place of great symbolic value. As the information signs here indicate, the Meuse is a “real European river”. It reflects the friendships and quarrels of an entire continent.
The discovery of the source is a story of endless perseverance. It was Abbot Joseph Evrard, an avid hiker and discoverer from Liège, who became obsessed with finding the origin of the Meuse. In 1963, he left Givet and began a 450-kilometre journey along the river.
Soon, he reached the region of the Plateau de Langres, where it is bursting with springs between the Mediterranean Sea and the North Sea. However, after its discovery, it was not until 1977 that it was officially accepted that the source is indeed located here in Pouilly. Evrard died in 1991, but left the world a beautiful gift: the source of the Meuse. From our digital search, we realise that it is the longest rainy river in Europe that contains water all year round.
Meuse Valley, centuries-old frontier of power
It is impressive to consider that this modest stream formed the border with the Holy Roman Empire in the 14th century. At that time, the Meuse was not just a waterway but the dividing line between two great spheres of influence. The Meuse formed the symbolic and often literal border between the French kingdom and the patchwork of principalities under the German Emperor.
In the 17th century, the character of this border changed fundamentally. The French King Louis XIV sought so-called ‘natural borders’ for his kingdom. The Meuse valley was of crucial importance here; whoever controlled the river controlled the access routes to the heart of Europe.
With the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678, Louis XIV managed to strategically retain the region around the Meuse valley. This treaty marked the end of the Franco-Dutch War. Although France had to give up some occupied territories in the Northern Netherlands, Louis succeeded in creating a chain of fortified cities along the border, the so-called Pré carré..
Legacy of a defense line
The fortification of this region was largely the work of the famous military architect Vauban. He built impressive citadels along the Meuse, such as in Namur and Dinant, to protect French interests against incursions by the Habsburgs. What we see now as a peaceful landscape was once a heavily guarded military corridor that determined the balance of European power.
As such, the modest waters of today are the silent witnesses to centuries of diplomatic tug-of-war and bloody conflicts that shaped the contours of modern Europe. Today, the river mainly brings people together. In Le Châtelet-sur-Meuse, a monument from 1980 commemorates the Franco-Belgian-Dutch friendship.
This is a sign of connection that becomes tangible here on the banks of a stream. This is especially true when we consider that this grows into a mighty river that flows into the North Sea over 900 kilometres away.
Source of the River Marne
After the start of the Meuse, we drive on to the source of the Marne. This is a very different experience. From the car park, we make a significant descent on foot. Here, the air is cool, and the vegetation is lush. Where the Meuse starts in an open field, the Marne almost seems to hide in the depths of the plateau.
Historically, the Marne is of invaluable importance for shipping towards Paris. The discovery of its sources dates back to antiquity, when the Gallo-Romans already appreciated the power of this water. It is fascinating to see the water seep from the rocks, knowing that hundreds of kilometres away it flows through the French capital as a wide river. The walk back up is tough. But having caught a glimpse of the birth of such a mighty river makes it all worthwhile.
De wandeling terug naar boven is pittig, maar nu we een blik hebben geworpen op de geboorte van zo’n machtige rivier maakt dat alles goed.
Langres, full of memories
Back in Langres, we walk through the historic centre for a while. This fortified city on the plateau offers beautiful views over the valleys we just explored. It feels good to be here again. The campsite, the springs and the history of this area form a common thread in our own travel stories.
Tomorrow we continue our way south, further towards Spain. The trailer tent will be folded up again, hopefully faster than last time, and we leave the rolling landscape of the Haute-Marne behind us. But we take the memory of the springs and the lessons of Abbot Evrard with us.
Langres, sometimes you have to search for years, like Abbot Evrard, to find what you are looking for, while other times, returning to a place where you were forty years ago is enough to come full circle. Now it is time to return home and make new travel plans.
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