Chemin d'Art in Liessies

Departure from the car park of Liessies Abbey - 10 , Rue de l'Abbaye 59740 Liessies. If there are no spaces available, you will find more in the village centre, at the foot of the church or along Rue du Maréchal Foch.
The starting point is at the entrance to the Parc Départemental de l'Abbaye, just opposite the departmental guards' house (a white building).

(S/E) On your right, you will find the first signpost for the route with some instructions to follow. Go straight ahead along the main path of the park and look on your right after the hedge that marks the former abbey church.

(1) You will see the first work , Pierre Fourny's little-known Fable. Continue along the path and turn left, then go straight on, walking alongside the orchard on your right. At the end, turn left and follow the path to the bridge on your right. Look to your left.

(2) The second installation, Nuée d'oiseaux (Flock of Birds) by Pascal Harbonnier, invites you to look up! Then return to the bridge, cross it and turn left. Continue along the path beside the Helpe Majeure until you reach the third sign indicating the location of a work of art.

(3) The third installation, Au-delà, le souffle, by Anne Poivilliers, blends in particularly well with the landscape! Keep your eyes peeled! Continue along the path and, at the next crossroads, go straight ahead. At the next crossroads, opposite the blue stone bridge, cross it and turn left. You will immediately see the sign indicating the next artwork.

(4) The fourth work on the trail, Le temps du broutage by Fiona Paterson, is sure to surprise you! Continue along the path until you reach a barrier marking the end of the Parc Départemental de l'Abbaye. However, you can pass through it by stepping over the bar on the right, which will take you to a stony path, the Chemin de Bricailles. Turn left and follow the path (be careful, it's uphill). Follow this path until you reach the Bois l'Abbé forest (please note: do not go there on hunting days, see practical information). Continue straight ahead through the woods until you reach a junction with a forest road.

(5) Turn right, and after about a hundred metres you will see the fifth sign for a work of art on your right.

(6) Fred Martin's Les Doigts de géants (Giant's Fingers) await you. Continue along the forest road until you reach the D963 departmental road.

(7) Take care when crossing, as cars can travel quite fast at this point. Opposite a hunting lodge, turn right. Walk a few hundred metres along a forest path that runs alongside the district road before turning off it as you approach some houses. Follow the path until you reach a small car park at the edge of a new forest road. Turn right to reach Rue de la Motte and immediately turn left.

(8) Here is the last work on the trail, Hassan Zarrou's Colonne des bâtisseurs (Builders' Column), just after Château de la Motte. Continue along the path and turn right onto Rue de la Forge. Walk past the abbey's old forge. At the end of the street, turn right onto Rue Georges Clemenceau. Continue for about 100 metres until you reach Rue Maréchal Foch.

(9) Turn left to reach the village centre and continue straight ahead to the car park of Liessies Abbey (S/E).

Before setting off, make sure you are equipped for walking on trails that are often muddy and sometimes uneven. Also check that you are not walking on a hunting day (part of the trail crosses the forest) at the following link: hunting days in the Bois l'Abbé Val Joly national forest

Please remember that you will be passing through natural areas inhabited by wildlife, so please respect them by leaving no trace of your visit.

You will find toilets and rubbish bins at the start and end of the route, as well as several bars and restaurants in the village.

(5) At the forest road junction, you can take a detour to visit the 19th-century Sainte-Hiltrude Chapel (30 mins round trip). There are no longer any directional signs for the Détours association, but there are signs for the Sainte-Hiltrude Chapel. You will need to turn back to rejoin the Détours route.