In Sars-Poteries, several traces lead through the history of craftsmanship: glass takes centre stage in the MusVerre collections, ceramics shape the work of S'Art & Poteries, and the Moulin Ă Eau Delmotte preserves its complete mill machinery. There is also a stone monolith, a 19th-century church and access points to the Voie Verte de l'Avesnois. When planning your visit, it is worth distinguishing the cultural sites in the town from the regional route. This makes it clear which details relate to Sars-Poteries and which concern the wider area.
Glass history at MusVerre
The permanent exhibition at MusVerre includes so-called “Bousillés”: glassworkers in Sars-Poteries made these pieces during their work breaks. The name thus points to a special connection between glass art and everyday working life. More than 1,300 semi-industrial glass objects from the Verreries de Sars-Poteries offer a different perspective on the glass industry. These glassworks operated from 1801 to 1937.
The contemporary collection, meanwhile, tells a later chapter of the story. It began with 123 works donated by artists at the first International Symposium on Contemporary Glass in Sars-Poteries in 1982. The figures represent different facets of local glass history: on the one hand, the products of an industrial business; on the other, the beginning of a collection of contemporary works. If you are interested in craftsmanship and art, this transition between the industrial past and the artistic present offers a clear thread to follow.
Mill machinery and ceramic art
The Moulin Ă Eau Delmotte is a museum at 13 Rue de Dimont, 59216 Sars-Poteries. Its complete mill machinery has been preserved; the hydraulic mechanism drives three pairs of millstones. This technical description makes the site a clearly defined subject for a visit, even without a longer tour of the town. Check the opening hours in advance, as they are not guaranteed.
S'Art & Poteries adds another local focus with ceramics. Its collection comprises more than 1,000 catalogued pieces, most of them donated. S'Art & Poteries also promotes historical and contemporary ceramic art from the region through exhibitions and events. Dates may change; if you would like to plan your visit around them, check the current programme. Glass and ceramics can thus be viewed as two distinct themes in local craftsmanship, without reducing them to the same period or method of production.
The monolith and church in the townscape
La Pierre de Dessus-Bise stands on Place du Vieux-Marché. It is a conical monolith made of landanian sandstone, 1.5 metres high and 2.8 metres wide at the base—so its base is considerably wider than the stone is tall. It is thought to be a menhir dating from the Gallic period. Local folklore also links the stone with fertility: according to the story, infertile women would become fertile if they sat on it. This tale is part of local folklore.
Another historical landmark is the Église Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul, dating from 1877. Its listed features include the nave, pulpit, baptismal font and altar relief. Together with the monolith, the church offers another perspective on the town’s stone-built heritage; the two features are quite different in character: one is a solitary conical stone with a traditional interpretation, the other a church building with named features.
Access points to the Voie Verte de l'Avesnois
There are three access points to the Voie Verte de l'Avesnois in Sars-Poteries: on Rue de Dimont, Rue du Général Leclerc and Rue Scalier. The Voie Verte runs for about 30 kilometres along a former railway line between Maubeuge and Fourmies; the line opened in 1885. This gives an idea of a regional offering, not just a route within the town. When planning, it is therefore useful to consider visits to the town and your preferred section of the longer route separately. Route conditions may change due to local works or changes to the signage; check the access points before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Jolimetz, Merville, Trelon, Saint-André-Lez-Lille, Steenwerck, La Creche, Godewaersvelde, Genech.
Go to the broader travel overview: Nord.
