Auxi-Le-Château: Nature, Trails and Heritage

Auxi-le-Château brings together two distinct highlights: the Church of Saint Martin and the town centre, designated a Site Patrimonial Remarquable, on the one hand, and the countryside and trails around the Authie Valley on the other. When planning your trip, it is helpful to decide whether you want to focus on architecture and local history or on walks and nature. The sights and trails offer different ways to do so.

Church, Town Centre and Garden

The Church of Saint Martin was rebuilt in the 16th century in the Flamboyant Gothic style and has been classified as a Monument historique since 1910. The two dates refer to different aspects: the 16th century is part of the building’s history, while 1910 marks its classification. The church is open to the public; check local access arrangements before your visit.

The town centre of Auxi-le-Château is designated a Site Patrimonial Remarquable. This allows you to distinguish between the history of a single religious building and the designation of the town centre. Another distinctive feature of the church is its protected organ by Adrien Charpentier, dating from 1737. It can be viewed during concerts and the European Heritage Days; access depends on the programme. If you particularly want to see the organ, check the announced dates in advance.

The Museum of Folk Arts and Traditions in Auxi-le-Château has a small parish garden with flowers, medicinal plants and fruit shrubs. This adds a garden-related aspect of heritage to the building and organ. These groups of plants give the small garden its distinctive character.

The Authie Valley and Countryside

One natural highlight is the Pâture à Mille Trous nature reserve, with a viewpoint overlooking the Authie Valley. The plateau there is marked by dozens of hollows and rises. They were formed by chalk extraction for lime kilns. The valley view and the landforms offer two different points of interest: from the viewpoint, you can look out over the valley, while the hollows and rises reveal the history of extraction in the landscape.

The hiking trail between Auxi-le-Château, Frévent and Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise is also home to fauna and flora. For those interested in nature along a route, this offers another point of interest in addition to the viewpoint over the Authie Valley. The route is defined by the places named here; it should not be confused with the section along the riverbank.

Planning Trails and Activities

You can walk along the Authie in Auxi-le-Château on a developed section of about 2 km, starting at Pont Rouge. The various local circular trails, by contrast, start at the Parking de l’Authie. These different starting points help with orientation: Pont Rouge is the start of the river section described, while the Parking de l’Authie is the starting point for the circular trails. Signage and parking conditions may change; check them before setting out.

Another activity on offer is canoeing and kayaking at the Centre Permanent d’Initiatives pour l’Environnement Vallées de l’Authie et de la Canche in Auxi-le-Château. Availability depends on the operator’s programme and availability. If you would like to include paddling in your plans, enquire in advance about the options on offer. This will help you distinguish between walking trails and the water sports offered by the centre, rather than treating them as the same route.

Discover more destinations: Hesdin, Autingues, Saint-Denœux, Berck, Dennebroeucq, Liévin, Givenchy-en-Gohelle, Campagne-Lès-Hesdin.

For the wider travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.