Culture
& History
Discover our historical heritage!
Chapelle de Guémy
Mont Saint-Louis and the ruins of the Guémy chapel are remarkable sites. Mont Saint-Louis, which rises to 112 m, is one of the richest limestone hillsides in the Hem valley. It overlooks the Flemish maritime plain to the north and the Hem valley to the south. The mountain offers a vast panorama over the maritime plain and the Artois region. To the north, you can see the twin towns of Ardres and Guînes, the plain stretching from Cap Blanc-Nez to Belgium, the coastline with the ports and factories of Calais, Gravelines and Dunkerque, and on a clear day across the Strait, the cliffs of southern England 70km away. You can then look out over the other side of Mont Saint-Louis, towards the Hem valley, where the villages are nestled in the greenery. Rue du Mont Saint-Louis 62890 Tournehem-sur-la-Hem.
The Beaudelle chapel
and the relief plan
Chapelle Beaudelle is open to the public from June to September. Admission is free. An extract from the reproduction of the city’s relief plan can also be seen in the Chapelle Beaudelle.
Place du Rivage 62120 Aire-sur-la-Lys
Sandelin Museum
The Hôtel Sandelin museum is one of the main Musées de France in the Hauts-de-France region. Housed in a magnificent 18th-century residence, the museum invites you on a journey through history and the arts, in three sections featuring numerous masterpieces: medieval art, fine art and ceramics.
Admission: €5.50/person; concessions: 3.50; free under certain conditions. FREE ADMISSION EVERY SUNDAY! Many free activities. 14 Rue Carnot 62500 Saint-Omer 03 21 38 00 94
Remains of St Bertin Abbey
One of the region’s largest and oldest abbeys… Today a romantic ruin in a green setting in the heart of Saint-Omer, the Enclos Saint-Bertin is one of the town’s two cradles. Come and enjoy the charm of the place, and the landscaping in the abbey grounds that allows you to imagine its original dimensions.
Jesuit chapel
Its impressive size illustrates the importance of the Walloon Jesuit College, established in 1566. More generally, it symbolizes the city’s role in education from the Renaissance to the Revolution. Open according to program, ask at the Pays de Saint-Omer Tourist Office. Rue du Lycée 62500 Saint-Omer 03 21 98 08 51
Historic center of St Omer
RATES: €5.50 / €3.50 for 15-25 year olds & students
free for under-15s & jobseekers.
Guided tours of Saint-Omer’s historic center are offered from April to September, every Wednesday in July and August. With a guide, you can discover the whole of the town center and Saint-Omer’s main buildings and monuments.
Italian Theatre
In Saint-Omer, hidden away in the heart of the town hall, lies a small theater of forgotten splendor and little-known gilding… The theater was closed to the public for safety reasons for 45 years. After a major refurbishment project, it reopened its doors in autumn 2018. It can now be visited with a guide and can also host shows. La Barcarolle sets up a full cultural program at the theater, renamed “le Moulin À Café” because of the particular shape of the building in which it is housed, the former town hall on Place Foch.
Place Foch – in the town hall 62500 Saint-Omer 03 21 98 08 51
Remains of St Bertin Abbey
One of the region’s largest and oldest abbeys… Today a romantic ruin in a green setting in the heart of Saint-Omer, the Enclos Saint-Bertin is one of the town’s two cradles. Come and enjoy the charm of the place, and the landscaping in the abbey grounds that allows you to imagine its original dimensions.
ACSA ironmongery
ACSA is located in Saint-Omer in the Pas-de-Calais region of France.
The ironworks is equipped with a forge, anvils and all the tools needed to manufacture all types of work. Both craftsmen have been trained by the Compagnons du Devoir and Monsieur Defraiteur to the title of Maître Artisan d’Art.
The craftsman creates custom-made work in traditional, contemporary or designer styles. He takes inspiration from models proposed by customers, or makes his own creations. ACSA also restores old ironwork or replaces it if necessary.
Geotour of the St Omer area
The Pays de Saint-Omer GeoTour is currently the only one of its kind in France. This game takes you on an 80-treasure hunt through 33 communes in the Pays de Saint-Omer and Pays de Lumbres.
How does it work?
80 caches are located in the Pays de Saint-Omer and Pays de Lumbres. A small pot, an iron box, a bird’s nest box… These are just some of the objects to be discovered on a fun treasure hunt, with the help of your Smartphone’s GPS. On each site, you’ll find a log book where you can indicate your visit. The application also lets you report caches you’ve discovered. Download the GEOCACHING application now. To test the Pays de Saint-Omer GeoTour, go to the application’s search bar, GeoTour category and type: GT8A. FREE
St Omer Cathedral
Price: €5.50 /adult. 3.50 for 15-25 year-olds and students. Free for under-15s and jobseekers. Duration: 1 h 30.
By renting an audio guide from the Tourist Office, you can discover at your own pace the stages in the construction of this remarkable edifice, and admire the cathedral’s characteristic furnishings. One of the town’s original monuments, considered the most beautiful religious building in the region. Built between the 13th and 16th centuries, Notre-Dame Cathedral is the last great example of Gothic architecture in the northern provinces. For this reason, it was included in the first list of Monuments Historiques in 1840. His exception lies elsewhere too. Its furnishings make it one of the richest in France. Its astrolabe clock (1558) and organ case (18th century) are two real treasures. Guided tours are offered every Sunday in July and August.
La Coupole, history center
Located 5 minutes from Saint-Omer, La Coupole is a secret underground base built in 1943-1944 by the German army. It was on this exceptional site that the destiny of Europe could have been played out… Indeed, it was from here that the V2 rockets were to be launched on London. Today, the History Center is a stunning museum and one of the most impressive relics of the Second World War. So get ready to be taken from the Occupation to the dark side of the conquest of space! La Coupole offers two different tours to help you discover the secret weapons program and daily life under the Occupation. Duration of visit to La Coupole: +/- 2 h 30; Duration of 3D Planetarium session: 1h
Prices: Centre d’Histoire: €10/adult; €8.50 concessions (students and unemployed); €7/child (6-16 years); €22/family (2 adults + 1 child, €2/additional child). A 3D Planetarium session: €7.50/adult; €6 concessions; €6/youth (6 to 16); €22/family (2 adults + 1 youth, €2/additional child). Combined History Center + Planetarium tickets: €15/adult; €14.50 concessions (students and unemployed); €10.50/child (6-16 yrs); €37/family (2 adults + 1 young person, €3/additional child).
Rue André Clabaux 62570 Wizernes
03 21 12 27 27 | 03 21 39 21 45
