| About 30km west of Laon, in hilly countryside on the far side of the forest of St-Gobain (a worthwhile cycling trip in itself), lie the straggling ruins of one of the greatest castles of the Middle Ages, Coucy-le-Château (May–Aug Mon–Fri 10am–12.30pm & 2–6.30pm, Sat 10am–12.30pm & 2–7pm, Sun 10am–7pm; March, April, Sept & Oct Mon–Fri 10am–12.30pm & 2–6pm, Sat 10am–12.30pm & 2–6.30pm, Sun 10am–6.30pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Fri 10am–12.30pm & 2–4.30pm, Sat 10am–12.30pm & 2–5pm, Sun 10am–5pm; €4). The power of its lords, the Sires de Coucy, rivalled and often even exceeded that of the king – "King I am not, neither Prince, Duke nor Count. I am the Sire of Coucy" was Enguerrand III's proud boast. The retreating Germans capped the destruction of World War I battles by blowing up the castle's keep as they left in 1917, but enough remains, crowning a wooded spur, to be extremely evocative. A small museum (daily: May–Sept 2.30–6.30pm; Oct–April 2.30–6pm; free) in the tower at the Porte de Soissons, on the south side of the walled part of town, has a display of photographs showing how it looked pre-1917, which can be compared with today's remains from the vantage point of the roof. The entire modern village of COUCY-LE-CHÂTEAU-AUFFRIQUE is contained within the vast ring of walls, entered through the original gates, squeezed between powerful, round flanking towers – there's a footpath all around the outside. Bicycles can be rented from the tourist office, in the central square (May–Aug Mon–Fri 9.30am–12.30pm & 2–6pm, Sat closes at 6.30pm, Sun 10am–1pm & 2.30–7pm; Sept–April daily 10am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; tel 03.23.52.44.55), near the Porte de Soissons. Should you need a place to stay, try the Hôtel Le Belle Vue within the walls (tel 03.23.52.69.70, [email protected]; €40–55; closed last week Dec); its restaurant, Le Belvédère, specializes in Picardy cuisine (menus from €20). It's hard to get to Coucy-le-Château without a car, though several Laon–Soissons trains stop at ANIZY-PINON, which, if you're otherwise hitching, cuts the distance by about half – and there is an infrequent bus on to Soissons. If you continue into the nearby Forêt St-Gobain, it's worth including ST-GOBAIN, 13km north of Coucy, in your itinerary. Some original eighteenth-century glassworks – the firm is now a vast conglomerate – hide behind a classical facade, pretending it's nothing so vulgar as a factory (visits by appointment only, tel 03.23.52.84.75). Alternate spellings:: France, Coucy-le-Château, Coucy-le-Château, Coucy-le-Château, castle, chateaux, cateau, cahsteau
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