Let me tell you about an off the beaten path city of the north of my belle France , of many family visits that allowed me to visit these cities, As said this was a road warrior trail visit on our rounds in the area and took a peek in Tourcoing, Therefore, let me tell you about this is Tourcoing !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The City of Tourcoing is located in the Nord department no 59, in the Hauts-de-France region of my belle France, It is bordering Belgium, and part of the European Metropolis of Lille, of which it is one of the urban centers. It is 16 km from Lille, 5 km from Roubaix, 30 km from Tournai (Belgium), 94 km from Caudry, 251 km from Versailles, and 708 km from my current town,
In 1909, the Grand Boulevard was opened between Lille, Roubaix, and Tourcoing. This is a network of roads in the European metropolis of Lille which forms a three-branch “Y” network, linking Lille to Roubaix and Tourcoing, radiating out from the Croisé-Laroche crossroads in Marcq-en-Barœul, located in the heart of the agglomeration, It acts sort of a beltway or ring road, However, we came from Caudry where my dear late wife Martine has a brother and while visiting we always took advantage to do a bit of road warrior trails and going to the outlets stores in Roubaix we made a stretch into Tourcoing, We took the D74 road out of Caudry going throught Rieux en Cambresis ,Iwuy on D680 road to connect with the A2 autoroute by exit/sortie 15 continue to exit/sortie 20 dir Lille on the A23 autoroute bordering Valenciennes then past the Lille-Lesquin airport of many memories coming here to meet friends, continue bearing left onto the N227 highway dir Tourcoing continue bordering Villeneuve d’ Ascq continue see panels on right to Tourcoing continue bearing left to connect with the A22 autoroute dir Tourcoing then on exit/sortie 11 bear right into dir Tourcoing Centre to connect with the M656 road passing bordering Wasquehal and continue to exit/sortie 10 dir Roubaix centre/Tourcoing continue on M775 road or Bd Gambetta dir Tourcoing Centre continue thru Place de la Victoire to Rue Faidherbe bear slight right onto Rue d’Havre then left on Rue de Tournai to parking at Place de la République and the church,
The Church Saint-Christophe (Christopher) is located on the Parvis Saint-Christophe next to Grand Place. It is dedicated to Saint Christopher, and its veneration falls under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Lille. The church was in 1130 originally dedicated to Saint Vaast of Arras. The church’s façade, built entirely of stone, was inspired by Rayonnant Gothic architecture with Flamboyant elements. Symmetrical, it is divided into three bays corresponding to the interior plan: the nave corresponds to the bell tower, while the two small side façades align with the aisles. Set within an arch crowned by an openwork gable, the portal consists of a door surmounted by an ogee arch and an openwork balustrade. The portal is separated from the side façades by two buttresses topped with pinnacles. On the 80-meter-high bell tower, blind arcades with flamboyant tracery. The upper section of the tower, completed between 1895 and 1898, features two lancet windows crowned by a clock, framed by an ogee arch. It is in this section that the carillon, comprising 62 bells and present since the 17C, is housed. The church is 60 meters long, its bell tower 80 meters high, and contains a 255-step spiral staircase leading to a carillon museum. The museum explores the art of bell making (its construction and functions). Visitors then access the 62 bells and the clock via a 16C staircase leading to a breathtaking view of the entire city. Its carillon also includes a 6-ton bell.
The Church Saint Christophe origins date back to the 11C, and by the 12C the modest church was transformed into a more imposing one; a transept was added in the 13C. In the 15C, the bell tower, which was then located at the crossing of the transept, was moved to the porch. As Tourcoing grew wealthier and more important, the church was embellished, modified, and enlarged over the centuries. The 13C porch, the brick walls of the chancel aisles, and the 16C columns remain from the original church. The stained-glass windows in the clerestory and rose windows date from 1878, while those in the aisles were created between 1891 and 1898.
Other things to see are the Tourcoing Botanical Garden covers 11,900 m² and includes a botanical garden and an arboretum. Clemenceau Park, designed in 1927 on the site of a former cemetery, was opened in 1931. The Flemish gate marking the park’s entrance comes from the Château Masurel, while elements of the Rococo decoration from the Palais Vaissier were reused to adorn the park’s waterfall. The Museum of Fine Arts, also known as MUba, houses an important collection of works by Eugène Leroy. The Arab World Institute of Tourcoing is also located here. This branch of the Arab World Institute, established in 2012, is dedicated to promoting Arab culture. The Church of Notre-Dame de la Marlière, on Rue de la Marlière, is a 17-19C complex and a place of pilgrimage. The Church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges, 1850 Rue Nationale, is also located here. The former Chamber of Commerce, built between 1903 and 1906, combines stone and brick in a Neo-Flemish style and features a corner belfry. The Town Hall (1885) is characteristic of the Beaux-Arts style. Tourcoing train station (1906) was built for the International Textile Exhibition, modeled after Roubaix station. The Collector’s House, built in 1913 in the Flemish Neo-Renaissance style, is another notable landmark. Les Arcades, an Art Deco building constructed between 1930 and 1932 on Avenue Gustave Dron, is another. It is distinguished by its imposing dimensions and its brick and ceramic decoration.
The City of Tourcoing on its heritage : https://www.tourcoing.fr/Des-idees-d-activite/Culture/Patrimoine
The Tourcoing tourist office on the church : https://www.tourcoing-tourisme.com/fiche.asp?id=8&rubrique=incontournable
The Lille tourist office on the church of Tourcoing : https://en.lilletourism.com/explore/hello-culture/museums-and-cultural-venues/all-cultural-sites/eglise-saint-christophe-tourcoing-en-4431948/
The Villes Pays d’Art et d’Histoire of the Hauts de France on the church : https://vpah-hauts-de-france.fr/ressources/leglise-saint-christophe-musee-du-carillon/
There you go folks,another wonderful off the beaten path City of my belle France. It is worth more time me think, and we will be back, eventually. Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Tourcoing !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 