Orchies: Culture, History and Walking Routes

In Orchies, architectural history, cultural heritage and walking routes come together. To plan your time, you can choose from historic buildings, self-guided walks and a cycling route. They cover different themes and have different time estimates: some invite you to explore the town’s history, while others can be compared by distance and duration.

Architecture and history in Orchies

The Hôtel de Ville d’Orchies was built from brick and stone in 1610 in the Flemish Renaissance style. Its construction date, style and materials provide specific starting points if you are interested in the town’s architectural history. Both building materials are part of its description, as is its classification as Flemish Renaissance.

The Carillon d’Orchies is located in the Église Notre-Dame de l’Assomption and has 48 bells. Its location within the church and the number of bells give the instrument a specific cultural and historical context. Every year, a festival is held around the carillon, celebrating it as a distinctive part of the region’s cultural heritage. This gives the instrument its own recurring occasion, in addition to its connection with the church.

The Tour à Diable offers another historical perspective. It was built along with the town walls in the early 15th century, around 1414, and served as both a watchtower and a prison. Inside, access to a cell with a massive door is still possible. Its construction period and former functions place the tower in its historical context; the cell also makes a specific feature of the building accessible.

Compare walks and hikes

The “Rando Urbaine Entre arbres et histoires” is free and can be explored independently at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is described as an easy, family-friendly 5 km hike with no elevation gain and a duration of around 1 hour and 30 minutes. The stated time and distance can help you include this route in your plans.

The Sentier des Miclèwes is a family-friendly 2 km walk with a stated duration of 45 minutes. Following in the footsteps of pilgrims to Mont Saint-Michel, the route passes through medieval Orchies. The trail also describes the historic route: Belgian and German pilgrims travelled along the roads around Orchies towards Douai until 1880.

The two walking routes differ considerably in distance and time required: at 5 km and around 90 minutes, the Rando is the longer option; the Sentier des Miclèwes is listed as 2 km and 45 minutes. Their descriptions also emphasise different things: the Rando is an easy hike with no elevation gain, while the Sentier is a walk connected with Orchies’ pilgrimage history.

Cycling route and cultural programme

For a longer trip by bike, the “Tomme sur le pouce au pays des grenouilles rousses” route connects Orchies and Somain over 23.5 km. It differs from the two walking routes in both transport and scale: the route connects two towns, while the walks and hike are described with their own walking times.

Near Orchies, the Forêt domaniale de Marchiennes covers around 800 hectares and three municipalities. It complements the local routes with a regional point of interest. Culture lovers will also find a point of interest at La Malle: its programme includes exhibitions, weekly activities and occasional events. Individual programme items may change; if you are planning to attend a particular event, check the dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Crèvecœur-Sur-L'escaut, Aubers, Mons-En-Pévèle, Ennevelin, Bouvines, Estreux, Douchy-Les-Mines, Cousolre.

For the full travel overview: Nord.