Discover Guînes

Guînes offers several themes to consider when choosing a place to stay: history, walking trails, outdoor activities and nature. Planning your trip around your interests lets you choose between historical periods and exhibitions, a route with a specific length, a treetop activity and a nature-focused park.

History and culture

La Tour de l’Horloge is a history interpretation center in Guînes. It covers the Viking invasions, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The visit includes the film “Sifrid Le Danois, Aux origines de Guînes” and an experience aboard a drakkar; visitors can also try their hand at making chain mail. Historical themes and different ways of presenting them are brought together here. Both the periods covered and the specific experiences may factor into your choice.

An exhibition about the Camp du Drap d’Or adds a specific encounter to this broad range of periods: the meeting between François Ier and Henry VIII in June 1520. While the tour covers several periods, this exhibition focuses on a particular historical event.

The Église Saint-Pierre de Guînes also offers its own historical connection. It is a brick building inaugurated in 1822. Its 1706 pulpit is considered the church’s principal work of art. The building’s inauguration year and a dated work of art are both noteworthy here.

Saint Joseph Village offers another perspective. A family of craftspeople has reconstructed an authentic village that illustrates life in France from 1900 to 1970. The Village is located in the commune of Guînes, in the green zone of the Marais de Guînes. Unlike the Camp du Drap d’Or, which is associated with 1520, the focus here is on a broader historical period.

Trails and outdoor activities

The Sentier du Bois de Ballon is a 3-kilometer hiking trail in Guînes. Its name commemorates the first crossing of the English Channel by balloon on January 7, 1785. Here, a specified trail length and a historical reference come together, so you can take both the route’s length and its history into account when making your choice.

The Sentier des Deux Moulins leads back to the Tour de l’Horloge and towards the Forêt domaniale de Guînes. Its directions set it apart from the stated length of the Sentier du Bois de Ballon: this trail is described by a named landmark and a direction towards the state forest.

The Parcours aventure de Guînes in the Forêt de Guînes offers a different kind of activity. It features a treetop climbing course with stations suspended at heights of between 2 and 15 meters. These heights measure something different from the hiking trail’s length, so you can take these different details into account when choosing. Check the course’s operating arrangements before your trip.

Nature and wildlife

The Parc pédagogique nature du Marais is a refuge for so-called farm animals. It is located in a natural setting where fauna and flora coexist harmoniously. The park therefore offers a different focus from the historical sites and trails: the emphasis is on animals and the natural environment in which they live.

Discover more destinations: Fresnes-Lès-Montauban, Ambleteuse, Alembon, Fouquières-Lès-Béthune, Sangatte, Courset, Thièvres, Berck.

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