This part of the tour should be done in the morning, for the region of the marshes is devoid of hotels, even of inns, and, tourists must therefore return to Sézanne for lunch. After lunch, we set out for Fère-Champenoise, ascend the valley of the Somme, to arrive at Châlons-sur-Marne for dinner and bed.

Leaving the hotel, re-cross the Place de la République and take on the left the Rue de la Halle, continued by the Rue de Broyes. The latter turns suddenly to the left (the street which continues in the former direction is the Rue de Châlons). The road (G. C. 39) skirts the cemetery and mounts towards Broyes, through which we pass, leaving the church on the left (5½ km.). On a level with the church, take the street on the right, and 300 yards further on we encounter the old "Castle des Pucelles," seen in the photograph above.

General Humbert, commanding the Moroccan Division, established his headquarters in this castle on September 7, Mondement Castle having become uninhabitable. It was from here, when Mondement had been taken by the Germans, that he directed the counter-attacks which drove them from it. The "Castle des Pucelles" is perched on the edge of the plateau dominating almost vertically the immense plain of the Aube. Mondement is only 3½ km. distant. One can easily realise how tragic was the situation during the days of September 8 and 9, 1914, of the troops standing at bay at Broyes, and understand the savage fury with which they attacked Mondement.

Quitting the "Castle des Pucelles," continue straight along G. C. 39, leaving on the left the "Chemin vicinal" leading to Mondement (we shall follow it in the opposite direction on our return).

Traverse Allemant Woods and the village of that name, through which we pass, leaving the church (9 km.) on the right. From its steeple in 1814 Napoléon watched the battle which was raging in the plain below. After the first group of houses comes a fork in the road; the one on the right descends into the plain, that on the left goes towards the marshes of Saint-Gond.

Before taking the latter, turn to the right on the crest for a few steps in order to contemplate in its entirety the beautiful view reproduced in the panoramas on pp. [160] to 163.

I. PANORAMA OF ALLEMANT