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The Rhonelle Valley

The Rhonelle rises in the Mormal national forest, at “carrefour de la Rouillie aux Equettes”, at an altitude of 166 meters. It flows through the Avesnois communes before entering the southern Valenciennes region. It flows into the Escaut at Valenciennes, at an altitude of 26 metres, after a 32-kilometre journey.

Nestled in the Rhonelle valley, Artres, Quérénaing, Famars, Préseau, Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes, Maing and Marly are all charming localities.

Getting there

PORTFOLIO The Rhonelle Valley in a few photos

©Querenaing Otcvmclaude.waeghemacker Hd 79

THE UNMISSABLE EXPERIENCE "Circuit pavé" In the wheel of champions

Who hasn’t dreamed of caressing the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix? Every cycling enthusiast must have imagined himself one day, in front of his TV, in the shoes of a Jean Stablinski, or an Elisa Longo Borghini… Just the thing! A brand-new cycling itinerary offers you the chance to see some sectors of this legendary race, nicknamed the “Hell of the North”, as the “paradise of your future adventures with friends”.

Did you know?

Famars, a small town 5 km south of Valenciennes (accessible by tramway), was once a Gallo-Roman city which, at its height in antiquity, covered more than 150 ha.

"Circuit Pavé" In the wheel of champions

A beautiful route through the beautiful Valenciennes countryside. An opportunity to discover one of the cobbled sectors used by the “Paris-Roubaix” cycle race (sector n°22 between Quérénaing and Maing). It’s also an opportunity to tread the mythical “Chemin des postes”, which for a time was the worthy replacement for the famous “Trouée d’Arenberg”.

Start your adventure at Symbiose, an atypical café-restaurant in the village of Auno (Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes in Picardy). You’ll find a wide range of mostly local products, and a warm welcome from Mélanie and her sister, the managers…

"Circuit pavé" In the wheel of the Championn(e)s

Maing Saint-Géry Church

The church of Maing is one of the oldest in the Valenciennes region. It is first documented in the 11th century, in a charter from the bishop of Cambrai, Manassés, placing the Maing altar under the patronage of the Abbey of Saint-Aubert in Cambrai.

In the 12th century, it would have been built in sandstone, on a rectangular plan, in the Romanesque style (a window is still visible). The sandstone base of the porch and that of the nave arcades are therefore the oldest parts of the church. The church is home to some exceptionally fine funerary furnishings (funerary slides). Jeanne de Valois, Countess of Hainaut, and her daughter Isabelle de Namur, were reburied here in 2011, following their exhumation in 1977 from the remains of the Fontenelle abbey church, where they had retired and died in 1352 and 1360.

More info

Aulnoy-Lez-Valenciennes Heritage trail

Discover the Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes heritage trail.

The content of the panels, written by a local association (JEM Aulnoy), promises an authentic discovery of the town’s history. The entire itinerary is available online on the Valenciennes Tourisme website, with additional content to enhance your visit on site. Enjoy your visit!