Maubeuge: Vauban Heritage and the Sambre

Maubeuge offers several specific highlights to consider when planning a stay: the Vauban fortifications, buildings with a range of architectural features, the zoo and routes along the Sambre. If you are looking for a hotel in Maubeuge, these themes can help you match your interests with the places you plan to visit. The sites and routes differ above all in character and in the routes described for each.

Vauban Heritage and Architecture

The Remparts Vauban are among the best-preserved fortifications built by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. Today, they are classified as “Monuments Historiques.” Many sections are freely accessible; local access rules may change. Check the relevant conditions before your visit.

The Chapelle des Sœurs Noires and the Salle Sthrau also represent distinct architectural styles. The chapel has been listed in the supplementary inventory of the Monuments Historiques since August 10, 1949. Its Baroque architecture features blue stone and red brick. The Salle Sthrau is a restored, unique decorative ensemble in the Art Deco style, set within a former Baroque chapel. In Maubeuge, you can therefore encounter the design of the fortifications as well as sacred architecture and an Art Deco ensemble.

Zoo and Ferme du Zoo

The Zoo de Maubeuge is in the city center, in a seven-hectare park with flowers and trees at the foot of the Remparts Vauban. The zoo is home to more than 250 animals from 50 mammal, bird and reptile species. These numbers may change over time. The combination of parkland and animals makes the zoo a distinct highlight alongside the historic buildings.

The Ferme du Zoo is an educational farm in Maubeuge that is open to everyone. Visitors can tour the honey house and take part in educational workshops. The Ferme’s offerings therefore include both an introduction to honey production and educational activities. When planning your visit, you can treat this as a separate stop from the fortifications or the routes along the Sambre.

Walking Routes and the Sambre

The Circuit du patrimoine in Maubeuge is 5.2 kilometers long and can be explored on foot or by bicycle. The “Maubeuge, entre Sambre et Flamenne” loop is 8.3 kilometers long, runs through the city and connects the city center with the Sambre. Its route follows riverbanks, wetlands and boardwalks. The two routes differ in length by 3.1 kilometers; their descriptions also differ, with the loop specifically noted for its urban route and the landscape features mentioned.

The 13.5-kilometer Sambre-Voie verte from Maubeuge to Jeumont follows the canalized River Sambre and passes regional industrial relics and landscaped wetlands. It forms the French starting point of EuroVelo 3. The route thus combines a specific distance and a defined course along the river with reminders of industrial history and landscaped wetlands. This distinguishes it in the description from the two Maubeuge routes, which focus on the urban route and the Circuit du patrimoine, respectively.

Maubeuge in the Nautical Programme

Maubeuge is also mentioned in a nautical context: the Escales Sambre programme, published in 2026, includes the city as one of its nautical stops. If this programme stop is important to your trip, check the latest programme information in advance. Together with the fortifications, buildings and routes along the Sambre, it offers a range of themes to consider when planning your stay.

Discover more destinations: Sin-Le-Noble, Croix, Bondues, Haulchin, Mons-En-Baroeul, Cuincy, Anstaing, Romeries.

See the regional travel overview: Nord.