Surques brings together a chalk-rich natural landscape, a long walking route, cultural history and regional produce. The Dans la campagne d'Hocquinghen route takes an average of 6 hours and 10 minutes—a substantial block of time to allow for when planning your day. Culture and local food offer a different focus. When choosing accommodation, it may therefore help to consider whether you want the walk to shape your stay or would rather focus more on heritage and regional products.

Chalk escarpment, woodland and open spaces

Le Mont de Surques and le bois du Val lie on the chalk escarpment of the Haut-Boulonnais. Together, they form a small remnant woodland ecosystem connected to calcareous grassland and meadows. Here, woodland, grassland and meadows are part of one natural landscape; this connection is what gives the area its distinctive character. Nature enthusiasts will find more than a single attraction: woodland and open, limestone-rich areas are equally part of the picture.

Fourteen plant species and seven vegetation units of significance to ZNIEFF have been recorded in this area. The figures describe different aspects: one refers to plant species, the other to vegetation units. In this way, both individual species and the structure of the vegetation are taken into account. Since July 2024, Surques has been one of the 111 municipalities in the Marais audomarois - Aa - Hem - Flandre UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This designation places the specific natural landscape within the wider regional context of the reserve.

A long route that takes time

The Dans la campagne d'Hocquinghen walking route follows the Sentier du Mont de Surques. This trail runs along Mont de Surques, with the woods of Boctiau and Val on the left. The route is 19.30 km long, takes an average of 6 hours and 10 minutes, and returns to the starting point. Its length, average duration and return to the start give you clear details to plan around. If you want to walk the route, set aside a substantial block of time rather than treating it as a short addition to a packed day.

A visitor report dated September 22, 2024, noted that the section between points 14 and 15 was inaccessible at the time because it crossed private property with a gate. Check access conditions before setting out; this notice concerns that specific part of the route.

Art history and an important date

The history of Surques includes two 17th-century statues of Saint Crépin and Saint Crépinien. They were located in the church of Saint-Crépin and were listed as movable objects under monument protection on February 1, 1911. The works were stolen in October 1976. These three dates place the statues in chronological order: their creation, their listing for protection, and finally their loss. The sculptures are part of the town’s cultural heritage, even though they cannot today be regarded as works still present there.

Regional produce and places to eat

The Café-boulangerie Bay Pascal in Surques serves pastries, wood-fired bread, viennoiseries and pizzas to eat in. It offers a choice from both a bakery and a café. Another dining option is the Manoir du Brugnobois: this authentic 16th-century building houses an inn. It serves tasty cuisine, prepared in part with products from the farm. If you are planning a visit or a meal, check the arrangements for visits and the restaurant’s availability before you travel.

Two farms also offer different kinds of produce. La Ferme des Cailleuys is a sheep farm that sells sheep’s milk products, including cheese, tomme and yogurt. La Ferme du Paillard sells fresh pork, beef, poultry and rabbit meat directly, as well as terrines, including pâté and rillettes. If you plan to buy from a farm, check its opening arrangements in advance. This makes it easy to distinguish between the products of the two farms without confusing them with a restaurant meal or a stop at Bay Pascal.

Your stay can therefore focus on a clear choice of themes: the long route as a time commitment in its own right, the natural landscape on the chalk escarpment, the history of the statues or regional food. You can make the walk the centerpiece of your trip and include culture or local products as additional interests—or focus more on history and produce. If you are planning to visit the restaurant or farms, it is worth checking their arrangements in advance.

Discover more destinations: Willencourt, Robecq, Quiestède, Hames-Boucres, Outreau, Royon, Carvin, Fiennes

Explore the wider travel guide: Pas-De-Calais.