What is a café rando?
A café rando is not just a simple café where you can enjoy a drink after a hike. It is, in fact, several things at once: an institution, a unique concept in France, a place to create social links, a provider of information, a gathering point..
What is essential to know is that 20 years ago, hiking cafés did not exist! They were born thanks to an idea launched by the tourist office of the Yser Houck, in Flanders. The demand from hikers being present, the motivation being also there, there was nothing left to do!
Under the guidance and impetus of the Département du Nord, the project was built and shaped. A dual system of membership fees and institutional funding allows the implementation to be financed. In 2016, the Café Rando became a label, awarded on the basis of very specific criteria: to be located in a rural area and to be less than one kilometer from a hike (or a bike path).
In 2018, thirty cafés were labeled, a figure that will rise to seventy-three in 2020, with geographical boundaries already expanded since, leaving only Flanders, the concept has spread to the Douaisis and Avesnois. And the 100 mark was recently passed, an essential and important milestone.
What do we do in a café rando?
Many things: first of all, we totally get out of the frame "I am just a customer who comes to consume something" because the principle of the café-rando is to put forward a privileged reception of the hiker, who does not come there by chance! By its very definition, the place is meant to be welcoming, warm and authentic.
The hiker, the walker or the simple curious passer-by knows that he will be welcome, whether it is to get information, have a drink, exchange ideas or get information. He also knows that he has at his disposal an almost inexhaustible source of local knowledge since it is given by a local. This is one of the successes of the café rando: to give the floor to the inhabitants who like to share their secrets, their favorite places and who take pleasure in orienting and indicating!
The café rando is not, paradoxically enough, only located in a café. You can now find them in bars, historical centers, museums or tourist offices. By freeing itself from these constraints, the place is closer to its users by coming to meet them. Relocating to facilitate access: this is one of the decisive challenges successfully met by the Département du Nord!
Finally - and this is the main thing - in a café-rando, you meet the human version of the North, with its kindness, its humility and its warmth. All of this to offer unforgettable memories that leave a lasting impression and make you want to relive the experience!
