Elan

Opened at the end of 1994, the Museum of the Ardenne presents unique collections for archeology and of history amateurs. From the internal garden of 1000 m2 the visitor passes to Winston Churchill Square to the Ducal Square while crossing four centuries of architecture. From Modern buildings of glassy facades until older parts of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the Museum evokes the history of the Ardenne, legendary land, iron and forests. Know-hows of the Gallic blacksmith or gunsmith until the cloutier of the Semoy, we climb back up the history course through the costumes, jewels and ceramics collections refering to the iron age, to the Roman and Merovingian eras. The weapons of the royal factory of Charleville are exposed at the first floor. After the history of Charleville and Mézières, there is a splendid pharmacy (1756) with 120 jars from Nevers earthenware, then the numismatic section of 3 000 pieces. Behind a glass, the public discovers the mechanism of the Big Marionnettiste, the gigantic robot of the Winston Churchill Square. On the last floor you can see the traditional trades with the forges, the gray and wood. The strong personality of the Ardennes takes place in this recent museum.

Even hurried tourists will asked for a pause while arriving to Elan. Its source, its cistercian traces, its abbey castle? : the fairies looked to this small town at the wood edge. The main fairy was called Roger. The monk came in 1148, asked by the count of Rethel to found there a cistercian abbey. Little by little people known that the waters of the source were so cold that they healed love grieves and favored pregnancies? The most cartesian ones will be satisfied to see the discreet St-Roger chapel and pools built by the monks, that waters lap in a delighted valley. From there you can find many pedestrian hikes. In the centre of the town, the church Notre-Dame, the old abbey modified in 1720 and 1840, preserves only the two first rows of the former structure. Just behind, the four angletowers of the abbey castle, constructed in the 16th century, give to the building an almost aerial pace.