Cassel, one of the most charming towns in northern Pas-de-Calais, now part of the new Les Hauts de France region in northern France, stands on top of Mount Cassel, making it the highest point in the flat landscape of Flanders. . It has the Museum of Flanders, a delicious Grand’Place that is not as grand as in the big cities of Brussels and Bruges, narrow winding streets, a windmill, good hotels and a delicious staminet (Flemish bistro) to eat .
Facts
- 2,300 inhabitants
- Location: Nord Pas-de-Calais, 59, northeast of St Omer
- Tourist Office
20 Grand Place
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 28 40 52 55
Website
Get there
By car from Calais. Take the A16 north signposted towards Dunkerque and Ostend. At exit 52, take the D11 signposted towards Cassel.
Where to stay
Chatellerie de Schoebeque
Originally an 18th century castle, this charming hotel has a great history. It belonged to a former mayor of Cassel who had an unfortunate death on the guillotine in the French Revolution. It was also the place where Marshal Foch stayed for 8 months in World War I, and where George V of England and a group of aristocrats briefly stayed in 1917 and 1918.
Each room has a different theme and is beautifully done without the touch. of kitsch that could happen so easily. I have stayed at La Vie en Rose, predominantly pink, with a rope gramophone and 78 vinyls on the windowsill, and in a small cabin room outside the main hotel overlooking a gypsy caravan (another room), and a magnificent view beyond the gardens.
Both were charming, with well-equipped bathrooms.
The view from the dining room is equally spectacular. The spa next door is owned and managed by the hotel.
32 rue Foch
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 28 42 42 67
Website
- Read guest reviews, compare prices and book the Chatellerie de Shoebeque with TripAdvisor.
The House of Sources
Owned by the Chatellerie de Schoebeque, this is a house with five rooms to rent on a bed and breakfast basis. It’s about a ten minute walk from the hotel, but it’s quite steep, so you might prefer to drive between the two. It’s a very reasonable alternative, and you can have breakfast uphill at the more expensive hotel and enjoy a great view.
326 rue d’Aire
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 28 42 42 67
Website
Hotel Restaurante Le Foch
This hotel facing the Grand’Place offers six fairly standard but comfortable rooms, along with a restaurant specializing in regional products.
41 Grand’Place
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 28 42 47 73
Website (in French)
Where to eat
- ‘T Kasteelhof
A cozy and authentic estaminet serving good beers and a variety of typical Flemish dishes, this charming place is on the hill near the windmill. You can drive or walk here to enjoy great food at very reasonable prices. It is full of antique furniture and decorated with hop flowers; There is a big fire in winter and traditional games to play. It also has a small shop full of regional products. A three-course meal costs around € 30 per person.
8 rue St Nicholas
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 28 40 59 29
- La Taverne Flamande
Robust Flemish cuisine in this old Flemish tavern in Grand’Place. And there is a terrace with a great view for dining in the summer. A three-course meal costs around € 20 per person.
34 Grand’Place
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 28 42 42 59 - The Table du Meunier
Buzzing and cozy, this popular restaurant is another place for good regional specialties. Again, there is a terrace with great views in summer.
25 Grand’Place
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 6 84 64 64 04
Things to do in Cassel
- The Flanders Museum
Reopened in October 2010 after 13 years of renovations, the museum shows the depth and richness of the culture and art of this part of Flanders. It is imaginatively displayed in old wood paneled rooms and has some real gems of paintings.
26 Grand’Place
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 59 73 45 60
Website - Le Moulin de Cassel
The windmill is the sole survivor of approximately 20 local windmills that took advantage of Cassel’s elevated position and produced locally grown corn flour and rye. It replaces the old 16th century wooden windmill destroyed by fire in 1911. Climb the winding and winding steps for a great view of this part of northern France and be rewarded with a bag of flour.
Also up here you will see the statue of Marshal Foch on his horse, commemorating the visit of the leaders of the First World War here.
Place du Chateau
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 28 40 52 55 (Tourist Office)
Open from April to September every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission Adult 3 euros, child from 6 to 14 years 2.50 euros.
- Le Jardin du Mont des Recollets (Wouwenberghof)
Inspired by paintings by the Old Masters, the Garden is really several gardens. Each part of the garden has a theme, from the Renaissance style with its yew-cut topiary, through a traditional orchard and vegetable garden, to a contemporary garden with different topiary styles.
The spaces in the hedges give you different views of the landscape. The roosters crow; Handsome chickens in feathery feathers scratch to eat and a cat lazily stretches out on the warm cobblestones outside the front door. It really does look like a fairy tale and the French authorities rightly classify it as a Remarkable Garden . It is owned by the ‘T Kasteelhof estaminet and shows the same sensitivity to the past as the excellent restaurant.
8 rue Saint Nicolas
Tel.: 00 33 (03 28 40 59 29
Open from mid-April to mid-November, Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm
Closed the first week of July and the first half of October.
Adult admission $ 5, free for accompanied children under age. 15 years.
- For more information on the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, go to the Nord website.
