Soignies: Blue Stone, History and Walking Tours

Soignies is a destination for anyone who wants to combine urban history, stone craftsmanship and trips through rural landscapes. Blue Stone shapes several facets of the town: a walking tour, the Pôle de la pierre, the Centre de Documentation de la Pierre bleue and the quarries around Soignies reveal different aspects of this natural stone. Historic buildings, traces of the former fortifications, local traditions and cycling routes offering changing impressions complete the picture.

Walking tours for different day plans

Those who want to discover Soignies on foot can choose between two walking tours of different lengths. A 4 km walking tour focuses on the history of Blue Stone. The tourist map of the centre also includes a 7 km tourist walking tour. The two routes therefore provide clear guidance for planning your day, without requiring you to commit to just one way of sightseeing. Families can take the preferred length into account just as travellers can combine several cultural stops with a break for physical activity.

The landscape around the town can also be explored by bicycle. The cycling routes there pass through rural landscapes and reveal castles and farmhouses that bear witness to the history of the area.

Blue Stone: Natural Stone, Craftsmanship and Working History

Blue Stone has been quarried in the quarries around Soignies for more than 125 years. Anyone who wants to understand more precisely what work goes into this natural stone can find training in stone-processing professions at the Pôle de la pierre. The range extends from extraction to working, engraving and sculpting, as well as restoration.

The Centre de Documentation de la Pierre bleue complements this focus with a collection of minerals and fossils. Visitors can learn more there about the natural stone and its formation 350 million years ago. Tools and a reconstruction of a stonemason's accommodation also illustrate working conditions in the 19th and early 20th centuries. For a trip with children or teenagers, this approach can be particularly interesting because natural history and craftwork come together through concrete objects.

Church, Park and Traces of the Fortifications

One of the notable historical destinations is the Collégiale Saint-Vincent. It was built in the 11th century by the canons of Saint-Vincent in Soignies. The Vieux Cimetière is now a public park; it includes a chapel dating from the 12th and 17th centuries. In Soignies, different historical layers therefore stand side by side, without this implying a uniform sightseeing duration or a specific walking route.

The Remparts of Soignies were demolished in 1677. Surviving traces can be seen, among other things, in a succession of streets and lanes that form an almost complete route along the former fortifications. Those interested in urban development and historic structures can include this route as a topic of its own in their travel planning.

Museum, Traditions and a Local Specialty

The Musée du Vieux Cimetière is open on the first Sunday of every month from May through October, inclusive, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. If your stay falls within this period, you can specifically combine a museum visit with the historical impressions of the Vieux Cimetière. When planning, check the specific month of your stay, as the opening information is tied to the first Sunday and the period from May to October.

The festivities of Simpélourd are also part of Soignies' local character. They begin on the eve of the third Sunday in October. The historical procession is associated with Carabibis, handmade local caramels. This specialty offers a culinary link to the tradition, without needing to be considered separately from the other cultural offerings.

Soignies as a Starting Point for Your Accommodation Search

When choosing a holiday apartment in Soignies, you can first decide which experiences should be the focus of your trip: a short walking tour devoted to Blue Stone, the longer route through the centre, natural stone and craftsmanship, historic buildings or cycling tours through the landscape. Anyone wishing to plan visits at set times should also take the date of the Musée du Vieux Cimetière into account.

For further travel ideas, you can also include Casteau, Bernissart, Aiseau-Presles, Écaussinnes, Hensies, Seneffe, Sivry-Rance and Celles in your individual planning.

For the broader travel overview: Hainaut.