Set out to discover the history of Vendresse and La Cassine, and follow in the footsteps of the illustrious figures who passed through here… This trail will immerse you in local history, shaped by the rise of the metal industry and the former presence in La Cassine of the magnificent Château des Gonzagues (Louis and Charles).
Explore two routes, one in Vendresse and the other in the hamlet of La Cassine. They can be done separately or one after the other, joining the two villages via either of the suggested routes between Vendresse and La Cassine. By car from Vendresse, there are two options: Take Rue de la Gare in Vendresse (the former station is at no. 9), then continue straight ahead for 2 km and turn left onto the road to La Cassine. On the right, beyond the pastures, lies the beginning of the Mazarin Forest. The master ironworker Jean-Nicolas Gendarme had acquired 3,700 hectares there to ensure a supply of charcoal for the blast furnace.
Take the D12, which connects Vendresse and La Cassine via Ambly. After the Morteau farms on your left, at the bend, you’ll see Étang des Longues Fauchées (former gravel pits), where a Gallo-Roman villa (dating from the 1st to the 4th century) and a Bronze Age tomb were discovered. To the left, after Ambly, the road runs alongside the canal, with boats seeming to glide across the fields. On foot or by bike from Vendresse: At the end of the discovery trail, follow Rue de la Gare for 400 m. At the crossroads, turn left onto the path of the former Petit Train railway line (2.8 km, or about a 35-minute walk to La Cassine). Opened on 21 August 1898 and closed in 1937,
this line, which came from Baâlons and Omont, stopped at La Cassine halt and served Sauville and Le Chesne. The path runs alongside ponds that were former gravel pits (sand and gravel), restored after operations ceased. Continue straight ahead through the pastures: 3.8 km, or about a 45-minute walk to La Cassine.