Lumbres - Remilly Verquin

Follow the greenway itinerary

When the trains of yesteryear give way to hikers, runners, mountain bikers and horse riders, discover the Lumbres – Remilly-Wirquin soft link in the heart of the Aa valley, a converted former railroad line.

Soft link in the Pays de Lumbres Community of Communes

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The second life of a railway

Commissioned in 1882 for passenger transport, the Calais – Anvin line has been unused since 1955.

On the Lumbres – Remilly-Wirquin section, it has now been transformed into a soft link, 5.5 km of nature walks. The track is now surfaced, but the 2 rail wires are still visible, as a reminder of the past. In the image of the Pays de Lumbres, to take this track is to stroll in the middle of nature, to cross the Villages of the Vallée de l’Aa, to recharge your batteries for the time of a walk.

Behind the scenes of the Chemin de Fer Touristique de la Vallée de l'Aa

Rails of the tourist railway of the Aa valley

Meet history

The journey begins in Lumbres, where the old railroad line splits into two sections: one is the soft link, the other is still in operation and is used by the Association du Chemin de Fer Touristique de la Vallée de l’Aa (CFTVA). This section of track continues as far as Arques, where the association runs historic trains. This is an opportunity to admire the largest steam engine still in operation north of Paris! With a locomotive from 1943 pulling a passenger train from the 1930s, these journeys are a real immersion in history.

Book your historic train journey

Immerse yourself in nature

The soft link can be used on foot, by bike or on horseback. Departing from Lumbres, a first footbridge takes you across the Aa, a small river that rises not far from there in Bourthes.

The route then takes you past the villages of Elnes and then Wavrans-sur-l’Aa. Here you are in the heart of the nature reserve of the caves and lawns of Acquin-West-Bécourt and the hillsides of Wavrans-sur-l’Aa. A park and paths have been laid out. Take a detour and climb Mont d’Elnes, for a lovely view of the surrounding villages and the Pays de Lumbres. As you stroll along these paths, it’s not unusual to come across a flock of sheep.

As you cross these hillsides, you’ll discover the remains of a railway platform that enabled wagons to cross the Aa to reach a Moulin on the other bank.

Continue the walk to the line’s terminus! Welcome to Remilly-Wirquin station, the building is typically recognizable from the railway architecture of the period and the station is today transformed into the town hall.