Laon



Laon is a city in France, one of the main cities in the Region Picardie in northern France. The city contains many medieval buildings. The most important of these is the cathedral Notre-Dame of Laon, dating mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries.

There are about 20 Couchsurfers in Laon, this page will show you how to contact them and give you some tips.

HISTORY OF LAON
The hilly district of Laon has always had some strategic importance. In the time of Julius Caesar there was a Gallic village where the Remis (inhabitants of the country round Reims) had to meet the onset of the confederated Belgae. Whatever may have been the precise locality of that battlefield, Laon was fortified by the Romans, and successively checked the invasions of the Franks, Burgundians, Vandals, Alans and Huns. At that time it was known as Alaudanum or Lugdunum Clavatum.

Remigius, archbishop of Reims, who baptized Clovis, was born in the Laonnais, and it was he who, at the end of the 5th century, instituted the bishopric of Laon. Thenceforward Laon was one of the principal towns of the kingdom of the Franks, and the possession of it was often disputed. Charles the Bald had enriched its church with the gift of very numerous domains. After the fall of the Carolingians Laon took the part of Charles of Lorraine, their heir, and Hugh Capet only succeeded in making himself master of the town by the connivance of the bishop, who, in return for this service, was made second ecclesiastical peer of the kingdom.

Early in the 12th century the communes of France set about emancipating themselves, and the history of the commune of Laon is one of the richest and most varied. The citizens had profited by a temporary absence of Bishop Gaudry to secure from his representatives a communal charter, but he, on his return, purchased from the king of France the revocation of this document, and recommenced his oppressions. The consequence was a revolt, in which the episcopal palace was burnt and the bishop and several of his partisans were put to death (25 April 1112 . The fire spread to the cathedral, and reduced it to ashes. Uneasy at the result of their victory, the rioters went into hiding outside the town, which was anew pillaged by the people of the neighborhood, eager to avenge the death of their bishop.

The king alternately intervened in favor of the bishop and of the inhabitants till 1239. After that date the liberties of Laon were no more contested till 1331, when the commune was abolished. During the Hundred Years' War it was attacked and taken by the Burgundians, who gave it up to the English, to be retaken by the French after the consecration of Charles VII of France. Under the League, Laon took the part of the Leaguers, and was taken by Henry IV of France. During the campaign of 1814 Napoleon tried in vain to dislodge von Blücher from it in the Battle of Laon.

In 1870 an engineer blew up the powder magazine of the citadel at the moment when the German troops were entering the town. Many lives were lost; and the cathedral and the old episcopal palace were damaged. At the French Revolution, Laon permanently lost its rank as a bishopric.

More informations about the History of Laon on the Laon !

WHAT TO VISIT ?
More informations about the places to visit in Laon on the Laon ! You can check also the Offical Website of the Office of Tourism.

Free Internet/Wifi Access
Here is some places where you can find some free Internet/Wifi Access:
 * Syndicat Mixte pour le Développement du Laonnois - Adress: Médiathèque de Montreuil Place Jacques de Troyes - Tel: 03.23.22.31.27
 * Association Centre information jeunesse de l'Aisne - Adress: 56 Bd Gras Brancourt - Tel: 03 23 23 70 09

COUCHSURFERS
There are about 25 Couchsurfers who live in Laon and some others in the area. Feel free to contact them by finding them on the Couchsearch Page or by letting a post or a message on the Picardy CS Group (regional group).

Meetings
There is no CS meetings in Laon for the moment, but check the Picardy CS Group (the regional group) to see and be kept informed about what happen in the area.

How to get to Laon

 * By Car: From Paris, take the Motorway A1 and exit at Compiègne/Soissons then direction Laon. From Lille, take the A1 direction Paris then the A26 direction Reims, exit at Laon. From Reims, take the A26 direction Calais, then exit at Laon.
 * By Train: From Paris, you have a direct regional train called TER, to know the timeboard of these trains, check this Website !
 * By Plane: The closest airport from Laon are Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle (60 minutes by car) and Paris-Beauvais (for Ryan Air and other lowcost companies).

Bus and "Poma"
The Bus and "Poma" (some kind of Tramway) Network inside and around Soissons is shared by the company TUL (Transports Urbains Laonnois), you can check its official website, but it is in french. So here is the rates their use:
 * One ticket: 1€
 * 10 Tickets: 9€ (for Bus and "Poma")

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY



 * Police Station:

Gendarmerie Nationale: Tel: 17
 * Health Urgency:

SAMU / SMUR: Tel: 15
 * Hospital:

Centre Hospitalier - Adress: 33 Rue Marcelin Berthelot - F-02001 Laon - Tel: 03.23.24.33.33

Pompiers: Tel: 18
 * Fireman Station:
 * Embassy:

This website will help you to show you the closest Embassy and/or Consulate from Laon.
 * Emergency Doctor:

Call the hospital: 03.23.24.33.33

LOCAL MEDIA MENTIONS</FONT>
Laon

INTERESTED LINKS</FONT>
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 * Regional Group: Picardie/Picardy


 * Laon on Wikivoyage
 * Laon on Hitchwiki
 * Laon on Wikipedia