Day Trip to Cassel: The Quaint Village of the French Flanders | John is Offline

Looking for a quick day trip near Lille? Set your eyes on Cassel, a small old town on a hill in Northern France which offers sweeping panoramic views and once voted as one of the most preferred villages of the French people.

Today, I went there to figure out why for myself and to share what I’ve found and seen here.

How to get to Cassel?

Getting from Lille’s Lille-Flandres main train station to the nearest train station of the French town of Cassel was easy peasy and affordable.

In my case, I booked a TER regional train leaving Lille-Flandres to Dunkirk on SNCF Connect mobile app. Trains that go to Dunkirk pass by Cassel’s train station.

It’s always a joy to ride the TER regional train with a cup of black coffee. 😁

After a 45-minute scenic train ride, I alighted at Cassel train station which is located at the town of Bavinchove (strange!).

Arrived at Cassel train station. Here we go!

From here, the town of Cassel is located about 3 kilometres away on a hill so I hiked up.

Hiking up by the side of the road to the town of Cassel. This sign got me excited.

Luckily, my trip occurred on a clear, sunny day so it was a pleasant experience walking up by the roadside and through the farm fields.

Some parts of the road to Cassel was winding and the environment felt very rural. I loved it!

As I was hiking leisurely, it took me about 30 minutes to reach the outskirts of the town of Cassel.

What to see and do in Cassel?

The pictures below, taken personally by myself, show what you can expect to see and do as you as you enter the town of Cassel.

First, I chanced into this toy store which sells classic toys. Great shop for collectors.

Views like this makes Cassel even more worth visiting, especially that it has many restaurants and cafés with balconies that offer panoramic views!

A narrow alley leading to the ramparts or a wall used to protect the town of Cassel during the war.

Walking on the rampart surrounding the town of Cassel.

Walking up to Cassel’s town square with abandoned houses on the right.

A view of a restaurant on the right which advertises panoramic dining at Cassel.

Cassel’s mairie (brown coloured building) standing at its main town square.

A monument dedicated to those who died during the war stands at the corner of Cassel’s town square.

Cassel’s Porte d’Aire cultural landmark.

Flemish restaurant buildings beside Cassel’s mairie / town hall.

A string of boulangeries and traditionally Flemish-themed restaurants called “estaminets” grace Cassel’s main town square.

I can’t stop imagining what this town was like in its glory days in the past.

The Notre-Dame-de-la-Crypte church in the town of Cassel.

An old wooden windmill at the summit of Cassel is the town’s famous landmark.

The crème à la crème of the town of Cassel is the epic, 360 degrees panoramic view of the surrounding plains from Mont Cassel summit.

A monument dedicated to Marshall Ferdinand Foch at the summit of Mont Cassel. He was a key military figure during World War 1.

Beautiful, lush Green trees dominate the peak of Mont Cassel, the highest point of the town of Cassel.

A traditional Flemish “estaminet” restaurant at the summit of Cassel. This restaurant has been featured on French television.

Many alleys in Cassel offer fantastic views of surrounding plains.

After my sightseeing in the town of Cassel, I used this scenic dirt road to descend from the hill and head back to the Cassel train station.

Further down, I had the pleasure to walk by the green fields

Have you been to Cassel? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Find a hotel near Cassel

About Author

John Raul

See author's posts

Tags: cassel day trip France haut-de-france Northern France

1 thought on “Day Trip to Cassel: The Quaint Village of the French Flanders”

Pingback: The Most Beautiful Sights in Lille, France | John is Offline

Leave a Reply Cancel reply