Brie cheese and battlefields

A discovery tour around the Brie de Meaux AOP is waiting for you.Historical reenactments and tableaux will allow you discover more about the history of this famous cheese. You will discover the different steps in its making, from the milk harvest to the maturing in cellars. You will then learn about the current stakes for the Brie de Meaux AOP which is proudly represented by its Brotherhood. To top off this discovery, a tasting will be offered every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 am and at 04:00 pm by reservation. * We provide free booklets in English, Dutch, German, Spanish and Italian to accompany you on your visit to the Maison du Brie de Meaux.

Discover the Saint-Faron cheese dairy, producer and ripener of Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun.The Saint-Faron cheese dairy, small enterprise of 10 persons, located in the city of Meaux, perpetuates the values of Ile-de-France territory. It takes its “Saint Faron” name from one of the city’s bishop of the seventh century. Rewarded in 2017 with the prestigious Excellence Award at the General Agricultural Competition in Paris, this cheese dairy preserves ancestral techniques of brie production. Come discover the Brie de Meaux “Terre de Meaux,” the only Brie de Meaux produced and matured in the city: raw milk selected from 15 local producers, two-steps hand casting with a slicer, and a ripening of at least 7 weeks. Come and visit the cheese dairy! The Saint-Faron cheese dairy opens its doors for you to discover the secrets of production and maturation of Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. Take advantage of a guided tour of the cheese dairy to enjoy a tasting at the end of the tour.

An essential collection on the First World War.With a collection of nearly 70,000 objects and documents tracing the paths of daily and military life in the 14-18 war, the Great War Museum, which opened its doors on November 11, 2011 on the territory of the First Battle of the Marne in Meaux, is the largest museum in Europe on the First World War. It presents, on 3 000 sqm, one of the richest and most diversified collections of the 14-18 war in the heart of an attractive and innovative scenography. The Great War Museum is an ideal place for a family visit. A real educational treasure through the collection: see, hear, touch, handle.... A playful tour accessible from 5 years old: projections of archival images, reconstructions of trenches, a video space in which visitors are immersed among the soldiers in the trenches or on the battlefield, games to discover the composition of uniforms, the sounds of war, the geographical evolution of the conflict zones ... Several audio tours are available free of charge on your mobile phone or tablet, ask at the reception for instructions.

In the night of the 5 and 6 of September 1914, Germans are withdrawing from their position of the previous day and take refuge in Chambry, where they besiege the cemetery.They dig loopholes in these thick walls to try and repel, in vain, the counter-attack of the French army. Early in the morning, the French officers send Moroccan soldiers for an offensive on Chambry. At 10AM, the Turcos attack the cemetery, where the Germans are entrenched. Reports mention that Moroccan soldiers seized the cemetery in the afternoon, but had to retreat almost immediately under the fire of German cannons. The 7th of September, the Zouaves finally take back the village from the Germans army around 4PM, but also take an heavy toll in this attack. German loopholes, records of these violent battles of September 1914 are still visible today.

On the road between Barcy and Varreddes, and at close proximity of the national necropolis of Chambry, a small cemetery gathers the remains of German soldiers fallen during the Battle of the Marne of 1914.Set up in 1924, this cemetery gathers around 1030 bodies in a rather small perimeter. The fact is that 998 of these soldiers (among whom 985 are still unidentified) are buried in a large mass grave. Furthermore, under each cross present in this cemetery, rest two to four German soldiers. Indeed, military cemeteries constitute national territories. Thus, after the war, the goal was not to give up too much land to the Germans.

Created in 1920, this necropolis gather the individual tombs dug right the battlegrounds of the Meaux region after the first battle of the Marne.Almost 990 soldiers who died in 1914 are gathered here. Among them, 940 are still unidentified. They have been regrouped in 4 boneyards. The 341 individual tombs are, for about half of them, the ones of French soldiers killed between June and July of 1918 during the second battle of the Marne in the North of Seine-et-Marne. Most of the men buried in ossuaries are soldiers and officers of infantry troops, Zouaves regiments, and regiments of Moroccan and Algerian infantrymen who served during the first battle of the Marne. Metropolitan soldiers who took part in the first battle of the Marne, such as Charles Peguy’s men, the 276th Infantry Regiment are, for the most part, from the region. Those who could be identified were then generally buried in a civil grave, in their town’s cemetery.

This historical landmark was the theater of violent battles between the 6th and 9th of September 1914. This strategic ground, which was then invaded by German general Von Kluck – who had installed his general staff on site – had to be reconquered.After the first battle of the Marne, His Grace Marbeau, bishop of Meaux, made a vow so the city of Meaux could be spared and decided to erect a memorial at the very place where the German advance was stopped. This religious and patriotic monument was inaugurated in 1924 and has been a pilgrimage site in memory of the “Miracle of the Marne.” The monument is made of granite and cast iron and represents the Virgin Mary with the inscription “You will not go farther.”

The Episcopal City, Jewel of the Heritage of Meaux.Come to Meaux and take a stroll through history, from the Cathedral to the Palace of Bishops, past the Old Chapterhouse and the magnificent Bossuet Garden -- it’s a fascinating pastime! In the Middle Ages, the Episcopal district of Meaux extended from the Cathedral to the ramparts or ancient city walls. As indicated by the name, the Episcopal district was reserved for the Bishop, the chapter of the cathedral canons and their lay or ecclesiastical entourage. The Episcopal city, in its present condition, remains largely unchanged since the 18th century. The variety of architectural styles, dating back to different historical periods, form a prominent part of the city’s architectural heritage. The Episcopal City of Meaux retained its religious function par excellence until the French Revolution, as an ecclesiastical city adjoining the lay city. In the 19th century, the Episcopal Palace of Meaux was disputed between the lay power and the Church. Finally, the Law of 1905, on the separation of Church and State, completed the transfer of this historical heritage into the hands of the State. Today and since 1927, the former palace of the bishops houses the Bossuet museum.