Steenbecque: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

In the original village of Steenbecque, four main roads converge on a hall church. The church of Steenbecque is a hall church whose origins date back to the 12th century. A striking Calvary dating from 1821 is attached to its exterior.

Anyone wishing to see the hall church of Steenbecque may be planning to rent a holiday apartment.

Culture

The Église Saint-Pierre contains a 18th-century ensemble of chancel decorations. It consists of rectangular panels with oval medallions depicting saints in bust form and was classified as a protected object on 10 November 1980. The church also contains a rich collection of wooden furnishings, which has been added to the inventory of historic monuments.

The Grand-Orgue of the Église Saint-Pierre in Steenbecque also features remarkable craftsmanship: its carved oak case has five towers. The case and wood carvings of the Grand-Orgue were made in 1858 by Fidèle Paul Louis Durie. During the visit, the architecture and furnishings of the church are explained in detail.

There are several chapels and oratories along the roads and paths in Steenbecque. The oldest of these buildings is dedicated to Saint Pharaïlde; Saint Pharaïlde is invoked there for the protection of poultry farms. The local language is also part of the area’s distinctive cultural character: the inhabitants of Steenbecque spoke exclusively Flemish until the beginning of the 20th century. Steenbecque is also part of the cross-border network “Villages de Flandre / Charmante dorpen”.

Landscape

The state-owned Nieppe Forest forms the southern boundary of Steenbecque. A Roman road between Cassel and the Lys forms the western boundary. At the same time, Steenbecque has preserved parts of its former semi-open bocage landscape.

Steenbecque lies near the border between Flanders and Artois and is equidistant from Lille and Dunkerque.

Discoveries

A visitor programme in Steenbecque follows an individually chosen route through a permanent exhibition of old photographs of houses and onwards to the church. On Sunday, 20 September, an event on the history of the village and a tour of its church is scheduled in Steenbecque from 2 to 6 p.m.

Surroundings

The surroundings of Steenbecque include the historic site of Abbaye de Woestine, the Abbaye Saint Benoît de Ham-en-Artois monastery and the Mont des Récollets hill. Further afield in the region are the ancient site of Site archéologique de Thérouanne, the historic site of Abbaye Notre-Dame de Beaupré, and the hills of Mont des Cats, Rode Berg and Kemmelberg.

More town pages: Coutiches, Bambecque, Fourmies, Villers-Guislain, Bailleul, Bray-Dunes, Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Bousbecque.

To the main travel overview: Nord.