The domain of the Forge de Sainte Marie, a unique site
La Forge Saint Marie campsite,
In the heart of the Champagne-Ardenne region, in the Haute Marne, discover La Forge Sainte Marie campsite in Thonnance-les-Moulins,
Our campsite is located near the Lac du Der Chantecoq, Chaumont and Saint Dizier, and welcomes you for an idyllic stay.
Take advantage of our mobile home and gite rentals, to offer you a moment of relaxation in the heart of nature. Many services are available:
heated indoor pool
restaurant, bar and terrace on the waterfront, bakery, grocery store etc.
A multitude of wild orchids and more than 50 varieties of birds are part of a rich fauna and flora. You will find many rare trees, including oaks over 200 years old, in this magnificent eleven-hectare estate.
The river ‘Le Rongeant’ from a natural spring, meanders through the site and widens into a pond in the centre of the estate.
This is where you fish for trout. It is also here that you can have a drink on the temporary terrace of our restaurant “l’Atelier” which overlooks the pond with the murmur of the waterfall nearby.
History of La Forge de Sainte Marie
In 1632, the Forge was founded on the Rongeant River. The metallurgical industry was established for a long time in Thonnance-les-Moulins, producing already in 1818: 375 tons of cast iron and 250 tons of iron. The Forge will become a wire drawing mill and then a foundry for castings.
In 1926, the forge became La Forge de Sainte Marie thanks to the blessing of Father Prosper Dufour. The Second World War ruins the factory. It was then bought and transformed into a leisure and recreation site, then into a campsite in 1990.
La Forge Sainte Marie becomes a campsite
With the help of an architect, the dream became reality. The architect tried to keep the true style of the forge. In the first building, he created the caretaker’s house, as well as the reception, the grocery store and the bar restaurant. On the stone above the entrance to the grocery store, you can read the date “1792”. On the restaurant’s mantelpiece is engraved “I enjoy my slavery”, a sign of love for his wife by the master of the forges.
The sanitary facilities have been specially designed in the old style of the local laundries. The beams were recreated for the occasion in order to preserve the history of this site. You will find these antique style toilets in the small villages in the area.
La Forge became the campsite La Forge de Sainte Marie Thonnance-les-moulins and received its first customers in 1995.
The estate has had several lives since its creation in 1632.
