Walk through the Artois Heights

A winding route offering superb views of the Artois heights and the Bléquin valley.

Technical sheet

54807
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.98 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 270 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 263 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 195 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 80 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from Nielles-les-Bléquin, small square near the town hall (la Place).

(S/E) Go up Rue Lucien Vidor to join the D202. Follow it to the right and, at the crossroads, turn right into Rue Neuve, then continue straight ahead on Route de Vaudringhem.

(1) At the crossroads, take the right path on the left.

(2) At the crossroads (calvary), turn right onto the GR® to reach Vaudringhem. At the church, turn right.

(3) At the crow's foot, turn left (off the GR®) into Rue du Brûlé (the cemetery is on the right).
After approx. 200 m, turn left up Vallée Jean Clerc.

(4) At the tarmac, turn right, ignoring a track on the right and another on the left, to reach a crow's-foot (the field on the right is closed by a metal gate).

(5) Leave the tarmac and take the wide track opposite, which descends to the D203. Follow this for 200m on the left.

(6) Take the track on the left. A steep climb brings you to the D341.

(7) Turn right onto the small sloping road (Rue Profonde) which leads down to Maisnil Boutry.

(8) At the calvary, turn left and 200m further on, left again (Rue des Martyrs). Another steep climb to reach the D341.

(9) Cross it carefully and take the small street opposite (slightly to the left), which becomes a wide track. Ignore the track on the left and, at the next T-junction, turn right to reach Beaumont.

Variant: Follow the D341 to the right for 200 m, then turn left onto the first track. Initially wide, the path narrows for a pleasant passage through undergrowth before reaching a T-junction. Turn right to reach Beaumont.
Apart from the 200m on the D341, I think it's more pleasant.

(10) At the T-junction, turn right onto the D341 (calvary on the left). Cross it carefully to continue straight ahead and 200 m further on, take the track on the right. Descend gently to reach a crossroads where the GR® joins again.

(11) Follow it downhill.

(12) At the next junction, go straight ahead to reach a small road. Follow this road to the right for 200 metres.

(13) Leave the GR® and take the slightly uphill path on the left. Follow the river Bléquin to reach the D203. Follow it for 500 metres.

(1) At the crossroads you passed on the outward journey, turn left onto the small track leading to the Bléquin. Follow the river, staying on the right bank, to reach the Place (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 81 m - La Place
  2. 1 : km 0.75 - alt. 92 m - Cross
  3. 2 : km 1.66 - alt. 118 m - Calvary
  4. 3 : km 2.05 - alt. 105 m - Three-way junction after the church
  5. 4 : km 4.18 - alt. 194 m - Small road
  6. 5 : km 4.61 - alt. 182 m - Three-way junction: getting off the tarmac
  7. 6 : km 5.42 - alt. 110 m - Left on the path
  8. 7 : km 6.57 - alt. 192 m - D 341
  9. 8 : km 7.66 - alt. 139 m - Calvary
  10. 9 : km 8.19 - alt. 177 m - D 341
  11. 10 : km 10.09 - alt. 177 m - T-junction
  12. 11 : km 11.94 - alt. 171 m - Small road, follow GR opposite
  13. 12 : km 12.98 - alt. 131 m - Crossroads, opposite
  14. 13 : km 14 - alt. 112 m - Leave the GR and turn left
  15. S/E : km 15.98 - alt. 81 m - La Place

Practical information

Lots of trails and quite a bit of ascent: water, good shoes and walking stick(s).

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 23 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
tati59
tati59

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

No difficulty in following the circuit but limited interest

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pchadhefilms
pchadhefilms

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant walk with beautiful paths and views. There is no signposting on the route, but the GPX track is easy to follow. We can confirm that it is not easy to picnic, but with a tablecloth, everything is easier. Beware of the wind, which can be very strong on the plateau. It's opening day for hunting, so there are quite a few encounters with hunters, but no problems. However, it's best to be clearly visible....

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MAMIEJO
MAMIEJO

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk in this season.
But it's hard to find a place for a picnic.

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joorange
joorange

There used to be a café in Vaudringhem (5 minutes from the metal calvary) with a friendly welcome (03 21 39 82 83). But village cafés are disappearing, so check it out. For a picnic perhaps starting from point 8.

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L'canadien
L'canadien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Good trail, easy to follow.
It's a shame that, as on other long-distance hiking trails, we didn't find one or two rest points where we could eat a packed lunch. Otherwise, it's a great walk, and we'll be doing it again...

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clazsh
clazsh

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

we made 2 mistakes and were forced to make a diversion

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Guyls14
Guyls14

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Lovely walk in the sunshine. Great refresher after a week of snowshoeing.
First time I've done a hike following the track on my phone. But it was perfect.

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Seb toufflers
Seb toufflers

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk, two steep sections that require a bit of effort but nothing insurmountable. Beautiful views.

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BenBay
BenBay

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Sumptuous views from the small heights over the small valleys of the Lumbres region and a pleasant, fragrant finish along the Blequin stream and its avenue of wild cherry trees 🍒 with their semi-bitter, semi-sweet fruit!
Highly recommended, and do it as a group if you can!

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riquita
riquita

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

This was a very nice walk, done by following the route on the phone, as the descriptions in the villages were not very precise. Beautiful views, a bit of a climb, varied paths, a very nice walk.

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Elodie62380
Elodie62380
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

To make a longer loop (approx. 24km), I started with the Mont de Drionville trail from the village square. I caught up with the Visorando circuit at point 2. It was all very pleasant, with some nice climbs and a gentle return. I recommend it 😊

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DouniaT
DouniaT

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Superb hike, finished 20 minutes ago!
3h10 instead of 5h15 but I don't take many breaks.

In view of the latest comments, I had no problems with the stages but I always keep the map open on my phone. Geolocation OK, even in aeroplane mode.
Just one piece of advice: there are often "hunting reserved" signs. I don't know exactly what that means, but remember to dress in colour ^^.

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terobal1963
terobal1963

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Great walk, done in true northerly weather but coming from Savoie I didn't want to miss out.

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hydan
hydan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very nice walk, despite the mixed weather! A very interesting climb, without being exhausting. Thanks for sharing it with us

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Point Philippe
Point Philippe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 15, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Lovely walk in the sunshine, lovely views, a pleasant day, no particular difficulties.

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