Steene: Church Art, Châteaux and Landscape

Steene offers several distinct points of interest for a stay: the Église Saint-Martin, with its distinctive brick architecture and historic furnishings; two châteaux with different architectural and landscape features; and a discovery route across the lowland and upland. There is also the Calvaire à loques, where religious practice meets local tradition. Depending on your interest in architectural history, landscape or religious tradition, you can explore Steene from different perspectives.

Église Saint-Martin: Architecture and Furnishings

The Église Saint-Martin was listed as a historic monument by decree of 18 March 1947. It is best known for its twisted pillar made of dressed bricks. Its twisted shape makes the brickwork itself a focal point and draws attention to a single architectural detail.

The church also houses a remarkable ensemble of altarpieces, choir stalls, a communion rail, pulpit, confessionals and organ, which is also listed as a historic monument. An altarpiece is the structure behind the altar; the other items mentioned belong to different parts of the church furnishings. Two scales are therefore useful when considering the architecture: the distinctive brick detail and the variety of the protected ensemble.

Châteaux and Their Distinctive Features

At Château de Steenbourg, the façades and roofs, as well as the moats and their bridge, were classified as a historic monument by decree of 24 June 1983. The protection therefore covers specified parts of the buildings and features of the water system. The combination of buildings, moats and bridge gives the château a different architectural focus from the church.

Château Duriez was built in 1791 at the request of Coppens, a shipowner from Dunkerque whom Louis XVIII had made Baron of Noordland. Its features include a 15-hectare park, rooms in the Louis XVI style and an English landscape garden with old trees. These details offer different perspectives on the château: its history, the design of its rooms and its grounds. This makes it possible to distinguish its historical background from its architectural and landscape features.

Lowland, Upland and Discovery Route

Geographically, Steene is divided into two clearly distinct areas: the Leegveld, or lowland, and the Hooghveld, or upland. The two names give the landscape a clear structure. For those interested in the discovery route, a convenient starting point is the church car park. From there, the route follows the Chemin du Calvaire and then the Chemin des Champs. Check route conditions before setting out.

The route crosses a watercourse and also describes an earlier transformation of the landscape. In the 12th century, people drained the then-marshy region by clearing woodland and digging drainage ditches. The discovery route thus links a present-day stretch of landscape with the history of human land reclamation and water management.

Calvaire à loques: Access and Tradition

According to a visitor description dated 31 May 2026, the Calvaire à loques de Steene is freely accessible via the Route de Pitgam (D 352). A small, unmarked path between two fields leads there from the sign; check the path conditions on site. The same description says that many pilgrims tie cloths or other objects to the surrounding branches throughout the year, particularly during Holy Week. This religious practice may change over time. At the foot of the Calvaire is a spring whose water, according to local tradition, is said to cure fever.

Discover more destinations: Bierne, Wasquehal, Bergues, Socx, Dunkerque, Cousolre, Sin-Le-Noble, Le Doulieu.

For the overview of the wider region: Nord.