Morbecque walks

Short walk in the Flamingue woods and along the Canal de la Nieppe.

This tour will introduce you to three different settings: the Domaniale de Nieppe forest, the wooded countryside and the Lys river.

The forest edge, the canal banks and the agricultural plain give the trail its contrasting moods. Keep your eyes peeled for birds in the undergrowth, insects on leaves and trees, and the mushrooms that grow here in late spring.

This route will allow you to discover the diversity of water in Wittes and Aire-sur-la-Lys. In Wittes, you will find the Melde, a tributary of the Lys. In Aire-sur-la-Lys, you will walk along the Lys, the Bassin des Quatre-Faces, the Ballastière ponds and the Canal de Neuffossé. This is a signposted trail maintained by the Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer.

The town of Aire-sur-la-Lys is crossed by the Lys river. It is bordered by the Neuffossé Canal, which takes the name Canal d'Aire at La Bassée, from this town onwards. The Bassin des Quatre Faces (Four Faces Basin) once allowed boats to turn around and sail in the desired direction: towards the town, the Lys, the canal towards Saint-Omer or Béthune. It is a signposted trail in the Pays de Saint-Omer urban community.

Circular starting from Sainte-Marie-Cappel, passing through Cassel and Oxelaëre.

This route will take you through several different types of landscape: the Plateau des Landes regional nature reserve, the plain and the Neuffossé Canal. The latter separates the Pas-de-Calais department from the Nord department. It is a marked trail maintained by the Pays de Saint-Omer Urban Community.

A walk that will allow you to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Flanders as you descend north of Mont-Cassel.Admittedly, there are long stretches of tarmac, but these are not busy roads.

Walk around the Mont des Cats monastery. Peaceful, natural surroundings and panoramic views guaranteed.

This walk will take you around the Mont des Cats along paths and back roads. It will reveal its viewpoints, its chapels, its heritage and its gentle slopes.

The Sentier des Fontinettes invites you to discover the often overlooked natural riches of Arques: from the Étang de Beauséjour to the Étang de Malhôve, via the Forêt de Rihoult (forest) and the canal towpath, not forgetting the nautical base and boat lift.

Discover the paths and small country roads starting from the hamlet of La Fosse. You will follow and cross the Lawe several times. You can admire magnificent willow trees, gigantic in the middle of their pastures. Several information panels on the history of the area line the route: Pont Riqueult, cemetery, park, village centre, along the Lawe, Pont de la Fosse. Take the time to read them.

Leave Ecques via the same route, then take a long, flat walk through the fields to reach Heuringhem. Continue across the moors of Blendecques, Rietz de l'Église and Bibrou before reaching Quiestède via Les Bruyères. Return via the Bois d'Ecques. The route is relatively flat, but there are a few wet areas (more depending on the weather). During hunting season, avoid Sundays, as some communal woods are rented to hunting clubs! Route modified and improved in September 2024 to avoid the D 190.

These three mountains watch over Bailleul, the capital of Flanders between Lille and Dunkirk: Mont des Cats, Mont de Boeschepe and Mont Noir, plus Mont Kokereel. From the top of these small hills (180m), you can enjoy views over the surrounding area. The route offers several points of interest, including Marguerite Yourcenar's house on Mont Noir, the Boschepe mill in the village of the same name, and Mont des Cats and its abbey of Cistercian monks, founded in 1826.

This hike crosses Flanders on both sides of the French-Belgian border via tiny paths. And, to gain a little more height, you can try out an unusual means of transport that has been connecting Mont Noir and Mont Rouge since 1958!This hike is accessible to everyone, young and old alike, with a slight incline to warm up your calves!

A bucolic tour through the wild hyacinths and wild garlic blooming in late April and early May. Discover the Mont Noir and Flanders (Saint-Jans-Cappel, view of Mont des Cats and Bailleul) through undergrowth, forest paths and small roads.

Arnèke is a village of 1,600 inhabitants not far from Cassel. You'll discover beautiful views of Cassel and Mont des Récollets, as well as the church of Zegerscappel.

This route is divided between marshland, bocage and forest. It crosses Flanders before returning to the Audomarois region. In the first part of this itinerary, walkers will see street names in Flemish. This is a signposted trail of the Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer.

Starting from the typical Auberge du Vermont, a route through the plains of Flanders at the foot of Mont des Cats and its monastery. Pass by the Moulin de l'Ingratitude and the Vierpot estaminet. Pass through the Boeschepe and Kokereel hills. View of Belgium, Bailleul.

Hike starting from Arneke and passing by the Plaine au Bois Memorial. This memorial commemorates the atrocities that took place in May 1940 during Operation Dynamo. This hike includes paths and small roads with little traffic.

A walk that combines crossing the Clairmarais market garden marsh with the Romelaëre Nature Reserve.Lots of birdwatching: ash herons, coots, storks... And the star attraction of this walk: crossing the canals on the chain ferries, which will appeal to young and old alike!Please note: chain ferries and drawbridges only operate from March 15 to September 5.

The Chemin des Voyettes Poulouches, which you will take, will lead you from one voyette (small lane) to another and allow you to discover or rediscover our village.

Up to the entrance to the Bois des Dames, the route is much the same as this hike (there aren't many options in the Bois de Roquelaure), but I took other paths to cross the Bois des Dames. The end of the route passes behind Emmaüs before reaching the Chartreuse des Dames and joining the Bois des Sablières.It's long, winding, almost entirely unpaved and with a significant elevation gain. Very difficult in wet weather.The use ofthe Visorando app is strongly recommended.

A short, undulating route offering beautiful views.

Long route through the Bois de Roquelaure, the Poulouches d'Allouagne and the Vallée Carreau d'Auchel. Return via Lozinghem and Mont Éventé before finishing at the Terril de Lapugnoy and a beautiful path on the edge of the Bois des Dames.Relatively little tarmac (but we are still in an urban area), but in wet weather, some paths can become difficult.

The two rivers trail from Fouquières-lès-Béthune to Fouquereuil takes you along the Blanche to the Annezin marsh, then along the Lawe before walking above the water under a railway line! This route will take you to the Fouquereuil storage slag heap (the Terril de la Cuisse Maraune) where you can enjoy a superb 360° panorama from the top. The return journey is through the fields.

Belle randonnée sans difficulté. Elle vous fait découvrir des chartreuses dans la campagne et les bois environnants.

A beautiful walk along the banks of the Canal d'Aire in La Bassée. An invitation to stroll through remarkable landscapes such as the Marais de l'Avoué and the Prévôté de Gorre. The British military cemetery in Gorre is a reminder of the Great War.

A short walk that takes you up to the ridge before descending and going along the Puits sans Fond stream. More pleasant in dry weather, as some paths can be very wet.

This is a long walk in an urban area, but 90% of it is on paths. Start at the old bridge and its steps, then follow the Biette (a beautiful footbridge restored last year) to Ourton. Next, climb back up (unfortunately on the road) before descending to Beugin. Follow another bridge to the Divion Viaduct. There, a slightly tricky descent takes you back to the banks of the Lawe. Follow it first on the left bank, then on the right bank before following the bus route. And to finish in style, the Bois de la Volville, with a nice climb at the end.

C’est un parcours en pleine nature. Sur les hauteurs, le randonneur apercevra l’Audomarois, les Monts des Flandres et le bassin minier. C'est un sentier balisé de la Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer.

A very pleasant nature trail in dry weather, but becomes more challenging in wet weather: grassy sections (a good test for your shoes, deep ruts, muddy sections). Warning: October 2024. While it's relatively easy to get through the ruts, the last part of the path out of the wood (before point 9) is in a terrible state. The path has been broken up by machinery and you can only pass along the sides, which are themselves very difficult. It's very slippery and sometimes you have to change sides, which is a real challenge. This used to be a signposted mountain bike trail, is it still?

A walk through ponds, canals and marshes, where you'll be surrounded by water in the commune of Beuvry.

Bien sûr, ce ne sont pas les plus hauts terrils de la région, mais les deux terrils de Verquin sont restés très sauvages et, sur celui de Labourse, il y a assez d'espace et de sentiers pour varier l'itinéraire. Ce parcours en 8 peut facilement être scindé en deux boucles de 6 à 8 km. C'est un parcours assez compliqué que j'ai détaillé au maximum. Néanmoins, je recommande d'utiliser l'application surtout sur les terrils : celui de Labourse possède un grand nombre de sentiers et on peut facilement modifier le parcours.

This beautiful hike, starting from Labourse, will take you through Leo Lagrange Park. It follows a short loop in Verquigneul before reaching Loisne Park and the slag heap, all on good paths and trails.