Beautiful Belgian Ride: 110KM between Ardennes and Champagne

The Porcien, do you know it? Not sure, even if you have certainly crossed it to connect Couvin to Reims. This little natural region somehow connects the pre-Ardennes ridges, south of Charleville, and Champagne. A remote and very rural corner where French bikers hardly ever go. However, the area is not lacking in interest...

As we have done in the past, during our BBB dedicated to the fortified churches of Thiérache, we freely drew inspiration for this itinerary from the "Tourist Route of Porcien," a marked circuit set up by the CDT (Departmental Tourism Committee) of the Ardennes department. The starting point is none other than the friendly town of Signy-l’Abbaye, which regulars of our rides know well. For others, it couldn't be easier to find. In Couvin, head straight south toward the border. At Brûly, take the D985 toward Rethel and continue straight – well, in a manner of speaking, since the road pleasantly winds – and you will inevitably arrive at Signy-l’Abbaye. From Brussels, count on 1 hour and 30 minutes for a leisurely journey. No need to light up the hexagonal police's flashers. The D985 now has fixed speed cameras, often marked, but the gendarmerie does not hesitate to ambush occasionally with unmarked vehicles. We’ve seen them! So, take it easy, especially since the time when French fines didn't reach us is definitely over! Now let’s return to Porcien and the origin of this name. It is probably due to the ferry crossing, or portus, which allowed crossing the Aisne at the current location of Château-Porcien from which the region gets its name. Indeed, during Roman times, a road axis ran from Reims to the north and crossed the river at this spot.

A hall and a castle

Our itinerary mostly follows very small roads, sometimes quite narrow. Watch out for mud left by tractors. Also, pay attention to the road book: do not blindly follow the markings "Route du Porcien," firstly because some signs have disappeared, and secondly because, as we said, the route we propose deviates at certain moments from the path envisioned by the CDT. Starting from Signy-l’Abbaye, we first head south, toward Lalobbe and its artisanal cider house (Capitaine cider house). The shop is open 7 days a week and the access is marked. So, there is no reason not to bring back "one or another" bottle in your bags, which we will enjoy on the way back, once the bottle is well chilled... But let’s not linger. We’ve barely covered 5 kilometers since the start and the pleasantly winding roads invite us to ride! In Wasigny, a rainstorm surprises us. We find shelter under the hall (see box) where we meet a cyclist from the Eupen region, on her way to Santiago de Compostela. And to think that we sometimes receive emails from worried readers asking if it is "feasible" to do our BBB with a 500cc, fearing it might be a bit tight... Or the damage of excessive marketing... Let’s move on.

A few gasps later, we arrive at the castle of Doumely. Cautious entry. The place is clearly private, but that doesn’t stop the owners from welcoming us warmly and telling us about the love at first sight they had, as newlyweds, for this historic building, with which they admit, "they will never be finished..."

We continue toward Chaumont-Porcien, a locality we barely skim and which gets its name from the presence of a bare hill or "bald mount," on which a baroque chapel recalls the memory of a now-disappeared abbey. In the meantime, the sun has reappeared and it’s starting to get warm under the helmets. We take a break at Rocquigny, on the terrace of "Saint-Christophe," the local bistro. The timing is not too tight, and we let ourselves lounge in the sun. Rehashing the world with friends, that too is part of the pleasure of the ride, isn't it? We start talking about Jean Mermoz, a prominent figure of Aéropostale between the two wars, who, as a child, lived here and whose town square bears his name... We get back on the road toward the heights of Porcien which, although modest, dominate the Aisne valley and offer us vast panoramas. Here, traffic is nearly non-existent, with many curves and we enjoy driving instinctively, without having to constantly watch the dashboard. Gradually, the landscape opens up and announces Champagne... But still no vineyards on the horizon. They are further south toward Reims and Epernay.

Unusual church

In Asfeld, we enter more frequented lands and, as the hour advances, we look for a place to grab a bite. Alas, no earthly food here, at least at the time and day of our visit. Only spiritual nourishment, with the astonishing and very large St. Didier church, its baroque style a bit incongruous in this very rural area... At least take a look. It is a unique building in France and probably in the world since this brick church has the shape of a viola da gamba, the ancestor of the cello! Those who are indifferent to the history of music and the salvation of their souls will already be on the D 926, angling toward Rethel. This road with gentle relief favors medium curves, allowing for enjoyment without speeding excessively. We do make a detour through Château-Porcien, still searching for one of those small menus that Hexagon has in secret. There, we must have looked badly, because we found nothing. But we must honestly say that we did not leave the departmental road that crosses the locality. Too bad! It is finally in Rethel, at a small, nice restaurant discovered by Tché, our gluttonous photographer, while he was taking some bucolic shots along the Aisne, that we find our happiness. No andouillette (our guilty pleasure!) on the daily menu, but an excellent white pudding from Rethel that would really be a shame not to taste when passing through here! And the Ardennes charcuterie offered as a starter wasn’t bad either...

We lazily get back on our motorcycles at the end of the meal... It smells like the stable: there are only a few (pleasant) kilometers left to cover toward Sorbon first, the tiny village where Robert de Sorbon, founder of the famous Paris Sorbonne, was born, and then to Rocroi to close the loop back at Signy-l’Abbaye. We wanted to grab the last bite for the road at Gibergeon but unfortunately, it was exceptionally closed. So, we went to enjoy a drink in the town center of Rocroi, in front of yet another beautiful old hall, which is just as good as the one in Wasigny! There you go! We hope that you will enjoy traversing this itinerary as much as we enjoyed scouting it. Okay, it’s not the Napoleon Route or the German Alpine Road, but it’s still really nice and ideal for getting back into shape at the start of the season. Safe travels and take care, always!

Gourmet stops

The Gibergeon

Ah, the Gibergeon! How many times haven’t we parked our bikes in front of the door, always happy to return? This unpretentious bar-restaurant has always welcomed us warmly and practices prices long gone here. In short, the ideal "base camp" for this ride. And to make things even better, the bakery next door sells really top croissants. Real French croissants... In Belgium, very few bakeries sell croissants worthy of the name, it must be acknowledged.

The Gibergeon, Place de l’Eglise, 7 in 08460 Signy-l’Abbaye. Tel.: +33 (0)3 24.52.80.90. www.gibergeon.fr

Régal et Vous

It was by chance that we stumbled upon this restaurant in Rethel. And chance did a great job! Under a somewhat forbidding exterior – the restaurant is located in an ugly little shopping center along the Aisne – this establishment offers invigorating cuisine, a friendly welcome, prompt service, and reasonable prices. Take the opportunity to try the famous white pudding, a specialty of the city (dish at €11.00). You’ll let us know what you think!

Régal et Vous, boulevard de la 2e Division d’Infanterie, 3 in 08300 Rethel. Tel.: +33 (0)3.24.38.24.13.