The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Cambrai

easy and pleasant walk

a beautiful place to rest

Beautiful walk between countryside and village. Pretty paths and alleys. To discover

The Écluse de Cantimpré in Cambrai is a historic lock that played an important role in the development of the region's waterways. It was built in 1900 as part of the modernisation of the regional waterway network, as required by the Charles Freycinet law in 1879. The lock is equipped with two lock chambers, each 38 metres long and 5 metres wide, making it accessible to Flemish peniches and facilitating shipping. The lock is located at the junction of the canalised Scheldt and the Saint-Quentin Canal, and was part of the important port of Cantimpré, which was built in 1862. Today, the port of Cantimpré is mainly a pleasure port, but in the past it was a busy trading post with more than a hundred ships passing through every day.

Opposite it was once the Saint-Julien hospital, now transformed into a theatre and a conservatory of music and dramatic art. This hospital foundation dating back to the 11th century operated until 1862. It covered an entire district. A few buildings still remain, including an 18th-century chapel, the current foyer of the theatre. This theatre was built after the First World War, in an Art Deco style, by the architect Pierre Leprince-Ringuet. Made of brick and cement, imitating stone, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the older buildings. Its façade, pierced by three high bays, is a fairly unusual model found in England. This particularity qualifies it as an open-air theatre. The interior was restored in 2001 by the architect Vincent Brossy, who managed to reconcile modernity and heritage. This 750-seat Italian-style theatre can host all kinds of shows thanks to its modular stage. Boasting a varied programme, it is one of the most attractive cultural centres in the city. During the first half of July, the Juventus classical music festival allows the most talented young European virtuosos to perform there.

The Jesuits arrived in Cambrai in 1562 to fight against the spread of Protestantism and founded a college there. Thanks to a legacy from Monsignor Vanderburch, they had their chapel rebuilt between 1678 and 1694 according to the principles of the Counter-Reformation, based on plans drawn up by the architect Jean du Blocq. The architectural rhythm, the play of polychromy and the abundance of sculpted decoration make this building a masterpiece of northern Baroque art. This ornamental richness is found inside in the profusion of high and low reliefs in the choir and the nave. Its decoration is completed by a series of paintings by the painter Arnoult de Vuez, representing scenes from the life of Christ. (Cambrai Tourist Office).

The former abbey church and the guest house, which has housed the Post Office since 1905, belonged to the Abbey of the Holy Sepulchre, founded in the 11th century. Between 1696 and 1702, under the episcopate of Fénelon, the whole was rebuilt in the classical style advocated by Louis XIV. The sobriety of the decor contrasts with the exuberant baroque façade of the Jesuit chapel opposite. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was designated as the new cathedral by Bishop Louis Belmas in 1804 after the destruction of the Gothic cathedral during the Revolution. (City of Cambrai)

Built in 1595 during the Spanish occupation, hence its name, this half-timbered house with a gable on the street is the last example of this type of construction, which was widespread from the Middle Ages to the 17th century. The load-bearing walls are made of stone, the corbelled façade is made of wood and the gable is clad in slate. The ground floor is reserved for shops, with housing located upstairs. https://www.villedecambrai.com/decouvrir/decouvrir-la-ville/portrait-de-ville/patrimoine-et-architecture/lessor-urbain-au-moyen-age/la-maison-espagnole