Guided
Hiking

The spur of Langres and the necropolis of Martroy

If the weather is clear, you can see in the distance, on the opposite side of the village, the charming city of Langres, town of Art and History perched at 475m altitude, on its limestone headland. The town is a true fortress with a remarkable heritage. Each period leaving its mark, it has made the defensive system of Langres a true history book relating 2000 years of fortification. From this military past, Langres has kept exceptional monuments, with 3.5kms of ramparts marked by 7 towers and 7 doorways, which can be discovered during a pleasant stroll.

In the heart of the city, art lovers appreciate the renaissance facades and private mansions which are along the alleys and squares. Once at the head of a great diocese, the city also kept evidence of an important religious establishment, of which St Mammes cathedral is the main monument. But let us go back in history...

Occupied very early on by the Gauls, the spur of Langres was fortified by the Romans, who gave it its first strategic role. The city of the Lingons, then called Andemantunum, was the political and religious capital of a large area and a strategic crossroads for all of the North-Eastern Gaul.

Here, you will find the Roman road leading to Reims. Only a small section of this road is now visible. It leads to the mausoleum.

Not far from this road is the “Martroy” necropolis, which was first Gallo-Roman then Merovingian. Many fragments of tombstones and sarcophaguses were excavated. The influence of the Romans on this small community is obvious. It was once a place of worship as the local tales mentioned a small chapel at this place. We see on the old Napoleon land register, the presence of a cross called “chapel cross”, which existed until the beginning of the 19th century.

Resume your walk across the cultivated land, and then stop on your way down towards Faverolles.