The network of nodes
The RPN for Réseau Points Nœuds, is an invention that comes from our neighbors across the border in Belgium. It's the simplest concept ever developed to create, from A to Z, a fully customizable bike trip, which can be modified in real time, adapted to the needs and desires of each person. In short, it's absolutely tailor-made, with only two conditions: having a bike and following the network's signage.
The territories in the North currently covered by the network of nodes are the Lys valley, the Monts de Flandre and the Avesnois. To create an itinerary in these areas, simply follow the signs on the spot, with the network and the directions indicated. All points can be used as departure, arrival, temporary stop, tour or detour: it's up to you! It is also possible to prepare your itinerary online: will you start from Cateau-Cambrésis, Maubeuge or Bavay? Will you stop in Avesnes, Beaumont or Dompierre? Just look for the numbers beforehand and let yourself be guided once you are on the road.
Freedom to pedal, freedom to invent a trip, but also freedom to cross the border and pedal in Belgium: the French network of nodes continues identically in Belgium. You can therefore happily play jumping-border and go from one country to another without any worries. Thus, you have at your disposal nearly 2,000 kilometers of trails and paths to follow, to devour, to explore, to discover!
Many itineraries (of course adaptable!) have already been created and put online by the community of lovers of the Little Queen. It is now up to you to embark on this adventure, on the trails and bike paths of the North!
The green way of the Avesnois
In the past, on the thirty kilometers of the Voie Verte de l'Avesnois, from Maubeuge to Glageon, trains and passengers used to circulate. Nowadays, it is bicycles, tourists and families on foot who use this former railway line to discover the Avesnois in a gentle, sustainable, slow and local way.
Created in 2007 and renovated in 2021 with the installation of a new pavement, the Voie Verte offers a smooth and rolling asphalt, which presents neither risks nor dangers: ideal for all users! All along the route, many stops are possible to discover the Avesnois in all its facets. The MusVerre, for example, or Liessies (with the park of the Abbey). Cycling on the Voie Verte is an invitation to a calm journey, which you can make at your own pace, without hurrying or stressing. Besides, what better place to relax than in the Avesnois, a land of hedged farmland where green reigns supreme?
You can take the time to go at your own pace, to savor the landscapes, to take a gourmet break to taste a small piece of maroilles cheese, a pastry or a cake. The fifteen towns and villages of the itinerary offer as many breaks to enjoy as poses to take for souvenir photos that will make you jealous once they are shown!
Finally, if you want to go (really) further, note that the Voie Verte de l'Avesnois is fully part of the EV3, better known as EuroVélo 3 - Scandibérique, a cycling route that goes from Trondheim (in Norway) to Santiago de Compostela in Spain: 1,700 kilometers, 4 regions and 20 departments!
