touristic guide

75 Pages·2015·11.54 MB·English

22001155
SSSUUUMMMMMMOEEERRR --- AAUUUTTOOMMRNN I S T I C
T
G U I D E

www.tourisme-saintomer.com
LEISURE
CULTURE
HERITAGE
ACCOMMODATION
RESTAURANTS
EVENTS
BY
Meeting the marsh...
m a t i o n XXXXXX
P r a c t i c a l i n f o r
(cid:127) Saint-Omer Tourist Board Mid-season
- From August 31st to October 4th
4, rue du Lion d’Or,
2015:
F62500 Saint-Omer
Monday to Saturday:
+33.321.98.08.51
1100..0000 aamm ttoo 1122..3300 ppmm // 22..0000 ppmm ttoo
[email protected]
6.00 pm.
www.tourisme-saintomer.com
Sunday:
Opening Hours 10.00 am to 1.00 pm / 2.00 pm to
4.00 pm.
Mid-season
- From March 30th to June 26th 2015: Low season
Monday to Saturday: - From October 5th to April 1st 2016:
10.00 am to 12.30 pm / 2.00 pm to Closed on Monday morning:
6.00 pm. Monday: 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm.
Sunday: Tuesday to Saturday:
10.00 am to 1.00 pm / 2.00 pm to 10.00 am to 12.30 pm / 2.00 pm to
4.00 pm. 5.30 pm.
High season (cid:127) How to come in Saint-Omer?
- From June 27th to August 30th:
Monday to Friday: By train: (cid:127) How to move in the Saint-
TER Lille - Boulogne sur Mer
10.00 am to 12.30 pm / 2.00 pm to Omer region?
TER Lille - Calais.
6.00 pm.
Public transport
Saturday: By car:
City network: Mouvéo
10.00 am to 6.00 pm. From Calais A26
Direct information on city network:
Sunday: From Dunkerque A16
www.bougeco.com
10.00 am to 1.00 pm / 2.00 pm to From Lille A25
4.00 pm. From Reims A26 Taxis and car Hire
GUIDED 750 M2 OF SCENOGRAPHY MAPS, MODELS From Bruxelle E42/A25. Contact the Tourist Board.
VISITS DISPLAYED & DISPLAYS, VIDEOS
wwwwww..mmaaiissOpooennn a--ll yddeuuar--mmaarraa36iiss, a..vffenrrue du Maréchal Joffre [email protected] MAaDarnoepo panyblcooiccutia lo weltomiao omniatk ia«onpSngdapy aif noltloitiro-c nOanga ,m peatlrea,ni rodc eToeonvw ueo nrnSf» lt oiAn aoatnerId dNar e t shsgThte,o-a aoOfrre edr eeMy dso mteuaEarou Rlobr?ap ilnTeintO ,i onU!R
opening hours ST MARTIN AU LAERT - F62500 ST-OMER [phone] AUDOMARWOUAH! 3
sites
&COMPAGNIE according to season
Summary
LAND OF ART
06 AND HISTORY THÉROUANNE 32 36 LUMBRES
Ma p of the
Sain t-omer Region
40 FAUQUEMBERGUES
26 ARQUES
38 FRUGES
72 CULTURE
34 THE HEM VALLEY
4 TOURS IN SAINT-OMER:
08
4 walking tours to discover
the town
LEISURE
66
& RECREATION
THE AUDOMAROIS
42
MARSHES
SPORTS NATURE
52
& ADVENTURE
LOCAL PRODUCES
75
RESTAURANTS
REMEMBRANCE ACCOMODATIONS
LEGEND 60 & SCIENCE 59 KNOW-HOW EVENTS
Motorway
Main street
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LAND OF ART AND HISTORY LAND OF ART AND HISTORY
Welcome to the Saint-Omer region, a meeting point… The human adventure began here with the Celtic people of
Where the chalk hills of the Artois blend into the plains Morini who bravely stood up to Caesar. A Gallo-Roman city
of Flanders and the coastal plains reclaimed from was founded in Thérouanne, later to become the seat of one
the sea. With its many springs, rivers and wetlands, water is of the most powerful bishoprics before being abandoned and
ever-present here. It is what gives the countryside its lush green- left uninhabited. Its neighbour Saint-Omer took up the torch
ness and rich variety of wildlife. around 1000 AD and became one of Europe’s main
Its central place trading towns around 1300 then an important seat
Over the centuries, men have tamed the waters of in history is of learning from the 16th century. It is also a land of
the rivers and marshes, thus forging many diff erent illustrated by the industrial adventures, and the anti-chamber of the
landscapes to be enjoyed on foot, by bike, by boat richness of its hostilities of two world wars.
or even by steam train! heritage.
Its central place in history is illustrated by the richness
The old Roman roads from England, Flanders and France have of its heritage: from Gothic architecture to its monumental 20th
converged here since ancient times, when merchants, pilgrims, century bunkers, from the treasures of its museums and libraries to
scholars and priests fl ocked to the region which has also been the folklore of the wetlands and the rich interiors of its churches,
the scene of many a battle. not to mention its forests, heathlands, riversides and marshes.
6 AUDOMARWOUAH! AUDOMARWOUAH! 7
SAINT-OMER, A SEAT OF RELIGION SAINT-OMER, A CENTRE OF TRADE
8
A
7
5
6
4
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Aabdbmeirye Ath.e rich architecture and interior decoration of the cathe- lbey, tah eh ôseteal t doef mvilulen ic9ip awlh picohw aelrs. oIt hwaads rseopmlaec ceodm inm teherc i1a9l tfhu nccetniotunrsy. C(cid:127)T3u a1teht6she/de0ma7dye r> asa l1a.n3ldt/e 0Tr8nh:au Vrtseisdliytas: y“T oFaautv r2no.e3uh0rie tpemm f r/o. -mt hD etuh Areaa tSi oamnini:l lt 1-oOhn3m 0b.eicr yrcelgei o/ nA”r qeuveersy.
dral* before taking a walk around its close 1 overlooked by the old The hôtel de ville has been nicknamed the «coff ee mill» ever since
bishop’s palace 2 (now the law courts). You then walk through the it was built. Take a look at its outline to see why! And what is even
old college quarter which has been dedicated to education for four more curious is that it contains within its walls a splendid Italianate 13
centuries. Don’t miss the imposing Baroque facade of the Walloon theatre which can be visited during European Heritage Days. On the
Jesuit chapel 3 with its fi ve beautifully restored storeys. other side of the square, the old bailiwick (now housing the Caisse
A visit to the heritage room of the library 4 located a few steps d’Epargne bank) that used to contain the off ices of the king’s repre-
12
away (n°. 40 rue Gambetta) enables you to get a full grasp of the sentative, stands out with its graceful lines, white stones and statues
extent of the infl uence of Saint-Bertin’s abbey. With its stepped representing Strength, Justice, Prudence and Temperance.
gables, the old episcopal seminary 5 recalls the period when the TTaakkee tthhee ppeeddeessttrriiaanniizzeedd ssttrreeeett ««ddeess ccuuiissiinniieerrss»» ((ooff tthhee ccooookkss,, nnooww 14
town was under Flemish rule. Note the classical style of the English rue Louis Martel) which opens into the place Victor Hugo 1100,, tthhee
Jesuits’ College 6 at n°s 45/49 rue Saint Bertin, where some of the ttoowwnn’’ss oollddeesstt mmaarrkkeett ssqquuaarree,, nneessttlliinngg bbeessiiddee tthhee ccaatthheeddrraall cclloossee..
TO5tpHh.e0peE0re sN fonpuOnirmnn.Tg i)RDs. hE huAi-norDuaguAdtrsiso iMoo: n afEg: ltlC1uh yhiiAdse. TeiamHdr Ep roDtroeuRusnAsr diLvto :eO 8 deF.3i dsS0ciA foaicIvNmeeT. r- - FO t6oh.Mre0 h0 Es iRtrpea Em gae t(F sft rhooemfG cT o1o/unN1rsi0tsr tut oBco t3iao1r/nd0 :a3 €:n 3d/ CfoOafan tShcrareoeirnl sla t fo-taB ftm ehthreitleyi ns i’cUtseaS c Amoo,f el alte hntgeode asa tnu7t cdn.i oye sna t5n 1cd/lo 5ws7e,e a nodtf moSanirie nt ott-h Bbeee r«ctginoo’mst haeicb t bhreeevy ifv oa8ul»n, dstatiynklgee TaFT1hhu1geer etww hsmme.hh aariicc rrdhhkkoee ssttwtt iiuullnll ss hheeisaadd sst httssooeoo mmsspppeeliiall ll cwwooevviinn eeeedrr ucciinn eeVttoollallaa ittnrrhhssq eeddu ««aaaggtti iirrnnoo1gg2ssss eebboo aapprruuccppeekkoo»» sstt ooii((ttrree uutt eehhwwee CChh mmiiaaccrriihhddnn ooddwwttllee))aa ss AA 99
S4wO/A 01wp I.rN3euw0nTe. -bip nOGigmbMa l hiotmEootRh ub 6eUre.s0qR:t 0toBua Apne - mN-T aFu .6gC eO2gsO5dnlo0Ma F0-yrsM i,tdS oWaUamiNeyn:edIt T-9rnOY..fe0 rm L0s-Id BeacaRrmo yA-n aRtTtoeanY lcd1. 2t+ [email protected] i3bpr2dmli1oa. t3y/h :81 e9..33q.050u0. 0ep a8-ms.mt -t ootom 7 1.e02r0..3f rp0m p.m icbanlod otavhisaertden bsrt. ae wAgaeteu rn.etyi g oohrftg ,t ahthenei zr ueruidni nsb sa yan drree la efl daoiornndg ml itt ohteore swahebolowl-up ttrh ehesoemwn t otehffd e t oian bftohbremeiyra batienosdnt tetooDhhdffuee .ntt hhkAWWeeet ii rnnttqtooheeuwweppe llnn aae1..cc n4FFhhd rrootee oomm wwft httthhehhhee eeeGrreerr eeqr a,,ttu hhnggaeedooi eoodbb ddeaaPssslrra rreewwScalloosse liuu oonAlleddff s ww.. bbSS1iieennee3ee ee tt llaa aauuhhkkyyssooeeee wwttnnddhh eemmuutt ooppaaaa nnnnbbtthhyycceeee ii ssee iiuuggrrnnuunnnntteell oosspp aaddooddeerrtt-- DD 10 11
of the town’s centuries-long trading tradition you can fi nd!
* an audio guide and leafl et can be picked up from the Tourist Board.
8 AUDOMARWOUAH! AUDOMARWOUAH! 9
SAINT-OMER AND ITS CHARMING TOWN HOUSES SAINT-OMER, ON THE WATERSIDE
Saint-Omer has close links with water. It is partly built on the
marshes and many of its old canals have now been cov-
ered over. By following the docksides and rivers, you will
23
fi nd yourself in the outer districts, or faubourgs, that lie between
the town and the marshes.
21
It is in the lowest parts of the town, such as the port au lait battu 22 20
D that you can see the rivers that fl ow in and out of the city.
Visit the Maison du Marais 19 (opening in 2014) to learn about
this unique area. After the fortifi cations were demolished, the 19
D
This tour focuses on the broad avenues of town houses newly created boulevard de Strasbourg attracted people who
dating back to the 17th and 19th centuries which give were looking for large plots of land to build their Art Nouveau
the city its particular, almost theatrical, charm. It ends up and Art Déco homes (see n°s 24 and 26, 38 and 39, 76, 80, 94
at the Sandelin Mansion museum A with its fully restored 18th and 96).
century interior. Follow the quai des Salines into the old town to see the
caserne d’Albret, the old arsenal and the monumental railway
Starting from the place Victor Hugo D, the tour fi rst takes you station 20.
past some fi ne examples of Flemish stepped gable houses From the railway station you can choose between two walking 24
lining the rues de l’Ecusserie and Caventou up to the rue Saint- tours, both returning to the station: Saint-Omer, marshes-side*
Bertin 15. takes you to the faubourg de Lyzel 21 where you can see the
The style of the architecture here is more classical, in stone or network of wateringues and the traditional homes of the old
brick and dominated by the horizontal lines of the facades. market gardening families; Saint-Omer, town-side* takes you
17 There are also some fi ne pillared houses near to the close of along the tow path of the Neufossé canal to the ruins of Saint-
18
Saint-Denis 16. Bertin’s abbey and close.
In the rue Saint-Bertin which leads to the close, the unadorned Turn back the same way along the Quai de Commerce 22
façade of the hôtel de Berghes (n° 20) contrasts with its interior which follows the line of the old city walls, to reach the faubourg
décor which shows how people lived in the 18th century. Take du Haut-Pont via the vast place de la Ghière 23. The market
16 the narrow alleys to the ancient close of Saint-Jean (now called gardener’s houses refl ected in the canal at the front, look onto
place Saint-Jean) 17. the marshes at the back.
A 15 As soon as you step through the door of the Sandelin Mansion For a greener setting, just a stone’s throw from Place Foch,
museum A, housed in a classic town house with a courtyard the beautifully landscaped public gardens** 24 have been
D
in front and a garden at the back, you are plunged into the installed in the old fortifi cations. They contain formally laid-out
atmosphere of how the nobility lived during the Ancien Régime. gardens, a pleasant square with bandstand and shrubberies,
T1mO-gTO1H 4a1r5puE omr2r’i seusfu.Seef,0en spAeur0:,i snN nC s€s p-gbet5Daaum .ymE5chrd nL 0pocpe/Io N ruu-nl2oit ore rt .yse-sM0ri :,e ld F0 @bAAtd6 uoopvl2N,lcu oim5tlyeSlreek0iesId aiO0-m-nas c a(g6NrS o hp.ai.r0 nvoerMi0oetnur- sfUtronpe… -6SOmdms0E s Smie Uf oairenroMne.nxcfmarrcd e Fl-e, fW2Tdrpei0eitesGl1 n:aod 5+dbn,n 3slf ee 3rboesd.af3de )2nM:a f1k€oyu. 33r hs t.8eeo5o.uv0 l0iSed.m0 uFra.y,n9r eybo4dseota.h dfEyeovy:r re 1 etthr0hvy.aee0 dn 0ruy a Sn aSyadmu ifenno trdr - ay. SmIfnae ecetdah eidseo evnmase ler aua errobt ,fAy w ltlyeheoenaut p maconaandnsst , e rcusreepee riead csmeoe iWmcs seish as ooonuctdhsqe ep d1ra 8 eiin.nlet ingthgaesn. tc 1o8lltehc ctioennst uoryf **tao *lb egdlaeoeflw teshnpte laeorv acwadieiil tatshhb. elae mn fr ooabmribl etoh areep Ttpouliumcrais wtti oBhnoi ca«Wrhd a.bllos aanstds Garaorduennds »t.hirty remark-
10 AUDOMARWOUAH! AUDOMARWOUAH! 11
MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE
THE CASTELLANY MOTTE
Place Sithieu, F62500 Saint-Omer.
Opening hours of the monument and the
tea room 
(cid:127)MS1a 21o.t/3un00rd7d pa a>myy ,3 Ta1au/nne0dds8d :Sfaruoynm,d W a2ey.0 df0rno pemmsd 1 at0oy. 0,7 0F.0r ia0dm apy mt,o .
Closed on Thursday.
(cid:127)M 1o/n0d9a >y ,3 T0u/e0s9d:ay, Wednesday, Friday from
2S1a.20.t03u 0rpd pmamy t o aa n6nd.d0 0Sf ruponmmd .a2y.0 f0ro pmm 1 t0o. 060. 3a0m p mto.
Closed on Tursday.
lands of the castellany on behalf of the
This site really takes us back to the ori- count.
gins of the town! Formerly known as The keep was later used as a prison. At the
the «bourg» from the Flemish word for start of the 18th century, it was destroyed and
castle, this was the very fi rst castle around replaced some decades later by a prison
which the town was built and founded by in the Vauban design. This robust brick and
the fi rst Flemish counts in the stone three storey edifi ce is remarkably well
tenth century. It is one of preserved and has just undergone restora-
Castle on
the rare examples of a motte tion. Its jails are now open to visitors who may
a mount of
and bailey castle (castle on be in for some surprises… It also contains a
earth.
a mount of earth) preserved series of exhibitions on the role of the town
in an urban environment. It when it was the British Army HQ during the
previously housed a wooden keep before Great War.
archaeologists uncovered the old stone
keep that had been recorded in some old Gardens extend out from the building and
engravings, together with the thick stone wall provide a vantage point over the surrounding
that surrounded it. area, off ering a particularly good view of the
It was the home of the castellan (or chate- cathedral and a stunning panorama of the
lain) of Saint-Omer who watched over the town and its districts.
1122 AAUUDDOOMMAARRWWOOUUAAHH!! AAUUDDOOMMAARRWWOOUUAAHH!! 1133
THE JESUIT CHAPEL THE JESUIT CHAPEL
The Jesuit Chapel stands out in the urban landscape for who designed the cathedral of Luxemburg. He was inspired by
its size and vibrant colours. This large edifi ce illustrates Gesù, the Jesuit church in Rome, and combined the Gothic
the important place the college of the Walloon Jesuits tradition in its structure of ribbed vaults, buttresses and side
set up in 1566 held in the town, a seat of learning from the chapels, with a completely new style based on a single central
Renaissance to the Revolution.  volume, large scrolls and an impressive facade whose portal
was borrowed from the Italian architect Serlio.
Back when it was founded, the Catholic bishops were in con-
frontation with the reformation movement. They called upon Current restoration work on the building is revealing the full
the help of the Company of Jesus, otherwise known as the beauty of its sculptures, particularly those of the facade. The
Jesuits, to give young people the teaching architect wanted us to see that he had read the Art of Building
they believed was right, and to train future and rediscovered the designs used in antiquity, such as those on
He was
inspired priests. Saint-Omer thus became one of the the white stone or the intriguing ox skulls featured in the portal.
by Gesù, main centres of secondary learning and many Next to the chapel, the town library has its headquarters in the
the Jesuit schools were established here, including a former boarding school and in the classrooms of the secondary
church in College of English Jesuits. school, rebuilt at the end of the 19th Century. It is organized
Rome. The chapel was built from 1615 to 1640 by around a garden and edged by 4 centuries of architecture
Jean du Blocq (1583-1656), a Jesuit architect (building closed to the public).
1144 AAUUDDOOMMAARRWWOOUUAAHH!! AAUUDDOOMMAARRWWOOUUAAHH!! 1155
THE ITALIAN THEATRE THE ITALIAN THEATRE
GUIDED VISITS:
(cid:127)p m17 -/ 0d7u >ra 1ti4o/n0:8 1: he v- eTaryr ifFfrsi:d €a3y. 5a0t. 2.30
Prior booking compulsory at the Saint-
Omer Region Tourist Board.
(cid:127)119 0E/.u000r9o apfrmeeea t nov i Hs1ite2s. r3eit0av egpremy D1 a5an ymds infruotmes 2 f.r0o0m
p20m/0 t9o f6re.3e0 vpismits. every 15 minutes from
1W« 0ti.ht0he0da artarmew aftroile o7n.f0d t0isc  »pk,e mints. ,t hfreo mto wthne hall only
on the day of visit.
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ture.
It’s going to start ...
16 AUDOMARWOUAH! AUDOMARWOUAH! 17
THE ITALIAN THEATRE THE ITALIAN THEATRE
In Saint-Omer, hidden in the Town Hall, you can find a small
theatre offering forgotten splendour and little known gilding.
Built by the architect Pierre Bernard Lefranc, it has the features
of the theatre which appeared in Venice in the XVIIe century
and is obeying the Italian Nicolas Sabbatini’s ideas: stalls reserved
for the popular audience and boxes for the well-off ; a stage with
a sloping floor, fixed and mobile sets, and a machinery invisible
for spectators. With the difference that, in France, and particu-
larly in our Saint-Omer theatre, each lodge is set back from the
lower box, creating a harmonious whole that enhances the richly
decorated ceiling and the large chandelier adorned with pen-
dants.This chandelier can be hidden in the ceiling during per-
formances. Colours, sculptures and trompe l’oeil paintings par-
ticipate in the enchantment that emerges from the ensemble.
If your steps lead you to places inaccessible to a mere spectator,
you can see the stage house where the machinery is located .
However, you won’t see the earthen vases which are embedded
in the walls: they contribute, with the wood framing, to offer
excellent acoustics. Their use dates back to the ancient theatre
and they were also used in the Middle Ages to improve the trans-
mission of sound in some churches.
At the opening of the theatre, on October 18, 1840, were
played an opera, «The black domino» and a vaudeville, “Aînée Break in the silent theatre,
close your eyes and imagine that the play is going to begin.
et Cadette” (“Elder sister and younger sister”), quickly followed
by numerous plays. The contemporary spectator, except if he/
Detail of the trompe l’oeil scenery she can be transported back in time, can’t come and sit to trip to the future would make it possible and with a little patience,
of the ceiling. In the medallion
applaude the actors as they are bowing, because the theatre you’ll also be able to enjoy theatrical performances in this unique
we can see one of the allegorical
fi gures represented:  poetry and has been closed to the public for safety reasons since 1973. But a setting.
its phylactery. The three others
are: the music and its lyre, the
Italian theatre. Saint-Omer. 2018
theatre and its mask and dance
and its tambourine.
You come strolling on the Foch square, accompanied by friends
as eager as you to attend the first performance of the century
in our theatre.You climb the stairs and arrive in an open space
dedicated to culture. You are a little early and decide to go to
the theatre shop before having a drink or a snack in the catering
area on the ground floor. You meet the project manager, who
greets you with a smile and takes the time to explain the cultural
politicy of the place and the programming of the year.You alrea-
dy knew that you would be able to see your nephew playing in
the school end of the year show and your sister as a member of
a local band. You learn that you’ll be able to watch local and ▲
Original door leading to the stage box.
18 AUDOMARWOUAH! AUDOMARWOUAH! 19