Domaine d'Haulmé

Raring to get active? Get your boots on and stretch your legs on the voie verte trail that runs past the site. You can ride bikes along the same trail too, pedalling all the way to Belgium should you wish (only an hour away, and worth it for the multi-country bragging rights). To see the surrounds from a greater height and speed, the ziplines and bungee jumps at Terraltitude adventure park, half an hour away, might be more your style. Feet back on solid ground, consider taking in a bit of history with visits to the Château-Fort de Sedan (50 minutes’ drive and the largest of its kind in Europe) and the Roman settlement at Vireux-Molhain (35 minutes). 20th-century goings-on are detailed at the World War II-themed Musée de la Bataille Mai-Juin 40 (an hour’s drive). It’s worth shuttling off to Charleville-Mézières (half an hour) if you’re into your art and artefacts: the Arthur Rimbaud Museum and Musée de l’Ardenne are both crammed with bits to peruse. Follow up by popping over to Le Grand Marionnettiste monumental clock, where 12 different scenes play out on the hour across the day; if you can’t spare time for them all, schedule a Saturday evening visit to see them all in one go.