Gommegnies offers two distinct ways to plan a stay: a religious heritage spanning several centuries and the Forêt de Mormal south of the town, along the Chaussée Brunehaut. Churches, chapels, oratories and calvaries shape the historic character of the town. You can therefore focus your trip more on architectural history or on spending time in the forest.
Churches, chapels and architectural history
The heritage includes two churches and a total of fifteen chapels, oratories and calvaries. The churches span the period from the Eglise Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, a former fortified church dating from the 16th century, to the Eglise Saint-Joseph on Place de Carnoy, built at the end of the 19th century. Saint-Joseph was funded by the residents of the time. Their involvement is therefore also part of its construction history.
Two named chapels provide further points of reference: the Chapelle Saint-Antoine de Padoue was built in the 17th century, and the Chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Affligés in the 18th century. Together with the two churches, they offer a timeline from the 16th to the late 19th century. The former fortifications of the Eglise Notre-Dame de l’Assomption add an aspect of architectural history beyond the date of construction alone.
Wooden clogs and local economic history
The economic history also leads to the Forêt de Mormal. Gommegnies’s past economy was linked to the forest, particularly through the manufacture of wooden clogs. Two clog-makers’ workshops are part of this historic legacy. The forest connection is therefore relevant not only to the landscape but also to local economic history.
Forêt de Mormal and trails
The Forêt de Mormal lies south of Gommegnies, along the Chaussée Brunehaut. The forest has numerous walking trails as well as paths suitable for cycling. If you are planning an outing, check current trail conditions before your visit, as they may change.
Routes and getting there
The Chemin de la Licorne is a 13 km route starting in Gommegnies. It is distinct from the local network of paths and roads, which extends for 38 km. The figures refer to different things: one is the length of a single named route, the other the extent of a network. This lets you distinguish the specific route length from the size of the network. Route details and information about the network may be updated, so check the latest guidance before planning.
Bus route 990 connects Valenciennes, Gommegnies and Le Quesnoy. If you plan to use this service, check the latest timetable before travelling, as schedules and service patterns may change.
Choosing a hotel stay
When looking for a hotel in Gommegnies, you can use the purpose of your trip as your first criterion: architectural history in town or time on the trails in the Forêt de Mormal.
Discover more destinations: Hazebrouck, Looberghe, Cuincy, Cappelle-La-Grande, Sin-Le-Noble, Hem-Lenglet, Cassel, Villeneuve-D'ascq.
For the regional travel overview: Nord.
