The Ardennes is perfect for those who like being outdoors, but is also perfect for those of us who like to visit small French towns and stroll around. There are some really nice towns to visit, such as Givet, Sedan, Fumay, Rocroi and Montherme: all have nice places to go for coffee or lunch. There will be local markets on different days of the week across the Ardennes which are worth looking out for. The market is in Revin on a Tuesday and Fumay on a Wednesday.
Charleville-Mezieres is a much larger town with many shops, bars and restaurants. It is the capital of the Ardennes with a population of around 47,000 and a lovely town square based on the same design as Place Ducale in Paris.
There are trains from Charleville to many parts of France, including Reims and to Givet, the other end of the Voie Verte, so you could cycle one way and get the train back. It is free to take your bike on the train. A nice trip is to cycle from Revin to Charleville and get the train back. The train line follows the Voie Verte so there are some lovely views. The train stops in Revin and all the local stations.
Near to Revin, there is a lake called Lac de Vieilles-Forges which is perfect for outdoor swimming, forest walks, paddle boarding, canoeing and even has tennis courts. Givet is very pretty and is good for its local market which is on the first Saturday of the month, Rocroi has an amazing star shaped fort which you can walk around and through some of the tunnels.
You can find other places to visit in the Ardennes here
