Many travellers enter France through the Pas de Calais as they cross the English Channel by ferry from the busy port of Dover, or by Eurotunnel from Folkestone. But think of a relaxing holiday – sunshine, sea, safe sandy beaches, good local home-produced food, excellent wines, markets, sporting activities – and chances are you wouldn’t consider Northern France as a possibility. Yet, you’d be surprised at what a superb area the Pas-de-Calais is for a truly great holiday. Combined with the Nord to make the Nord Pas-de-Calais region, there is a whole variety of towns and villages; and countryside and seaside, to explore.
The Nord Pas-de-Calais region of France is a rich mixture of sea, beautiful clean sandy beaches and everything that goes with coastal ports such as Calais, Boulogne Sur Mer, or Dunkerque (Dunkirk), along with a countryside enriched with an amazing variety of flora and fauna. Add to this a rich history which has resulted in some outstanding architecture and there is plenty for the tourist to enjoy. And when travelling from Folkestone or Dover there are no airport queues and a choice of ways to get there – Eurotunnel or the cross channel ferries operated by P&O, Sea France, and DFDS (Norfolk Line) give you the option of either a speedy or slow crossing of “La Manche” (“Sleeve” in English) – the French liken it to the shape of a sleeve
Pas-de-Calais, Endless Beaches
The open sandy coastline seems never ending – la Côte d’Opale is a 120 km stretch of beach which runs from Dunkerque to Berck-sur Mer. Ten resorts have awards for their child friendly status and each have their individuality. The furthest south in the Pas-de-Calais region is Berck-sur-Mer, where sand-yatching is taken very seriously. You could spend a very pleasant hour or two watching the sand yachts.
Traces of many battles can be seen in this region. There are almost 650 military cemeteries commemorating the lives of soldiers who lost their lives here in World War One and World War Two. Local museums also contain moving stories of these times.
Moving from the east of the region to much further west along the coast, Dunkerque has a wonderful long promenade. In the evening it’s full of people taking their evening stroll and then drifting into one of the numerous brasseries, restaurants or ice-cream parlours. During the day, if you’re there on market day you’ll be able to wander around a huge street market which covers street upon street, offering everything from twenty different types of mushrooms on one stall, to about the same amount of varieties of asparagus on another.
If you’re visiting Dunkerque’ it’s well worth considering the Dover to Dunkerque ferry crossing. Previously operated by Norfolk Line but now taken over by DFDS, three fairly new ships provide a generally quieter and more relaxing crossing than P&O and Sea France on the Dover to Calais ferry crossing. DFDS carry no coaches so the majority of passengers are families and freight drivers – rowdy groups are few and far between!
If you do cross to Calais, from which Pas-de-Calais takes its name, it’s well worth spending some time in this port and seaside town. Language will not be a problem as English is widely spoken, in fact you may struggle to speak French at all such is the use of English, and there are plenty of good quality brasseries where you can enjoy an inexpensive yet excellent meal.
If you are in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region for the weekend or longer and have access to a car, there are many picturesque small towns and villages to visit. The walled towns of Bergues and Montreuil -sur-Mer and are a must to explore. You can walk along their walls and enjoy spectacular views whilst imaging life there when they actually needed their ramparts.
Fresh Fish at Boulogne Sur Mer
Boulogne sur Mer is a haven for those who enjoy watching life in a fishing port. The port itself has several excellent brasseries. However, do find the time to walk up the not-too-steep hill into the old town where brasseries compete with each other to attract the tourists.
Immediately to the south of Boulogne is the suburb of Le Portel. It is a real treasure of a seaside resort, complete with beach-huts and elderly ladies sitting just out of the wind with their knitting, watching the world go by. Life looks as if it has stood still here, yet just a row back from the beach you can find small modern hotels, brasseries and cafés which are definitely in the 21st century.
The city of Lille was greatly damaged during World War II and has had an extensive make-over. Yet you can still see the remains of the old walls. It’s well worth a visit. It houses the Fine Arts Museum which contains works of art by Goya, Donatello and Reubens.
For shopping in the Pas-de-Calais there is the choice of small corner epicéries, busy bustling markets in many towns and villages, and supermarkets. In Calais, Dunkerque, Boulogne and other towns there are vast hypermarkets where just about everything is sold. The fresh food displays in some of these hypermakets are amazing – especially the fish stalls – such choice, such presentation.
This is just an introduction to the Nord Pas-de-Calais region, but hopefully it gives you some idea about this often overlooked area of France. If you’re travelling from Dover, don’t just rush south, even if the sunshine and Mediterranean is tempting, spend some time discovering this interesting region.