Hordain can be explored through three very different themes: brewing culture, river landscapes and Merovingian finds. The Escaut borders the entire western side of the town; a nature reserve stretches along its banks in Hordain. Local highlights also include the Garde-Bière La Choulette and a Merovingian cemetery with 430 burials. If you are looking for a holiday rental, you can first consider whether beer, landscapes, history or music is the reason for your stay.
Brewing culture: speciality, tour and museum
Garde-Bière La Choulette is a gastronomic speciality of Hordain. The La Choulette brewery is also part of the town’s local history: it dates from the 19th century and welcomes many beer lovers. Choulette Expérience offers an immersive, interactive tour. Visitors can discover brewing equipment and the Choulettorium, and sample products during a visit.
The tour brings together different aspects of brewing: the equipment, the Choulettorium and the products. Check visiting times before your trip so you can plan your stay around the current offering.
The small brewery museum is housed in a former storage cellar, where restored historic brewing objects are on display. Check the latest visitor information and exhibits before your visit. The tour and museum offer different experiences: an interactive visit with tastings in one, historic objects in a former storage cellar in the other.
Merovingian finds and music
The town’s history includes a Merovingian cemetery with 430 burials, discovered in Hordain. A funerary chapel was built in the cemetery in the 7th century. The number of burials and the dated chapel offer two concrete points of reference for the historical theme: the scale of the discovery and a building from a specific period. For travellers interested in history, this find offers a different focus from the history of brewing.
The Harmonie d'Hordain also has a long history: it traces its roots to a fife-and-drum band founded in 1922. The ensemble performs in Hordain and the surrounding communities. Its programme includes concerts, parades, carnival events and serenades. If you would like to plan your stay around a performance, check the specific event dates before arranging your trip.
Banks of the Escaut and contrasting landscapes
The Escaut is a defining geographical feature: it borders the entire western side of Hordain. A nature reserve lies along its banks in Hordain, where grey herons, owls and coots can be found among pollarded willows. This description brings together the river, protected landscapes and wildlife without assuming any particular itinerary.
Hordain also marks a boundary between agricultural plains and industrial landscapes. This contrast gives the town a different character from a destination focused solely on brewing: alongside its local speciality and historical themes, there is a landscape shaped by different environments. If nature and local character matter as much to you as culture when choosing a destination, you can take these aspects into account.
Getting around and finding a holiday rental
The D630 between Iwuy and Bouchain, heading towards Estrun, is considered the best way to discover Hordain; it offers a striking approach to the town. This specific point of reference adds a road route highlighted in local descriptions to the thematic reasons for a visit.
When looking for holiday rentals in Hordain, it helps to first decide what you are most interested in: a brewery tour and tasting, Merovingian finds, river landscapes or musical events. These themes appeal to different interests, and you do not need to fit them all into one stay. If you would like to plan your trip around a particular visit or performance, check the relevant dates and information before arranging your stay.
Discover more destinations: Bouvines, Honnecourt-Sur-Escaut, Haubourdin, Ohain, Mons-En-Baroeul, DĂ©chy, Landrecies, Vicq.
For the wider travel overview: Nord.
