Find Hotels in Ferrière-la-Grande: Cycling Routes and Heritage

On this page

Editor's Choice

Pure Luxury

“Call me spoiled - but I love to be treated like a queen when traveling. Only the best is good enough for me. Hotels that make my vacation a dream of luxury and seduction are my choices. Pay attention to the (violet Medal) for luxury accommodation.”

Tatjana Herzegova, Kiew, Ukraine

Editor's Choice

Sustainable Travel

“There is only one earth and we should go out and see it. I like hotels, which look for sustainability. It is not only protecting the ecology, but also taking care for the local business and culture. I recommend the medal for eco accomodation. Let’s protect our earth. Sustainable travel is travelling with responsibility.”

Markus Lenk, Düsseldorf, Germany

Ferrière-la-Grande can be explored in two ways: by bike via the Relais Éco-Vélo, and on foot along trails of varying lengths. The town also has traces of its local and military history, from an 18th-century chapel to Fort du Bourdiau. When planning your stay, you can decide whether to focus on outdoor activities or heritage.

By bike: the Relais and the Voie Verte

The Relais Éco-Vélo is located at 1 Rue Aristide Briand. The former railway station has been converted into a central cycling hub on EuroVelo 3. It is in the heart of the Regional Natural Park and is the starting or finishing point of the Voie Verte de l’Avesnois. For planning cycling days, Ferrière-la-Grande offers two specific route connections: EuroVelo 3 and the Voie Verte.

Walking routes by length and landscape

The Sentier de l’Octroi is 7 kilometres long, and the route is estimated to take around 2 hours. It starts at Place Gambetta and offers panoramic views of Ferrière-la-Grande. The trail passes through fields and meadows with hedgerows typical of the Sambre-Avesnois landscape. Parts of the route run through neighbouring municipalities, so this regional landscape is also part of the trail’s character.

The Circuit des censes de Raidmont is 10 kilometres long, with an estimated duration of 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes. The starting point is the car park at the former railway station in Ferrière-la-Grande. The route passes close to Fort du Bourdiau. It is the highest point in the municipality and part of the Maubeuge defensive belt. This sets the route apart from the Sentier de l’Octroi not only in terms of length and duration, but also because of its connection to military heritage.

For a shorter route, there is the “Circuit 1: le Village” loop: it is 3 kilometres long and also starts at Place Gambetta. No duration is given for this walk. The three routes can therefore be easily distinguished by length; specific timings are available for the two longer walks.

Chapels, church and local history

At the top of Rue Roger Salengro stands the Chapelle Notre Dame de Bon Vouloir. It was built in 1752; a chronogram above the entrance refers to this year of construction. The Église St Amand de Ferrière-la-Grande also bears witness to structural changes: a choir and sacristy were added in 1848, and its two side chapels were rebuilt in 1851.

The church houses a large organ from the Anneesens workshop in Halluin. Another local monument with a date is the Oratoire N.D. de Walcourt at 19 Rue Alphonse Splingard, which dates to 1790. These different architectural and decorative details give Ferrière-la-Grande’s heritage several points of reference in time, though not all its historical traces come from the same period.

The Cense de Rémont is also part of the municipality’s historic landscape: it was the Benedictines’ most important property in Ferrière-la-Grande. Along with the route near the fort, the chapels and the church, it offers another way to explore local history, alongside cycling and walking.

Discover more destinations: Lambersart, Ronchin, Ramillies, Coudekerque-Branche, Erquinghem-Lys, Hazebrouck, Wasquehal, Sebourg

Return to the main travel overview: Nord.

Search accommodationAdvertisement · We may receive a commission if you book.