The marked hiking trail in Houlle runs alongside the river, follows a towpath to the marshland and is 9 km long. The “Au Fil de la Houlle” mountain bike loop (VTT) also starts in Houlle. These nature and outdoor activity options are complemented by an ecological classification of the area and historical points of interest at the church, Puits Saint-Bertin and the distillery.

Landscape and choice of routes

The continental Type 1 ZNIEFF area “Le Marais de Warland et les étangs de la Musardière” includes Houlle. The ecological classification describes the area, while the hike identifies a specific route. It is marked, runs alongside the river, follows a towpath to the marshland and is 9 km long. The sequence of river, towpath and marshland gives the route a clear direction. Check local route conditions before setting out.

“Au Fil de la Houlle” is a mountain bike loop (VTT) starting in Houlle. Unlike the hike to the marshland, it is a circular route. When weighing up the options, compare the hike’s route and length with the VTT route’s starting point and circular format. This helps you choose an outing to suit your preferred type of route.

Church, Puits and distillery history

The church in Houlle is one of the oldest in the Audomarois. Its Romanesque tower dates from the 12th century, and the nave has a single aisle. These details shed light on the building from different perspectives: its age places the church in the context of the region, the date applies to the tower, and the single-aisle layout describes the nave. A single-aisle nave has one church aisle; this detail describes the building’s design, while the date refers to the tower. Those interested in architectural history can distinguish both the church’s age in regional comparison and a specific feature of its design.

Puits Saint-Bertin is listed as a historic monument (MH) and is one of the oldest surviving traces in Houlle. Compared with the church, both the type and the scope of the historical classification differ: the church is among the oldest in the Audomarois, while the Puits is among the oldest surviving traces in Houlle. The church’s architecture and a listed historical trace thus stand alongside each other as distinct points of interest.

The history of the Genièvre de Houlle distillery dates back to its founding by the Decocq family in 1812. This is a considerably later historical reference than the Romanesque tower from the 12th century. The two dates relate to different subjects: the tower places a feature of the church’s architecture in time, while 1812 belongs to the distillery’s founding history. Houlle therefore offers culture enthusiasts both an architectural point of reference and a dated event from local history.

Discover more destinations: Busnes, Baincthun, Vieille-Chapelle, Buire-Le-Sec, Richebourg, Wailly-Beaucamp, Troisvaux, Le Touquet.

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