Thivencelle, Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais

This circuit is only available in French and in Dutch. Please feel free to download the FR map card.

This circuit is only available in French and in Dutch. Please feel free to download the FR map card.

This forest walking tour right in the heart of the Bon Secours Forest bears witness, by means of its paths, which are made up of stones, to the digging work which took place for the neighbouring canal. Before going around it, stop off at La Maison du Parc Naturel des Plaines de l’Escaut (the River Escaut plains nature park centre) where you will get all the information you need! Don’t hesitate to explore L’Escale Forestière – there, the mushrooms are giant and the trip ends with a flight in a hot-air balloon! Then, go up more than 16 metres (52 feet) into the trees during the course of a tree-top walk, by means of an elevated walkway, allowing you to get a completely different perspective on the forest…what an adventure!

In Péruwelz between the cities of Mons and Tournai, the Saint-Daniel Hotel was opened in 2013. It is located in the peace and quiet, in the immediate vicinity of the station (±150m) and just a few minutes from the downtown area. Converted from a former seed trade establishment, the hotel offers warrm, contemporary and comfortable rooms. For relaxation, a private recreation area is envisaged as well as the reception’s bar.

The gîte, Les Coquelicots, sleeps between 6 and 8 people and welcomes you to the heart of the Parc Naturel des Hauts Pays. The gîte boasts every modern convenience you could need on two floors. On the first floor there is a kitchen fitted with everything you might want, a bathroom, a sauna, a large reception area with a dining room and a double bedroom. On the second floor there are 2 double bedrooms as well as a second bathroom with a separate WC and a relaxation area with tourist information and books. If you fancy relaxing a bit, you can enjoy the terrace in the stunning garden, filled with flowers. A ping-pong table, bikes and kids’ games are also available. Jeanne and Benoît De Bisschop, the owners, look forward to welcoming you in their gîte on this farm in Audregnies. It’s in the centre of this picturesque village with very old roots that you will find their family-run farm, which grows all the main crops. Based in the Parc Naturel des Hauts-Pays, the gîte is the perfect base for all sorts of activities. If you’re interested in culture, history, fine food or folklore, the gîte is just under 30 kilometres from Mons and all of its rich heritage. If you’re into nature there’s plenty to do around here. Nestled in a lush green setting with enchanting valleys, meadows and fields with woodland bathed in a rainbow of seasonal colours, the region invites you to enjoy all of the beauty of untouched nature. The owners are delighted for you to explore their garden with its plants, vegetables and fruit trees grown naturally, as well as the local heritage, with a guided walk of the village and the surrounding area. Plus there are lots of local activities in the lovely country setting. The owners would be more than happy to tell you all about their work on the farm through the seasons. In the fields and woods, you can discover the natural riches of our region. There are also plenty of walking maps and information about local heritage, crafts food and drink for you to browse.

The gîte, L'Air Pur, sleeps between 2 and 4 people and welcomes you to the heart of the Parc Naturel des Hauts Pays. The gîte is the barn belonging to a former farmhouse, with a sofabed in the living room, a dining room that seats 6 people, a kitchen with a freezer, a woodburner, a bathroom with a separate WC and a bedroom. It also has a television and Wi-Fi. Outside, you can enjoy the terrace with an orchard, outdoor games, a barbecue and a ping-pong table. This lovely gîte is the prefect base from which to explore the colours and the flavours of the Haut-Pays. Lounge/dining r. (TV/antenna, sofa-bed 1x2 p., wood stove), kitchen (ceramic hobs, multifunctional oven), 1 bedr. (2x1 p., child's cot), bathr. (bathtub), sep. WC. Boxr. Landlord's washing machine available.Cradle and baby gear available on demand. Charges included.

Mons Card Partner: €3 discountClassified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since July 2012, Grand-Hornu a jewel of the European industrial heritage of the 19th century. Property of the Province of Hainaut since 1989, this historical landmark is today one of the most significant windows of contemporary art in Belgium. In addition to promoting the architectural riches of this unique site, the MACS and the CID teams focus their activities on contemporary art, offering large, high-quality international exhibitions of contemporary art and design. Guided tour available by reservation and audio guide rentals available. Free on the first Sunday and first Wednesday of each month for schools.

The Harchies marshes, in the Hainaut, are wetlands of ornithological interest. This nature space offers one of the most diverse flora in Wallonia.

Not only is an authentic iguanodon skeleton, 5 m high and 130 million years old, discovered by miners in a Bernissart mine in 1878, on display in this museum, visitors will also discover a menosaur (first marine reptile), hundreds of other fossils and an impressive mineral collection. The guides are at the entire disposal of the children, who get to be palaeontologists for the day. Be sure to spend some time at the open-air playground after visiting the museum.The audiovisual panels along the circuit represent the 29 complete dinosaur skeletons found during the exploitation of the Bernissart coal mine (Fosse Sainte-Barbe). A good way to end the day is to visit the “Marais d’Harchies.” Situated at 2 km from the Iguanodon museum, this nature reserve listed as a Natura 2000 reserve and featuring numerous observation posts will certainly appeal to (budding !) ornithologists.

Gourmet workshops organise original culinary workshops around the theme of the local cuisine for you. Various packages are available: The sweet workshop: Brussels waffles, cramique (fruit bread) and speculoos (gingerbread) The savoury workshop: grey shrimp croquettes, waterzooi You will get to cook and taste delicious food. The chef will guide you throughout this culinary journey. A culinary workshop? Taste, learn and test in a nice atmosphere.

The popularity of Bernissart has increased since an iguanodon skeleton was discovered in a mine shaft, but for the local residents, there's much more than that. The memory of the region’s mining past is still very much alive, as is shown in this small museum, where the importance of industrial archaeology for the young generations is emphasised. A fascinating experience awaits you. Old machinery, archives, photographs, engravings... they all tell the enthralling story of life in the mines in great detail. Also exhibited are a horse-driven lift, pickaxes, lamps, helmets and numerous iconographic documents.

The Plaines de l'Escaut (nature park of the Scheldt) covers the 6 green municipalities of Antoing, Beloeil, Bernissart, Brunehaut, Péruwelz and Rumes. The area is rich with agricultural, horticultural, and water features, as well as swathes of woodland. Within the natural park information centre, L'Escale Forestière will provide you with extensive detail and practical information on the region, the forest and hikes. On site, the Explor'forêt interpretation centre gives you the keys to the forest ecosystem. You’ll also enjoy the Promenoir des Cimes trail which leads you on a discovery of the forest 16 metres above the ground. Families will love the Pic'orée and boundary space and the barefoot trails. For hikers, 500 km of marked trails await them. Many walks take them along the Scheldt, in the middle of fields and nurseries or in one of the many wooded areas. For bird lovers, the Harchies marshes (classified as a Natura 2000 zone) are an essential site for the observation of migratory species. The natural park is also characterised by its heritage. The castles of Beloeil and Antoing, the Iguanodon museum and the mining museum are all attractions for visitors. Not to mention the good restaurants and craft breweries which abound in the natural park.

The Parc naturel des Plaines de l’Escaut nature park is a territory dotted with pollard willows, wetlands and forests. Nearly 500 km of marked hiking trails delight hikers, cyclists and riders. When accompanied by a specialised guide you will be able to discover this area of unspoilt nature, where land and water meet. Several sites are typical of the territory, e.g. the marshes of Les Marais d’Harchies, the Mer de Sable nature reserve in Stambruges, the tree nurseries of Lesdain and the Musée de l’Iguanodon (Iguanodon museum). The Maison du Parc is located near the basilica of Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours, which dominates the nature park. This visitor centre and nature education centre shows everything the park has to offer in terms of tourism and nature. The Hiking Area and an interactive screen indicate all marked trails for riders, hikers and cyclists. The Gastronomic Area presents various local products. The Maison du Parc is also the starting point of the "Escale forestière" multimedia tour on forest wildlife and plants, and of the "Promenoir des Cimes" raised walkway which enables you to walk among the treetops of oaks, ashes and beeches soaring 16m above the ground. ACTIVITIES: organised walks with nature guides throughout the year.

Our good old Belgian potatoes have finally been honoured! The brasserie restaurant PATATE HOUSE does your potatoes differently! It’s a new concept likely to appeal to a large number of gourmets! Guests can enjoy a wide variety of baked potatoes with the fillings of their preference. They have the tantalizing names “fromagère” (cheese maker), “chevrière” (shepherdess), “chicorée” (chicory), “marseillaise” (Marseillaise) and “nordique” (Nordic). There’s the full works! For those who don’t like potatoes, delicious salads are also available in various formats with each more original than the next. Grilled fish and meat complete this menu which can still vary with the seasons! All this in a welcoming environment where you can also have a delicious glass of beer or a bottle of wine selected by the manager, along with some home-made snacks that are also at attractive prices! Testing PATATE HOUSE... Is to adopt it!

Nestling near the border with France, L'Estaminet is a friendly establishment which above all wants to make sure that its customers have a good time, whether that be by having a drink or by having something to eat. Indeed, there is something for all tastes here – if you are going through Quiévrain, they will be able to serve you a beer from the Dubuisson abbey, every day from Monday to Friday in the morning, and also on the traditional market day. But you can also peruse their menu, where it will be impossible to not find something that takes your fancy. From starters to dessert, there is bound to be something you will thoroughly enjoy. Grilled food, small stewed dishes, mussels when they are in season and fish will thrill your taste buds, at lunchtime and in the evening.

Visit an authentic Belgian brasserie in Blaton. All beers are brewed and bottled on the premises.

In a warm, welcoming setting, the Dupont brothers, with Vincent in the kitchen and Etienne front of house, serve up traditional food that showcases local ingredients. Throughout the year, the restaurant invites you to discover or rediscover the great classics of brasserie cuisine. As well as a menu packed with around sixty starters and main courses, Vincent Dupont also offers a number of themed adventures. Game, seafood, asparagus and Bouchot mussels appear on the menu depending on the season. Vincent Dupont started out in Michelin-starred restaurants like the Maison de Bouche with the illustrious Pierre Romeyer and the Fox de La Panne. Throughout these years, our chef never lost sight of his love for traditional, ordinary food. Since 2014, the culinary expertise showcased at the Auberge le XIXe has also been available in a shop. Made up of a catering service and a delicatessen, the store showcases ingredients provided by local artisans. Packed with flavours, the shop at the Auberge, run by Marie-Christine (Vincent’s wife), invites you on a journey of discovery.

This brewery has been producing artisanal beers for 20 years (4 passionate generations!) already, using local ingredients: Blanche des Sources, La Vieille de Bon Secours (blonde, amber, dark, fruity), Blonde de Noël.

"Freshness, simplicity and diversity" have been the values behind their cuisine for almost seven years now. Located in the largest tree-filled square in Belgium, you will easily find space to enable you to stop off there and to come and enjoy our Greek culinary specialities. In a warm and cosy atmosphere, in a setting in which the decoration has been freshened up, thanks to professional hosting, you will be able to discover freshly-prepared dishes straight made to order at the foot of the Acropolis or sip an ouzo while biting into feta with that lovely taste of Kolymbari olive oil with an uninterrupted view of the town of Oia in Santorini. Place 31 specialises in grilled dishes, and all dishes are carefully home-made. Dolmades, soutzoukakia, keftedes, kokalakia giouvetsi, to mention but a few: names that will surely remind you of pleasant evenings spent on holidays in Greece. Place 31: an opportunity to go back to Greece, without even having to get on a plane! Take advantage of this chance to visit the Haut Pays area, which is less than 20 minutes from Mons. Place 31 has two outdoor seating areas and a private garden.

Holiday home on the 1st floor of a 17th-century farmhouse, adjacent to the owner’s home. Situated in the peaceful countryside, surrounded by meadows and facing a poplar grove. This comfortable, modern holiday home is ideal to relax and go for walks in the Scheldt plains and the Hauts Pays nature reserve. Meadow with shelter for horses (stopping place for riders). Living/dining room, kitchenette, bathroom, toilet. Garden: balcony, barbecue, car park.

http://bb-la-garde-des-ablais.visit-wallonia.com/en/

Near to the woods of Strambuges, "Sea of Sand", swamp of Harchies, Bonsecours forest, castle of Beloeil, archeological site of Blicquy and Aubechies, etc.

Located in the small village of Grandglise in the Beloeil administrative area, right in the heart of the River Escaut Plains Nature Park, the “Gîte des Chevaliers Teutoniques” hosts you in a quiet and calm setting. On the edge of the woods and close to the former “Roches Rouges” quarry which has not been in operation for decades, this charming pied-à-terre with all modern conveniences is ideally located in an area which is rich in heritage, and could also act as a starting-point for many types of outings – on foot, by bike, by mountain bike, on horseback, and so on.

Welcome to the Saint Daniel Hotel Housed in an ancient seed merchant’s house, halfway between Mons and Tournai, this warm, contemporary and comfortable hotel was designed in 2013. The Saint Daniel Hotel is located in very tranquil surroundings, whilst very close to the railway station (approximately 150 meters) and only a few minutes away from the town centre. https://www.hotelsaintdaniel.be/en

In Péruwelz between the cities of Mons and Tournai, the Saint-Daniel Hotel was opened in 2013. It is located in the peace and quiet, in the immediate vicinity of the station (±150m) and just a few minutes from the downtown area. Converted from a former seed trade establishment, the hotel offers warrm, contemporary and comfortable rooms. For relaxation, a private recreation area is envisaged as well as the reception’s bar.