Villers-Châtel walks

This hike in the Artois plain will take you along good paths to Villers-Châtel and its castle, park and cave, where you can enjoy the surrounding landscapes, biodiversity and heritage.

This is a reworking of an existing route, part of which has unfortunately disappeared due to lack of maintenance. The route through Aubignyen-Artois has also been modified to take the old, less busy streets, and a return trip to Villers-Châtel has been added to admire the church and castle.The circuit is done in the opposite direction to the signposting, which allows you to start with the most urban part.See practical information

Caucourt is a small village near Olhain.From the church, you cross pleasant plains and villages, especially on sunny days.Avoid this route in very hot weather, as it is not much shade; in rain or fog, the view won't be as good!... In the direction of the trail, you'll save the best until last, the Gué de Caucourt and its mill.

A long route with significant elevation gain and some fairly difficult paths.The path between (3) and (4) is very difficult but can be avoided. It was passable in late September 2025 (dry season).There are a few road crossings, but with very little traffic.

Short route, on decently pathed paths, pleasant in all seasons (except in very wet weather) with a passage through the Gué de Caucourt. April 2024 :1- The Hermin council advises against using the path between points 10 and 11 until the end of 2025. At point (9) , go straight ahead to join point (11) . 2- The track between points (11)  and (12)  is particularly wet. It's okay, but you'll come out a little damp. It may be preferable to go straight ahead to reach the church, then turn right to rejoin the track at point (13) . 3- Very damp but short sections before and after point (4) 

The ideal time to visit this variant of Les Alouettes, with its beautiful vegetable gardens, magnificent hydrangea beds and a farmyard with a majestic and somewhat pretentious royal turkey.

This is a long route without any major difficulties, apart from the distance. It follows a succession of wide paths and small roads, making it safe to walk even in wet weather. It is therefore ideal from October onwards.

A lovely walk starting from Servins, passing through Bouvigny-Boyeffles, Hersin-Coupigny and Verdrel. You’ll walk along stony, grassy paths and a few roads. You’ll enjoy several views of the surrounding countryside.

A lovely circular route through the countryside of Servins, Bouvigny-Boyeffles and Hersin-Coupigny, featuring lovely views and a passage beneath the large antenna. The route follows paths and a short stretch of road.

Walk in the Fresnicourt le Dolmen area Starting from Olhain Castle and heading towards the "Table aux Fées" dolmen, you will pass two sandstone crosses dating from the 13th and 16th centuries, then the hamlet of Verdrel and the Olhain State Forest with its leisure centre, before returning through the forest. Superb views over the plain and its villages. It is best to do this walk in dry weather as the paths can be difficult in wet conditions.

A very green route in the Artois hills, with two beautiful climbs and a minimum of roads. This route, which is already difficult, becomes very difficult in wet weather. I walked it on 25/02/2026 and some of the paths were barely passable.

A superb little walk to do in good weather. Ideal in hot weather, this walk offers both the comfort of the forest and beautiful views, as most of the path to Parc d'Olhain runs along the edge of the forest. Views and coolness, what a joy.

This walk is loosely based on the "Sentier des Pierres du Diable" (Devil's Stone Trail), but allows you to discover, alongside the famous Devil's Stones, the magnificent Mont-Éloi Abbey, the Écoivres war cemetery, the churches of Écoivres, Acq and Mont Saint-Éloi, and the Acq mill.

This hike will take you through woods and plains, passing through the Bois Poret. You will then pass the British cemetery and the old train station before crossing the Bois des Baudets. Here you may encounter some beautiful wildlife.

This is a short route with little elevation gain, mainly on paths and trails.A big advantage in hot weather is that the start is in the open, but the end of the route is very shady.

This walk will introduce you to this charming village in Artois and its surroundings. Following good paths across the plains and through the woods, you will reach the entrance to Mont Saint-Éloi, with a view of the old abbey.

Du porche majestueux de l'ancienne ferme principale de la commanderie des templiers jusqu'à l'église de Hermaville au clocher-tour imposant, édifiée en 1782 et classée "monument historique", une randonnée à travers champs, bosquets et bois sur des chemins en bon état. Cette randonnée emprunte par endroit la randonnée "Sentier des Templiers" éditée par l'Office du Tourisme des"Campagnes de l'Artois".

A short walk on good paths in the hills above La Comté. On a clear day, the panorama is superb, and if you're luckier than me, you'll spot a few deer.

The Lawe is a river that rises in Rocourt-en-l’Eau, a hamlet of Magnicourt-en-Comté. This short walk of around 7.5 km is perfect for families and their canine companions. You’ll discover the village of Magnicourt-en-Comté, its12th-century church, its wooded surroundings and its paths. There are a few hills but nothing insurmountable.

Randonnée qui va vous emmener sur les hauteurs de Bouvigny à travers bois et plaine. Faites un arret à l'oratoire entre le point 4 et 5

Lots of paths, a beautiful crossing of the Bois (with decent tracks) and a beautiful view as you reach the plateau (but frequent fog in autumn). 2021: I've gone back to the original route, which is more pleasant.

This walk starts in Écoivres, a hamlet in Mont-Saint-Éloi, and takes you through the surrounding villages. Don't forget to visit the Droites Pierres (Straight Stones), or Pierres du Diable (Devil's Stones) according to legend, and climb up to the old abbey.

Randonnée au départ de La Comté qui nous mène près de la source de la Lawe. Paysage très agréable et quelques vallonnements.

A fairly classic route around Mont-Saint-Éloi (the area is very well signposted), with three less-travelled sections to Villers-au-Bois. It's a bit winding (not intuitive, as one of my friends always says), but it allows you to take a few less-frequented paths.

This is an easy route offering beautiful views of the memorial sites of the Battle of the Somme during the First World War: Lorette, Mont-Saint-Eloi, Vimy, and the ruined church of Ablain.

This walk from Carency takes you through Villers-au-Bois between plains and woods without any great difficulty. Carency was a seigneury until around 1620, then became a barony until 1665 before becoming a marquisate.

This hike starting from Parc Germinal will take you along the old cavaliers (railway tracks from the mining era), passing through the hamlet of Blanc Mont. You will walk along the Loisnes before returning to Hersin to cross the public garden and the slag heap.

This local hike will take you up to the heights of Coupigny, then past the Étangs des Claires Fontaines, the Corons Beclet and, of course, the slag heap. The hike is on good paths and offers beautiful biodiversity.

This hike takes you along good paths through Verdrel, Bracquencourt and Barlin's Cité n°9, without any major difficulties.A bit of history: Coupigny gave its name to a large noble family from Artois. Its official name appeared in 1801.

A very pleasant trail, between river, forest and valleys.

This hike will take you from the plains to the woods via Thieuloye and Rocourt en l'Eau, where the Lawe river has its source. Bajus was a village where French troops rested before going to the front during the First World War

Hike, without major difficulty, through woodland and countryside.

Admittedly, the trail may seem a little monotonous, but what a beautiful path! It takes you gently up to the heights before dropping back down into the valley to climb Mont de la Comté.And at the end of the trail, the church awaits you.

This hike, starting from the Bois de Marœuil, will take you to the hamlet of Bray et Écoivres, along very good paths and through the Franco-British cemetery. The return journey is via the Bois de Marœuil.

This hike will allow you to discover another side of Hersin-Coupigny, passing through Nœux-les-Mines, Coron number 3 and the Ferme du Blanc-Mont, not to mention the Loisne and all the biodiversity in the surrounding area.

This is a long route on good paths, which means it can be enjoyed in all seasons.There are a few sections on roads, but apart from the D68 near Avesnes, they are not very busy.The icing on the cake is the crossing of Avesnes-le-Comte via Les Voyettes.

This walk will take you on a tour of Bruay-la-Buissière, starting from Parc de la Lawe and passing by the Miners' Memorial and the Corons. This young commune owes its name to the merger of Bruay-en-Artois and La Buissière, which took place in 1987.

After starting on the Avesnes footpaths, we follow the GRP® de l'Artois, then the GR®121 for a long and varied loop.Wide paths across agricultural plains, trails along woods and finally the Allée des Tilleuls in Lignereuil. All dotted with a few châteaux. It's enough to make for a good day out, especially as the paths are generally in very good condition, even in wet weather.

A short route through the Nœux countryside. It crosses several marked trails and the paths are in good condition. It is a semi-urban route and therefore follows a few roads that may be busy.

The route is fairly straightforward overall (the area is well signposted). This hike presents no difficulties other than its length and the condition of the paths when wet. December 2024: I changed the end from (13). It is longer, but more pleasant.

Semi-urban route. After a stroll through the fields, you pass by the two slag heaps of Nœux. This hike can be made difficult by bad weather, especially when descending the slag heap on ski trail no. 2, where the stairs are quite impressive. The ascent of slag heap no. 1 is not too difficult and the summit offers a panoramic view of the region. Only the end, in the town, may lack appeal, but the streets in this area are not very busy.

A long route that takes us from the mining landscape to the Artesian countryside.

This hike in Artois will take you through beautiful villages between plains and woodlands on good quality paths, returning via the 1,350-metre-long Allée des Tilleuls, lined with 898 hundred-year-old trees planted in 1745 by Louis Benoit de Hamel, and Lignereuil Castle.