I updated and now updating again with new text and old pictures from visiting nearby family in the Nord dept 59 of my belle France. We took advantage of visiting older brother of my wife and decided to do short road warrior trips along the Belgian border. We came to the picturesque town of Mauberge. Hope you enjoy it as I.
I take you closer to family and times expent there for years since 1990. On this particular road warrior trip, I like to take you to visit a nice city along the Franco-Belgian border, that is Mauberge in the department 59 of the Nord, in the region of Hauts de France.
We were nearby by so why not do a run and see something new, this time in the Nord to see the small town of Mauberge with its wall fortifications going back to 1676, the museum les Corps de Garde, and the nice places to eat with good beers of the Nord (north). And I go on with some update wonderful information to help you visit this wonderful frontier town. Maubeuge is a town near the Franco-Belgian border only 7 km north of the city. The province passes to the House of Austria from 1478 to 1513, and to the House of Spain from 1513 to 1678. Maubeuge was definitively attached to France by the Treaty of Nijmegen of 1678, ratified by King Louis XIV a few days later, and by the King of Spain Carlos II , a few days further on.
A bit of history I like
In 1678, the signing of the Treaty of Nijmegen ended the war in the United Provinces. This treaty allows France to fill a fortified border in the north of its territory. This line of fortifications is almost identical to our current border with Belgium (from Dunkirk to Givet). The ensemble imagined for Maubeuge is composed of a line of ramparts of a height of ten meters flanked by seven bastions in Roll-ons. To close the space between two bastions, a half-moon belt is added (completely surrounded by ditches). The construction of this ensemble lasted from 1679 to 1685 in the north, on the place Vauban, leaning against the wall the Porte de Mons, a stone work surmounted by attics as of the Mansart style. Built in 1682 with materials of local origin two buildings from the military heritage have survived; the powder shop located near the rue de la Croix exhibits a vaulted room covered with a thick earth mount. The Arsenal built between 1678 and 1689 develops a long silhouette on three levels (103 meters long by 12 meters wide). This building is part of the barracks planned at the time to house the troops of the garrison.
During the French revolution in 1793, the siege was placed before the city by the Austrians of the Prince of Saxe-Coburg. A few months later it was the Battle of the Sambre, in 1794, which took over Maubeuge, and ended with the victory of the French revolutionaries, thus securing the conquest of Belgium.
Following the defeat of the Napoleonic armies in Leipzig in October 1813, the coalition forces invaded France. The stronghold of Maubeuge resisted victoriously in 1814 to the attacks of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar troops. During the Hundred Days, Napoleon’s troops prepared here for the nearby Battle of Waterloo. Three days after this defeat, on June 21, 1815, Maubeuge was besieged by 12 000 Prussians and had to surrender. Followed by three years of occupation of the Prussian and then Russian troops.
In WWI will re-test the city until finally liberated by the British on 9 November 1918. WWII, on the other hand, had a disastrous effect on the city destroying the heart of Maubeuge at more than 90%. On September 2, 1944, the city was liberated from the Nazis occupier by the American’ 3rd Armoured Division known as SpearHead , led by Gen Maurice Rose.
The town other than fortications has a nice Zoo , to visit is worth the detour. The Zoo of Mauberge: http://www.zoodemaubeuge.fr/wp/
The city of Mauberge on its heritage:https://ville-maubeuge.fr/la-patrimoine-maubeugeois/
The Sambre-Avesnois tourist office on Mauberge and the zoo: https://www.partagetonsecret.com/avoirafaire
The local towns and villages of the Avesnois on Mauberge heritage : https://villesetvillagesdelavesnois.org/maubeuge/maubeuge.html
There you go folks, hope it helps come over to this wonderful northern region of the Nord, unique and different but still my belle France. Mauberge are those town that are full of history and architecture but seldom gets recognition by the visitors. Hope it helps you discovered them.
And remember, happy travel, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
Leave a Reply