Parc de la Souche

Parc de la Souche comprises 3 terraces, the first of which features a French parterre around brick-faced ponds. Part of the 1.3 km-long ramparts linking the town gates can be seen on the south side of the park. In the 20th century, a greenhouse was rebuilt on the second terrace. Fitted with a wood-burning heating system, this greenhouse was used to grow delicate flowers.

In the park, you can admire a beautiful building dating from the 19th century, built on foundations dating from the Middle Ages. It was called the House of the White Queen because, according to legend, Blanche of Castile and her son Saint Louis liked to stay here. Before the Second World War, General Denain lived in the property, which was occupied by the Kommandantur during the war and then converted into an orphanage at the end of the conflict. It has been home to the Town Hall since 2013.

When the building was restored in 2012, 19th-century paintings on canvas were discovered behind plywood in one of the rooms. They were neither dated nor signed, and can be seen in what is now the marriage hall. The building is a listed building.

On the forecourt, you can see “Le Forgeron”, a work by Raymond Galidie, created in response to Maurice Picard’s adage that “together and from the same heart, let us forge our happiness”.

On your way back to the market square, you’ll pass through Place de la Souche, the oldest square in the town, where the grain, straw and fodder markets were held. Some of the houses have stone foundations dating back to the 15th century.