The Cuve Saint-Vincent

This is the name of the vast depression squeezed between the two bars of the upper town of Laon, whose origins date back to the geological period of the Quaternary, when the cycle of glaciations and erosion shaped this ‘gash ’* in the hillock of Laon.

Today, at the bottom of the basin, you'll find yourself in the heart of the town, but in a rural, landscaped setting. 
In the past, the slopes of the hill were largely occupied by vines. 
In the Middle Ages, Laon wine was renowned and even served at the coronation of the Kings of France in Reims (and sold to the rich princes and dukes of Flanders, as far afield as England and the Empire)...
By the early 11th century, ‘le Clos Saint-Rémi’ and the vineyard of ‘La Goutte d'Or’ were already well known... 
After that, the vineyard was replaced by gardens and orchards, and it's safe to say that this renowned vineyard disappeared completely during the 18th and 19th centuries. 
In recent years, these gardens themselves have been gradually abandoned and replaced by shrubbery and farmland (cereals, sugar beet) at the bottom of the vat.

Welcome to our park in the heart of the town, where you can take a stroll along the famous Froids-Culs path up the slopes!