Saint-Dizier, a bustling town !
With a population of 28,000, Saint-Dizier is the largest town in Haute-Marne. It has an interesting history and a beautiful setting deep in the countryside. It is also one of the most temperate towns in the region thanks to its microclimate and it has been awarded 3 flowers in the national competition for urban floral displays. Saint-Dizier has a long tradition of metalworking and displays a great deal of decorative wrought ironwork. It has undergone unprecedented renovation, which turned the former industrial town into a place where people enjoy just going out for a stroll. The streets and squares in the town centre were specially redesigned for pedestrians to enjoy a pleasant walk to the gardens at the foot of the town walls or the Jard Park on the banks of the Marne or to see some of its outstanding heritage buildings such as the Parcollet House, a 16th-century timbered house that survived the terrible fire of 1755.
St Dizier is famous for its decorative wrought ironwork thanks to the Art Nouveau designs of Hector Guimard who chose the foundries in St Dizier to cast the pieces that can still be seen today in the town’s streets (balconies, door panels, basement windows etc.). Wrought ironwork also features prominently in the range of street furniture specially designed for the renovation of the town centre.
The old corn market underwent refurbishment in 1906 and became the Italianate theatre. It has been fully renovated and is one of the smallest but most beautiful theatres in France.
The airbase is a major contributor to Saint-Dizier’s economy. In fact, it is the only airbase in France to be used by the “Rafale”, the most prestigious of the French Air Force’s planes.
Amazing how close it is !
Relax at the water sports complex with its two pools, flume and well-being centre. Opposite it is the Ciné Quai multiplex, on the former Miko ice cream factory site.
Through the seasons, St Dizier plays host to countless forms of entertainment – comedy in winter, drama in the spring, modern music in the summer and rock n’ roll in the autumn. There are also many other cultural events and festivals throughout the year.
An interesting fact
The people of Saint Dizier are called “bragards”. Why ? Well, the first version of the story is that the name came from King François I who is said to have cried, “Oh, those brave men!” (“Ah, les Braves Gars!”) when he was told about the town’s resistance to Emperor Charles V’s army in 1544. The word may also come from “brague”, the mast fitted to boats on the Marne or on the logs brought to St Dizier and floated downstream.
Practical informations
Office de Tourisme
4 avenue de Belle Forêt sur Marne
52100 SAINT DIZIER
Phone: +33 (0)3 25 05 31 84
Fax: +33 (0)3 25 06 95 51
Email: contact@tourisme-saintdizier.fr
www.ville-saintdizier.fr