Déchy offers a range of reasons to stay: the 36-kilometre Chemin des Galibots circular hiking trail, historic buildings and natural spaces. When planning your trip, the trail’s length sets it apart from the individual monuments and local traditions. So first consider whether hiking or the town’s history, landscape and potato tradition will be the main focus of your trip.
Hiking in the footsteps of history
The Chemin des Galibots is a 36-kilometre circular hiking trail in Déchy. It follows former railway lines belonging to the Compagnie des mines d’Aniche. These once connected mining pits and spoil heaps in the Douaisis area. The trail also passes through Parc des Renouelles. This route brings together the history of the mining landscape and a natural space that has been preserved.
At 36 kilometres, the circular trail is a major part of planning your trip. If you want to include it, take its length into account when planning your stay rather than treating it as just a short detour. Its connection to the former railway lines also gives the hike a specific historical context: the route recalls the infrastructure that once linked the pits and spoil heaps.
Buildings and places of remembrance
Saint-Amand Church was rebuilt in 1894 after a fire on 7 February 1875. Another historic building is Ferme Jacquart, built in 1776. Among its surviving features is a brick-and-limestone dovecote, renovated in 2019. The church, farm and dovecote offer different points of interest if you are interested in the town’s architectural history.
Since 2022, Ferme Jacquart has hosted markets featuring local producers, including monthly markets as well as evening and night markets. If a market day matters to your trip, check the specific dates in advance; schedules and programmes may change.
The Croix de Pierre is a sandstone monument erected in 1593. It commemorates the end of a particularly harsh and destructive period of the Wars of Religion, marked by violence and looting. La Longue Borne offers another historical point of interest: this three-metre-high marker stands near a former leper colony. In the Middle Ages, it marked the boundary that people with leprosy were not supposed to cross. Together, the two sites show how buildings and markers preserve different aspects of Déchy’s history.
Wetland and natural spaces
The Déchy wetland covers approximately 147 hectares. Its size sets it clearly apart from the individual architectural and commemorative monuments. It was drained and affected by human intervention; the municipality, together with SNCF Réseau, has committed to restoring it to a more natural state. Municipal services worked to renew its wild-growing flora. Rare and protected plants, including autumn crocus, were discovered during the restoration.
Parc Louis Aragon and the Étangs de la Motte are also among Déchy’s preserved natural spaces.
Potato tradition and trip planning
The Fête de la Pomme de Terre is celebrated every year in September. The associated potato tradition includes dishes and names such as “Pomm'Tierre à la plure”, Mousseline, Dauphine, Patacons and Caquettes. The giant figure Caquette is also part of the festival: made of wickerwork and paper, it is approximately 3.20 metres tall and weighs 45 kilograms. It was christened on 15 September 2013 as part of the Fête de la Pomme de Terre. If you want to plan your trip around the September festival, check the current event dates and programme.
For travel planning, Line 12 is a specifically named connection: it links Dechy (Centre Hospitalier) with Somain railway station. Check the timetable before travelling, as public transport services can change. When choosing your accommodation, consider whether the circular trail, historic sites, natural spaces or potato tradition will be the main reason for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Croix, Sainghin-En-Mélantois, Saint-Martin-Sur-Écaillon, Vicq, Beauvois-En-Cambrésis, Arleux, Cuincy, Marcq-En-Baroeul.
For the broader travel overview: Nord.
