The "town of yellow bricks", Saint-Omer, classified as Town of Art and History, reigns over the Audomarois, from Arques to Aire sur la Lys, from Eperlecques to Fauquembergues and from Lumbres to Thérouanne, and offers visitors a diversity of leisure activities.
Admire the richly decorated facades of its town houses, the elegant hôtel Sandelin, the ruins of Saint-Bertin’s abbey, the "coffee mill" (nickname given to the town hall by the locals) in the main square, the magnificent public gardens… The majestic tower of Notre-Dame cathedral contrasts in its verticality with the surrounding marshes, a checkerboard of “lègres”, narrow strips of reclaimed land evoking such names as Clairmarais, Salperwick, Tilques.
See how the marsh-dwellers navigate the watergangs, standing on their bacôves or escutes and wielding their punting poles with dexterity. It is a natural paradise where people take their time… But industrial tourism is another attraction of the region: visit Arc International, the world leader in tableware, discover the secrets of Houlle’s Genièvre distillerie, the Fontinettes ship lift, the Paper Museum…
Nearby, La Coupole in Helfaut and the Eperlecques Bunker are two of the great relics of the Second World War in Europe, that can be visited now as History and Rememberance Centres.
From a happier era, a 1950’s train has been reinstated as a tourist train, with stops at many of the region's tourist sites.
Between the plains of Flanders and the Boulonnais downs, surrounded by forests of beech and oak, the 9 and 18 hole courses of the Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club are a golfer's delight.
The town centres with their specialist shops, markets, flea markets and cafés have plenty to offer shopping enthusiasts. Finally, the Saint Omer Region offers a host of hotels and restaurants, cottages and B&Bs, all committed to making your stay a pleasant and memorable one!