Mont Cassel

The hill rises to a height of 176 metres (577 ft) above sea level, making it the highest of the Westhoek region.

[1] During the late Iron Age the hill of Cassel was inhabited by the Menapii, a Belgic tribe, who made the hill-top settlement the capital of a large territory extending from modern Calais to as far as the Rhine.

The town avoided significant damage during the war, though it came under occasional shellfire when the Germans advanced to within 18 kilometres (11 mi) during the Battle of the Lys in April 1918.

The road leading up from the bottom of the hill to the top is 1,700 m. The upper kilometre has a cobbled surface.

Unlike the fearful sections of pavé in Paris–Roubaix, the surface is in excellent condition, as it is one of only two roads leading to the commune of Cassel.