Les Mazures is located in the Parc Naturel Régional des Ardennes. The activities in the forest and around Lac des Vieilles Forges provide practical ideas for a stay, as does the town’s church and memorial history. You can therefore choose your destination based on whether you mainly want to plan outdoor activities or cultural discoveries.
Forest activities with different focuses
Ardennes Terre d'Aventures offers a 3-kilometre treetop adventure course with more than 90 stations and 20 zip lines across 3 hectares of forest. These figures give you a sense of the scale of the course: the focus is on a route with many stations and zip lines, not just a single play feature. The exact course configuration may change, so check the current selection when making specific plans.
Elfy Park is located near Lac des Vieilles Forges in Les Mazures and offers family-friendly games and activities across 5 hectares. These include a summer toboggan run, tree houses, netted areas, zip lines and slides, as well as sound-based games and a story area. This gives it a different activity profile from the treetop adventure course: a variety of play and activity formats are combined here. The selection at Elfy Park may also change, so it is worth checking what is currently available before planning your visit.
The two attractions can therefore be distinguished by their focus: Ardennes Terre d'Aventures is defined by its extensively described treetop adventure course, while Elfy Park combines different play areas and activities. This distinction helps you work out what kind of outing you want without treating the two attractions as equivalent.
Walking trail and activities around the lake
At Lac des Vieilles Forges, the Promenade du tour du lac is described as an easy 2.5-kilometre walking trail. It starts at the Vieilles-Forges beach and heads towards Pont des Aulnes. Both the stated length and the route described are useful for finding your way; the trail is presented as a walking route, not a cycling route. As local trail conditions may change, it is worth checking them before your planned visit.
Cap Ardennes Events offers a cycling tour around the lake, as well as mountain biking and electric off-road scooter activities in the hilly Massif ardennais. In addition to the walking trail described above, there are therefore more options by bike or off-road scooter. The differences are specific: the Promenade has a stated length and direction, the cycling tour is described as a loop around the lake, and the two other activities take place in the hilly Massif ardennais.
Church, chapel and memorial
The Church of Saint-Remi in Les Mazures was last reconstructed in 1793. Its features include two carved wooden altars with retables and modern stained-glass windows. This combines a dated milestone in the building’s history with details of its interior. Anyone interested in churches and their design will find both a specific historical reference and details that differ in form and material.
The Abbey of Les Mazures was founded in 1228. Only the small Chapel of Notre Dame de Consolation remains; it contains the tombstone of Jeanne de Montcornet. The foundation date, surviving chapel and tombstone tell different aspects of the town’s history. The Church of Saint-Remi and the chapel therefore each offer their own starting points for exploring the cultural history of Les Mazures.
The Judenlager des Mazures memorial is dedicated to the Jewish victims and the resistance fighters of the Ardennes. Remembrance and commemoration are therefore also among the themes that shape Les Mazures. Together with the church and chapel, the memorial broadens the picture beyond leisure activities and gives the choice of destination another, distinct cultural dimension.
When looking for somewhere to stay, you can weigh these priorities against each other: forest and lake activities on one hand, and a selection of specific sites connected with church and memorial history on the other. The key question is which of these aspects you want to shape your stay in Les Mazures.
Discover more destinations: Balaives-Et-Butz, Givet, Le Fréty, Saint-Étienne-à -Arnes, Tournavaux, Chevières, Hargnies, Brécy-Brières.
For the main travel overview: Ardennes.
