A Travel Guide to Nord-Pas-de-Calais
The region of Nord Pas de Calais is very diverse with rolling hills, nearly 150 km of beaches, a wide network of waterways and contrasting landscapes. There are a number of historical towns, fine churches and traditional industries like weaving, glass works and mining.
Calais is famous for day trips and shopping with a number of places where wines and beers can be purchased for a considerable discount, the Cite de Europe shopping centre and many other hypermarkets such as Auchan. Apart from shopping, there are many other places to visit for a holiday or for a weekend break, including the beautiful beaches where you can enjoy many varieties of water sports. For those visitors interested in the history of the region they will be fascinated by attractions like the famous monument by Auguste Rodin, the lighthouse, the Citadel fortifications, the oldest church, belfry and the town hall. Excellent views of the immediate surroundings as well as distant places such as the white hills of Dover can be seen from the lighthouse.
While travelling along the coast visitors can explore the Nausicaa Science Centre which has been dedicated to sea life with an aquarium and other related exhibitions. Other attractions include the Boulogne sur Mer that has a fascinating seaport, Medieval Castle, gothic church with statues from the 15th century and the 11th century belfry.
Dunkerque also spelt, as Dunkirk is a fantastic place for beach lovers. It has miles and miles of beautiful sandy beaches and dunes. The flora and fauna of Dunkirk is also worth exploring. Activities such as kite surfing and sand yachting are two of the many sporting activities that can be enjoyed. There are a number of museums and two belfries that have been classified as heritage sites.
There are many other towns, which are inland with traditional market squares and a rich history, such as Cassel with its cobbled streets and ramparts and Arras with its tapestries. There are numerous other attractions like fortifications, museums, zoo, war memorials, nature reserves which are a paradise for bird watchers and a lot more for an entire family to enjoy holidaying in this part of France, regardless of the time of the year.
There is a wide variety of self catering holiday accommodation in Nord-Pas-de-Calais ranging from apartments in the towns to gites and cottages in the countryside.
