Discover Tourcoing from several cultural perspectives: local and regional history, neo-Gothic architecture, bells, art and landscaped gardens each offer a different focus. The topics that interest you most can be a useful starting point for planning your trip.
City History and Bells
The Centre d’Histoire Locale de Tourcoing is a municipal museum with collections on local and regional history. Its historical scope extends from the Gallo-Roman period to the 1960s. The focus is therefore not on just one period, but on a long historical development. Public access to the museum may change, so check current visiting options in advance.
The Église Saint-Christophe offers a different historical perspective. Its neo-Gothic design incorporates architectural elements from the 13th to the 16th centuries, reinterpreted in the 19th century. The bell tower houses the Musée du Carillon. The visit involves climbing more than 200 steps and introduces the history of Tourcoing’s bells. Visitors may also be able to witness the exceptional operation of the historic 18th-century Ritournelles drum. The specific presentation may change; include the climb as part of your museum visit.
Cultural Events and Art Along the Canal
The Maison Folie Hospice d’Havré is a cultural venue for exhibitions, performances, concerts, guided tours and workshops. Its specific programme changes. At the same time, the history of the Hospice d’Havré dates back to the 13th century. Here, a long historical development meets a diverse and changing cultural programme.
Le Fresnoy adds the annual Panorama exhibition to this selection. It presents more than 50 new works, films, installations and performances in the fields of image, sound and digital design. Dates and participating artists vary with each edition; if you are travelling to Tourcoing specifically for Panorama, check the dates of your chosen edition. Le Fresnoy is easy to reach by public transport. Check current public transport connections to Le Fresnoy before setting out.
The CAP Tourcoing route offers a different focus from the individual cultural venues: it runs along the Canal de Tourcoing and combines artistic and historical discoveries with street art. Several forms of cultural expression thus come together along one route. Those particularly interested in art in public spaces will find a different perspective here than at an exhibition or a historical collection.
Two Distinct Garden Themes
The Jardin botanique de Tourcoing is an urban green space with a formal French garden and an English-style garden. Both styles are represented within the same garden, making it easy to compare different garden designs.
By contrast, the Jardin de l’Hospice d’Havré is organised around themes: its central area contains ten beds devoted to medicine and dyeing. The two gardens therefore also differ in the perspective from which you can view them: two design styles in one, beds devoted to medical and dyeing themes in the other.
Discover more destinations: Avesnelles, Prisches, Masnières, Mortagne-du-Nord, Grande-Synthe, Feignies, Potelle, Haverskerque
For the broader travel overview: Nord.
