Guînes offers different ways to explore history and nature: a history interpretation centre, a historic church, trails and activities in forest and marshland settings. Each place has its own focus—from several historical periods to a village reconstruction, as well as nature and activities among the treetops.
History Through Different Periods
La Tour de l’Horloge is Guînes’ history interpretation centre. Its subject matter spans Viking invasions, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. A visit includes the film “Sifrid Le Danois, Aux origines de Guînes” and an experience aboard a Drakkar. Visitors can also try their hand at making chain mail. The offering thus combines historical themes with a hands-on activity.
An exhibition at the Tour focuses on the Camp du Drap d’Or, the meeting between François Ier and Henry VIII in June 1520. This specific event complements the centre’s broad historical scope. By considering the different areas of focus, visitors can compare the overview of several periods with the exhibition’s thematic focus on the 1520 meeting.
The Église Saint-Pierre de Guînes offers another way to explore history. Its new brick building was inaugurated in 1822; the church also has a pulpit dating from 1706, considered its principal work of art. The dates refer to different things: 1706 to the pulpit and 1822 to the inauguration of the new building. The church’s fittings and building history can therefore be considered as distinct aspects.
Nature, Village History and Activities
In the Forêt de Guînes, the Parcours aventure de Guînes offers a treetop climbing course. Its stations are suspended at heights of between 2 and 15 metres. This clearly defines the course’s vertical dimension. Confirm the course’s operating arrangements before travelling.
Saint Joseph Village offers a different historical focus. A family of craftspeople has recreated an authentic village that illustrates life in France from 1900 to 1970. The Village is in the commune of Guînes, in the green zone of the Marais de Guînes. Its time period differs markedly from the themes of La Tour de l’Horloge: here, the focus is on depicting life in 20th-century France, while the Tour’s themes reach back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
The Parc pédagogique nature du Marais is a refuge for farm animals. In this natural setting, fauna and flora live in harmony. This brings animals and the interplay between plant and animal life to the fore—a different focus from the historical reconstruction at Saint Joseph Village or the cultural history at the Tour.
Two Trails, Two Points of Reference
The Sentier du Bois de Ballon is a 3-kilometre walking trail in Guînes. Its name commemorates the first crossing of the English Channel by balloon, on 7 January 1785. Its length and the story behind its name provide two specific points of reference: a measured distance and a historical connection preserved in the trail’s name.
The Sentier des Deux Moulins offers a different point of reference. It leads back to the Tour de l’Horloge, described as a historic monument in the town of Guînes, and towards the Forêt domaniale de Guînes. Compared with the Sentier du Bois de Ballon, the named route connections are the focus here, while the Bois de Ballon trail stands out for its length and the story behind its name.
When choosing a hotel in Guînes, these different themes can help you decide what to focus on during your stay: cultural history, church architecture, the village reconstruction at Saint Joseph Village, the natural setting of the marshland or an activity among the treetops. If you plan to visit the adventure course, confirm its operating arrangements before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Berneville, Vieil-Hesdin, Maresville, Gouy-Sous-Bellonne, Saint-Martin-Boulogne, Bapaume, Bermicourt, Maninghem.
See the regional travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.
