Discover Zutkerque: Gardens, History and Nature

Zutkerque brings together gardens, historic architecture and a distinctive landscape. If you’re looking for a hotel for a stay in the village, these highlights can help guide your plans: the Jardin de Draeck showcases gardens and nature, churches and châteaux tell stories of different eras, and two named walking routes offer their own points of interest. You can decide in advance whether you’d like to focus your stay on gardens, local history or a walk through the bocage landscape.

Gardens and historic buildings

The Jardin de Draeck covers more than one hectare. The grounds include a château, a wooded area, orchards and numerous flower beds. There are also beehives, a chicken coop, an educational garden, ponds, animal shelters and huts made from living willow. The combination of landscaped beds, orchards and natural features gives the garden its varied character. As this visitor garden continues to evolve, its appearance may also change.

The Jardin de Draeck welcomes school groups and groups from leisure centres; birthday activities are also offered. If you’re planning a group visit or a birthday activity, it’s best to confirm the arrangements in advance. This will help you tailor your plans to the offer relevant to your visit.

The surviving remains of the Château de La Montoire are arranged in a rectangle measuring approximately 40 m × 25 m. Four towers mark the corners, with two smaller towers along the longer sides. The gatehouse is on the north side. The approximate dimensions and tower layout give a clear impression of the ground plan, without implying anything about access today.

Another historic building is the Château de la Baronne de Draeck, a private estate dating from the 18th century. A notable sundial is located above its entrance. Its status as private property should be taken into account when planning your trip: the historical description of the estate is not an invitation to enter the grounds.

Churches and local traditions

The church of Saint-Martin was built in the 19th century. Its Renaissance-style tower is the only surviving part of the church from before the Revolution. Inside, there is also a carved wooden pulpit dating from the 17th century. The different periods of construction make the church a place where you can trace various chapters of local history. It is also part of the «Églises Ouvertes» network.

The Chapelle de la Bézuède is also associated with a distinctive local tradition. It is known as the «À loques» chapel: according to tradition, people hung up garments or other items worn by a sick person there and prayed for their recovery. Another historical tradition concerns Marie de Draëck, who went hunting with a pack of nearly 40 dogs. This hunt is part of the historical heritage of the Lady of the Wolves, not a visitor activity offered today.

Gros Chêne and walking routes

The Gros Chêne has stood on Rue du chemin de Calais for more than 200 years. Its trunk has a circumference of 5.40 m, and it is 15 m tall. In recognition of its size, age and strong symbolic significance, it was designated a remarkable tree in 2019. It is a notable natural landmark with a local distinction.

The named walking routes have different details worth noting: the route Following in the footsteps of the Gros chêne starts at Place de la mairie in Zutkerque. The La Dame aux loups route lets you discover Zutkerque’s bocage landscape. One detail identifies a starting point in the village, while the other describes the landscape along the route. This distinction helps you include the routes’ themes in your travel plans without combining them into a single route.

Discover more destinations: Courset, Verton, Marck, Sanghen, Audinghen, Saint-Martin-Boulogne, Récourt, Bourlon.

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