St Omer, lying as it does in the centre of the marshes which surround it, at the point at which Flanders and Artois meet, offers the visitor an attractive urban environment little affected by the major developments of the 20th century. It is an attractive market town with many pleasant restaurants, various local attractions and the all-important supermarkets if you are looking for wine, cheeses, etc.

Flemish by its position, its gable ended houses and its famous yellow bricks, Saint-Omer is also French thanks to the classical distinction of its town houses, of which the building that houses the Musée Sandelin is the most remarkable example.

The "Hotel Sandelin" museum presents several masterpieces from the middle-ages to the 19th Century, and also a great earthenware collection.

Henri Dupuis Museum (Saint-Omer)

The "Henri Dupuis" museum presents rich collections of minerals, fossils, shells, and also ornithology dioramas and the famous Flemish kitchen.

The brewery of Saint-Omer has been in existence since 1866 and has a reputation as one of the largest and best brewers of France.

9 Rue Eduard Devaux - BP 190, 62504 Saint-Omer
Tel : 00 333 21 98 76 00
Fax : 00 333 21 88 57 50
www.brasserie-saint-omer.com

Le Parc d'Attractions du Moulin de La Tour
62560 Dennebroeucq -
Tél. : 00 333 21 95 11 39
Fax. : 00 333 21 95 63 58
www.dennlys-parc.com

At Helfaut, 5km from Saint-Omer, is one of the most important bunkers linked to the German program about secret arms.
A dome of 72m of diameter protects a 7km underground labyrinth. This place was planned become the V2 launching base during the second world war.

It has been transformed into a museum to illustrate three subjects : - the german secret weapons - the space conquest - the life of the French during the Occupation. www.lacoupole.com

Situated in the Eperlecques forest, the largest Blockhouse in  France, the blockhouse of Eperlecques, was built to be a launching base of V2 rockets, an assembly factory, and a  liquid oxygen factory.

During its building, the site bombarded by the Allied forces in 1943. Consequently, a part of the site was been abandoned.

Transformed into a memorial for Peace, this private monument explains the dark years of its history.
 

The Paper-making industry is important in the Audomarois. At Esquerdes, near Lumbres, at the paper mill, you will travel in time from Caï Lun to Gutenberg....

You will discover the fascinating history of paper-making in a real workshop. You can also make your own sheet of paper in the mini-workshops.

La Maison du Papier
Rue Bernard Chochoy, 62380 Esquerdes
Tel: 00 333 21 95 45 25

Crystal d'Arques and Arcoroc are famous makes of glassware in Britain. The factory at Arques is the largest employer in the town and has a shop where items can be purchased and factory tours arranged.

Arc International, ZI, RN43, 62510 Arques
Tel: 00 333 21 12 74 74
E-mail: visite-usine@arc-intl.com

In 1880, it was decided to change the 7 locks which were necessary to pass the 13,13 meters of difference of level by a vertical hydraulic lift. This system that you can visit at Arques is unique in France.

This exceptional civil engineering system began to work in 1888, and then the boat traffic increased in the North of France.

The system is based on the balance principle : a 300 ton   barge goes up when another is going down.

Audomarois (Clairmarais)

Saint-Omer's marsh is the heart of the Audomarois. During the 9th century, the monks of  Saint-Bertin Abbey began to drain this marshy area. The swamps have been converted into rich ground suitable for cultivation, with 160 km of  navigable waterways.
Traditional boats : "bacôves" or "escutes" still cross the Haut-Pont or Lysel suburbs. The land is ideal for vegetable cultivation  market-gardening.

Mount Cassell, the famous hill up which the "Grand old Duke of York" is supposed to have marched his 10,000 men, dominates the Flanders landscape and has been a fortified site since before Roman times. A walk through this hilltop village through its narrow winding streets, past the historic windmill, takes the visitor to the top from which there is a magnificent panoramic view over the Flanders plain with straight Roman roads disappearing into the distance in several directions.

Tourist Information Office
Grand Place - BP 10, 59670 Cassell
Tel: 00 333 28 40 52 55
Fax: 00 333 28 40 59 17
E-mailo: contact@ot-cassell.fr