Discover Hestrud: Local History and the Thure Route

Hestrud offers several distinct points of interest for a stay: the Église Saint Romain, the history of customs in the village, a former border post and the landscape along the Thure. There are also the blockhouses at Trieu du Chêneau and the annual Course de la Thure. You can focus on architectural and local history, military heritage, a scenic route or an event date. For travel planning, the main difference between these themes is whether the focus is on a historic site or a particular edition of the annual event.

Church and local landmarks

The present-day Église Saint Romain d’Hestrud was rebuilt in 1668 using old materials. The date places the rebuilding in time and gives the church a specific connection to local history. At the foot of the church rock is the Fontaine du Petit Pont. This means you will encounter two different aspects of local heritage here: the building history of the church and a named fountain whose location at the church rock is documented. If you want to focus on historic sites, you can consider the church and the Fontaine as separate points of interest. The church provides a historical architectural connection, while the Fontaine is notable for its specific location. For cultural and historical planning, these are two distinct points of interest that you can weigh independently.

Customs history and the former border post

Since 1996, Hestrud has had a museum presenting the history of customs in the village. The former border post in Hestrud is also a place to visit. For travellers interested in customs or border history, these are distinct points of interest: the museum focuses on customs in the village, while the former border post itself is a place to visit. If you would like to include the museum or border post in your plans, check current access arrangements in advance. This lets you combine your historical interests with practical visit planning.

Blockhouses and restoration

The Association La Tenaille has renovated the blockhouses at Trieu du Chêneau, carries out restoration work and visits the blockhouse. The completed renovation and the ongoing restoration work are distinct aspects of the care of the blockhouses. They add the theme of military heritage and the work of the Association to the other historical points of interest. If you are considering a visit, check current visiting arrangements in advance.

The Thure road and the Course de la Thure

The road between Hestrud and Cousolre runs for 6 km along the banks of the fast-flowing Thure and passes through a narrow valley with shale outcrops. The riverbanks, valley and shale outcrops give this stretch of road a distinctive landscape. If you would also like to include a scenic route alongside the historical themes, you can make this stretch, with its stated length, a separate focus of your plans. The Course de la Thure is organised once a year by the Hestrud festival committee. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, confirm the date of the current edition in advance. The two themes answer different planning questions: for the road, the route and landscape are central; for the event, it is the timing of your trip around the relevant edition.

Discover more destinations: Esquelbecq, Croix, Mons-En-Baroeul, Liessies, Boeschepe, Cousolre, Armbouts-Cappel, Haverskerque.

For the regional travel overview: Nord.