Discover Benelux | Tourism | Gîtes de France
Some of the major attractions: • The Louvre annex in Lens • Calais’ Lace Museum (and soon, its dragon!) • Nausicaa in Boulogne – Europe’s biggest aquarium • The UNESCO-recognised marshes of St Omer • The Pottery Museum at Desvres • Arras for amazing Baroque, Gothic and medieval architecture • The underground complex at St Omer’s La Coupole d’Helfaut V1 museum
Cap Blanc Nez and you’re surrounded by beautiful hills, or in quiet woodlands. There are absolutely lovely little valleys around Hesdin and Montreuil-sur-Mer, and it’s an area with a wealth of gardens to visit.” If Christmas markets are your thing, then consider Arras for an authentically French shopping, gourmet and gourmand experience. As a side trip then, or at any time of the year, the annex of the Louvre, opened in Lens in 2012, displays some astonishing artworks in an astonishing building.
Gastronomy This being France those ‘little local places’ that Sylvie mentions include a great many
where the best of the Pas-de-Calais’ culinary traditions can be savoured. “Our coast provides some of the most significant elements of our cuisine,” says Sylvie, “like mussels and scallops, and turbot and sole. You find restaurants throughout the region, not just those by the sea, where seafood is at the heart of the menu. Gîte owners will be happy to tell you about their local favourites.” In gastronomic terms, the Pas-de-Calais inland is most celebrated for its poultry and gin: the village of Licques is famed for the quality of its free-range grain-fed chickens; and the tiny village of Houlle has distilled a fine digestif gin since 1812.
Local cheeses like Coeur d’Arras and Sablé de Wissant, and a plethora of artisan beers are also well worth seeking out. “This region has some fabulous old cities to explore, and truly beautiful countryside and coastal areas,” says Sylvie, “and with such diversity in the attractions and the accommodation here, there’s definitely something for everyone – couples, families, big groups of friends – and at any time. Why race through all this? Stop here – in a Gîtes de France property of course!” Web: www.gites-de-france-pas-de-calais.fr
Gîtes de France Accommodation in Pas-de-Calais: • 440 Gîtes (houses, cottages and other homes to rent) • 24 Gîtes de groupe (for more than 15 guests) • 97 Maisons d’Hôtes (B&Bs) with 231 rooms in total Le Touquet.
Issue 69 | September 2019 | 85