Arques: Boat Lift, Nature and Brewery

When planning a trip to Arques, there are several distinct themes to explore: the industrial heritage of the Ascenseur à Bateaux des Fontinettes, the Sentier des Fontinettes, a tour of Brasserie Goudale and the historic trains of the Chemin de Fer Touristique de la Vallée de l'Aa. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Arques, these interests can help you choose a destination. The key question is whether you are mainly interested in understanding an engineering structure, experiencing nature and wildlife, or learning about brewing and railway history.

Industrial history at the boat lift

The Ascenseur à Bateaux des Fontinettes is the only boat lift in France. At the interpretation centre, you can learn how the boat lift works and look back to 1967. There, Jacques, the boat lift’s last keeper, talks about his daily life on his final day of work. This brings together the structure’s technical function and a personal work routine: you can understand the lift as an engineering landmark and also learn about a specific working day from the perspective of its last keeper.

Route options and natural areas

The Sentier des Fontinettes starts at the Ascenseur à Bateaux des Fontinettes. It passes through fields and woods, alongside ponds, and leads to Arques’s most beautiful natural sites. The route heads towards Étang de Malhôve, which is designated as a protected natural area. At the pond, you can observe amphibians, dragonflies, herons, wild ducks and swans. If the protected status matters to your plans, check it again before your visit, as it may change if the area’s management changes. A 1.2 km variant of the Sentier leads to the Arc-en-Ciel ponds. Étang Beauséjour is a place for walkers and anglers. These nature experiences offer several ways to explore: wildlife watching at Malhôve, a route variant with a stated length leading to the Arc-en-Ciel ponds, and walking and fishing at Beauséjour.

A guided tour focused on the brewing process

The tour of Brasserie Goudale lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes and ends with a tasting of its beers and soft drinks. It includes an explanatory film about the brewing process, the brewhouse, the microbrewery and the bottling plant. Unlike the boat lift’s interpretation centre, this tour focuses on the brewing process and the associated production areas. The duration and tasting may change; check both again before your visit. The entire tour is suitable for visitors with reduced mobility. As accessibility may change, check it again before travelling.

Historic trains in the Aa Valley

The Chemin de Fer Touristique de la Vallée de l'Aa runs for 15 km through the Aa Valley, in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d'Opale. Various historic trains run on the railway: Picasso railcars from the 1950s, railcars from the 1980s, and passenger carriages from the 1930s and 1960s. They are hauled by either a diesel-electric locomotive from the 1960s or a steam locomotive built in 1943. Only the Picasso railcars are accessible to wheelchair users; space for wheelchairs is also limited. As this information may change, check access and available space again before travelling. When comparing the activities, the 15 km refers to the railway line through the Aa Valley, while 1.2 km refers to the Sentier route variant leading to the Arc-en-Ciel ponds.

Discover more destinations: Wisques, Senlecques, Rang-Du-Fliers, Noyelles-Godault, La Calotterie, Audruicq, Alembon, Croisilles

For the overview of the wider region: Pas-De-Calais.