Baulne-En-Brie: Church, Remembrance and Routes

If you are considering Baulne-En-Brie as a destination for a stay, there are several specific themes to choose from: medieval architectural history, local remembrance, and walking and cycling routes. The church and memorial site offer a different focus from the routes, with their varied landscapes and measured cycling sections.

Church, Architectural History and Remembrance

The Church of Saint-Barthélemy was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and has been protected as a historic monument since 1920. Particularly striking is its coffered wooden ceiling, with battens arranged in opposing directions; it is considered one of the last of its kind in the world. The north transept also contains the tombstone of Guillaume de Baulne, who died in 1255. The ceiling and tombstone draw attention to different aspects of the same building: a distinctive construction and a tombstone bearing a named person and year of death.

Baulne-En-Brie is also home to the “Mur de mémoire vivante,” which commemorates the deportees from the canton of Condé-en-Brie. This adds remembrance of the canton’s deportees as a distinct theme alongside architecture and church history.

The church was often open during the warmer months. For a visit, you can contact the mairie; check with them in advance for current visiting arrangements.

Circular Routes Through Varied Landscapes

The “La Fontaine Noire” circular route is one of the eleven short circular routes in the Surmelin Valley and passes through Le Breuil and Baulne-En-Brie in Vallées-en-Champagne. It passes through pleasant meadows alongside the Surmelin and has a shaded picnic table. Here, a riverside setting and open meadows meet at a designated spot for a picnic break.

“Par Les Prés de Buire” is also one of the eleven short circular routes in the Surmelin Valley. The route passes through Celles-lès-Condé, Baulne-En-Brie in Vallées-en-Champagne, and Condé-en-Brie. Its landscape alternates between woods, fields, orchards, and vineyards. The difference between the two is clear: “La Fontaine Noire” is defined by meadows and the Surmelin, while “Par Les Prés de Buire” features a succession of different landscape types.

On the walking route, signs at the junction with Rue de la Chapelle point to the Church of Saint-Barthélemy and the “Mur de mémoire vivante.” Check current trail conditions before setting out.

Cycling Stages with Specific Distances

The “Les Portes de la Champagne” cycling stages cover 33 kilometres from Château-Thierry to Baulne-En-Brie and a further 43 kilometres from Baulne-En-Brie to Charly-sur-Marne. Baulne-En-Brie is therefore the endpoint of the shorter section and the starting point of the longer one; the second stage is 10 kilometres longer. This comparison helps you distinguish between the two sections by their stated distances if you would like to include a stage in your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Quentin, Viels-Maisons, Charly, Autreppes, Ohis, Noyant-Et-Aconin, Chevennes, Maissemy.

For the broader travel overview: Aisne.