Instant climbs #4 | Rural path from the Ardon ramp > Temple path

The bandstand was inaugurated with great fanfare on 16 June 1877 and remains one of the most notable examples of urban creation in Laon at the start of the Third Republic, allowing the general public to listen to all kinds of musical repertoires, from military music to operetta via ‘grande musique’. If we stick to the definition of a bandstand, i.e. ‘a pavilion open on all sides, set up in a garden or on a public promenade’, then this is exactly what we have here, as the one in Laon is located just a few metres from the Porte d'Ardon, on the Promenade de la Couloire at the foot of the southern ramparts... And the location was not chosen at random, offering superb views over the Ardon plain and the hills of the Laonnois region, as well as the Saint-Vincent reservoir...

Via this climb up Mont d'Ardon, you will reach these small paths, a kind of shortcut traced during the 19th century when Mont d'Ardon was developed. Rather bucolic, aren't they?

Did you know that you are standing on the original road that led to the upper town via the Ardon district, before the current ramp was built?Fun fact: at the end of the 19th century, poplar trees were supposed to be planted along this avenue, but in the end it was ‘herbal tea trees’ that were planted... Hence its name!

After taking a pretty little side street from Allée des Tilleuls, you will find yourself on Rue Joseph-Rault (which you may also see written as ‘Raux’), named after the departmental head of the Resistance during the Second World War. He was arrested by the Gestapo in June 1944, tortured and deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp, where he died in May 1945.

This name is very recent – it was given in July 1997 – because previously this climb was known as Chemin de la Goutte d'Or (let us not forget that in the Middle Ages, Laon wine was renowned and even served at the coronation of the Kings of France in Reims... At the beginning of the 11th century, ‘Le Clos Saint-Rémi’ and the nearby ‘La Goutte d'Or’ vineyard were already well known and renowned).

The church of the United Church of France, built in 1887 on the southern flank of the Laon plateau on the former hill of the arquebusiers, is a sober building financed by Reformed families. It is an active place of worship, hosting Protestant services and ecumenical meetings...

This urban Benedictine abbey, founded by Saint Salaberge in the 7th century AD, occupied a large part of the city. It was ruined by the Hundred Years' War and almost entirely destroyed under Henry IV.All that remains is the former abbot's residence, part of the 17th-century convent buildings and the 18th-century cloister with a superb staircase built around 1750. In the garden, a 15th-century church gate of unknown origin leans against the rampart. The granary located along Rue de Signier, which housed the departmental archives, was destroyed during the bombings of 1944.  It should be noted that the abbey buildings are now occupied by the Hôtel de la Préfecture de l'Aisne, and are therefore only visible from the outside...  

This viewpoint is accessible on the south side of the ramparts, below the Prefecture and near the Protestant Temple. From here, you will have a beautiful view of the Saint-Vincent basin, the Ile-de-France district and the Ailette valley. The bench is waiting for you!

This well-preserved gateway is one of the main entrances to the south of the medieval town, opening onto the Ardon suburb. Also known as the Porte Royer, it gave access to the former royal palace area inside the town. The current gate was built in the 13th century. Here's a tip: take a look at the plaque beneath the gate, which reads "You are at the gateway to all your walks"... Below, you'll find a charming wash-house and drinking trough. There used to be a fountain at each entrance to the town.

Here you are in front of the fountain and drinking trough at Porte d'Ardon: documented since the 14th century, this structure bears little resemblance to what it was in the 18th century.It underwent extensive renovation around 1860 during urban development work (construction of the Ardon ramp), which involved moving the northern retaining wall, removing the old fountain section (transferred to the western terrace) and modifying the access points. These changes gave it its current appearance of a ‘rural construction’ at the end of the 19th century.Today, it is divided into two distinct parts: to the east, the drinking trough (a paved enclosure with a trough) and, to the west, the fountain and wash house (more complex). The water is collected in a small cellar under Rue de l'Arquebuse, flows into a small fountain basin, then into the large wash house basin, all protected by a roof. The fountain is fed by underground drains.