The ruined Gothic tower and scattered stonework of Saint-Bertin Abbey are among the most atmospheric sights in northern France. The abbey was founded in the 7th century by Saint Bertin, and became one of the most important Benedictine monasteries in the medieval Low Countries — a major scriptorium, royal burial place, and centre of political power on the shifting border between France and Flanders.
What you see today is the ruin of the 15th-century Gothic church, a massive structure that was partially demolished after the Revolution when the religious communities were dissolved. The isolated Gothic tower that still stands is particularly striking. The surrounding public gardens make it a pleasant place to walk. A small museum in the adjacent Saint-Omer town hall covers the abbey's history and the illuminated manuscripts produced here.