A quiet valley east of Soissons, lined with villages, churches, riverside beaches and the great memorial sites of the First World War.
Vailly-sur-Aisne
Vailly-sur-Aisne's main patron saint festival on Place du Jeu de Paume, with funfair rides, concerts, fireworks, stunt shows, fishing and pétanque competitions, communal meals and family entertainment
View →Vailly-sur-Aisne
Christmas market and festivities organised by the town and local associations, with artisans, regional food, Santa Claus and a 3D video mapping projected onto the town hall facade in the evening.
View →Vailly-sur-Aisne
Flea market and yard sale organised by the Vailly-sur-Aisne festival committee, with 50 to 100 stallholders, on-site food and a friendly atmosphere throughout the day.
View →Vailly-sur-Aisne
Téléthon weekend with a school relay, children's activities, judo and badminton, fishing contests, classic-car shows, walks, choir, dance and a fundraising dance evening in aid of the AFM-Téléthon.
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Braine
Big flea market and flower market held every 8 May by the Braine Foyer Rural on Place Charles de Gaulle and the surrounding streets, combining bargain hunting, plant sellers and the Victory Day commem
View →Braine
Annual autumn flea market organised by the Braine Foyer Rural over a full weekend, with hundreds of private and professional stallholders, refreshments and entertainment.
View →Craonne / Chemin des Dames (proche du Val de l'Aisne)
Every 16 April since 2007, the Aisne Department marks the start of the 1917 Nivelle Offensive with a "no helmet, no weapon" march from Craonne, an official ceremony, a "ceremony of flowers" and free e
View →Toutes les communes (Vailly-sur-Aisne, Bourg-et-Comin, Soupir, Chavonne, Pont-Arcy, Brenelle, Braine)
Armistice Day ceremonies in front of every war memorial in the Val de l'Aisne, especially meaningful in this valley crossed by the WWI front: wreath-laying, Last Post and the reading of names, with pa
View →Toutes les communes
Victory Day 1945 ceremonies in every Val de l'Aisne village, with wreath-laying at the war memorial, veterans on parade and mayoral speeches, usually followed by a vin d'honneur reception.
View →Vailly-sur-Aisne et Braine (principalement)
France's Music Day celebrated across the Val de l'Aisne villages with open stages, amateur bands, brass groups and free open-air concerts to mark the summer solstice.
View →Vailly-sur-Aisne, Braine, Bourg-et-Comin
Bastille Day celebrations across several Val de l'Aisne villages: torchlight procession, open-air popular ball, republican meal and fireworks fired over the Aisne river or local lakes.
View →Toutes les communes (notamment Vailly, Braine, Soupir)
On the third weekend of September, the heritage of the Val de l'Aisne is opened to the public for free: guided tours of the Braine abbey church, the Château de Soupir, military necropolises, Romanesqu
View →Soupir, Braine (jardins privés et parcs de château)
National event at the start of June when parks and gardens of the valley (notably around Soupir and Braine) open their gates for guided tours and themed activities.
View →Soissons (rayonnement sur le Val de l'Aisne) et Caverne du Dragon
Free night-time opening of regional museums: the Musée de Soissons and the Caverne du Dragon offer evening tours, performances and readings, just a few minutes from the Val de l'Aisne.
View →Soissons (à 15-20 min du Val de l'Aisne)
Every Thursday during the summer at 8:30 pm, Saint-Jean-des-Vignes Abbey hosts live concerts, Irish dancing, circus arts, theatre, puppetry and video mapping, free admission.
View →Monampteuil (Axo'Plage, à proximité du Val de l'Aisne)
Contemporary music festival founded in 1998 and based since 2024 at Axo'Plage on Lake Monampteuil: rock, reggae, world music and French chanson, with a 6,000-seat capacity and family-friendly atmosphe
View →Soissons (cathédrale)
Organ concert series in Soissons' Gothic cathedral, given by the Amis des Orgues in aid of the great organ's restoration; free entry with collection for the Fondation du Patrimoine.
View →Soissons
Patron saints' day of the Soissons diocese: solemn Masses in memory of the two 3rd-century cobbler-brother martyrs, patrons of cobblers, saddlers and tanners and of the city of Soissons.
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Pont-Arcy
Open-air flea market organised by the Pont-Arcy festival committee, with around 130 stallholders, food and a refreshment stand from 7 am to 6 pm through the village streets.
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Bourg-et-Comin
Village fete at the canal-and-river crossroads with funfair rides, a country-style meal, children's activities, a pétanque contest and a lively ball organised by the festival committee.
View →Soupir
Village fete in Soupir, a commune known for its WWI military necropolises: flea market, guided tours of the French, German and Italian cemeteries, concerts and on-site catering.
View →Chavonne
Small village fete in this Aisne-side commune: flea market, children's workshops, open-air concerts, country meal and tombola organised by local associations.
View →Vailly-sur-Aisne
Weekly open-air market of Vailly-sur-Aisne with greengrocers, Picardy cheeses, cured meats, a fishmonger, flowers and local produce, a central rendez-vous of village life.
View →Braine
Weekly market of Braine on Place Charles de Gaulle: local producers, cheeses, seasonal fruit and vegetables and artisans, held in the morning.
View →Plusieurs communes (Vailly, Bourg-et-Comin, villages alentour)
Traditional Saint John's Eve bonfire celebrated on the weekend closest to 24 June in several Val de l'Aisne villages: a large bonfire, music, food and an open-air ball by the river.
View →Itinéraire entre Vailly-sur-Aisne, Chavonne, Soupir et Bourg-et-Comin
Yearly trail run and hike through the Val de l'Aisne: several distances linking the riverside villages, with paths over the plateau, along the Aisne and past Great War remains.
View →Vailly-sur-Aisne, Bourg-et-Comin, Chavonne
Several fishing contests organised by local AAPPMA associations throughout the warmer months, on the banks of the Aisne and at village ponds, open to licence-holders and sometimes to children.
View →Vailly-sur-Aisne
Easter Vigil and Resurrection Mass celebrated in the collegiate church of Notre-Dame de Vailly, a 13th-century Gothic jewel and listed Historic Monument, open to visitors after the service.
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