Just 30 minutes drive from The Calais Wine Superstore, Boulogne-sur-Mer on the Cote d'Opale is well worth a visit. It is the largest fishing port in France and appropriately Nausicaa, the French national sealife centre dedicated to marine conservation, is situated here.
Boulogne is also the hometown of footballer Franck Ribéry (Bayern-Munich and France) who was born in the Chemin Vert zone of the city.
At the harbour, the emphasis is very much on seafood and all things maritime. As well as stalls around the edge of the Port, there is also Capécure, the commercial port where the fish is auctioned, frozen, salted, smoked and generally processed. It is possible to take a guided tour organised through the Chamber of Commerce - a fascinating place to visit, and you can also buy fish to take home!
NAUSICAA
The National Sea Centre of France - you can spend a good two hours at this fascinating attraction. Well laid out and divided into many different zones which include sharks, tropical fish, turtles, caymans, seals, penguins and many more, it is positively overflowing with interesting marine life.
There is even a 'touch' pool where children can stroke a friendly stingray. With a great focus on welfare and marine conservation, admission includes a 4D cinema visit and parking is free.
For full details of opening times and ticket prices visit www.nausicaa.co.uk
Reservation Service: 00 33 3 21 30 99 89
SANDY BEACHES
Boulogne boasts miles of flat sandy beach, beautifully clean, with a children's play area and plenty of free parking.
Perfect for beach sports - bring a football, cricket bat and ball, kite - or during the summer, what better place could there be to enjoy a picnic accompanied by some purchases from The Calais Wine Superstore. The beach is so big, on a windy day why not try sand-yachting - several centres offer lessons for children and adults, and equipment hire.
LE CHATILLON
As you might expect, it is possible to find more than one excellent fish restaurant in Boulogne. 'Le Chatillon' in the industrial port area was founded in 1950 to provide hot meals and drinks for the sailors and dockers.
This highly reputable restaurant uses only top-quality fresh seafood for its predominantly fish-based menu. Always busy, it opens at 4.00am serving breakfast to the fishermen and locals.
6 Rue Charles Tellier, 62200 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France Reservations: +33 (0)321 31 43 35 Website: www.le-chatillon.com
OLD TOWN - CHATEAU MUSÉE
Another highlight of Boulogne is undoubtedly a visit to the Old Town, surrounded by imposing 13th Century ramparts.
Within these walls is the Castle Museum of Boulogne - a medieval castle housing an Ancient Egyptian art collection, many Greek vases and various major anthropological displays including a fine selection of masks from the North-West Pacific coast. The admission fee is nominal, at just €11 for 5 people.
A STROLL AROUND THE MEDIEVAL WALLS
After a leisurely lunch, what better than to take a walk around the ancient fortifications of the Old Town - lined with trees they offer excellent views across the city. The four entry gates, Porte des Degrés, Porte des Dunes, Porte Gayole and the Porte de Calais are also remarkably well-preserved and present an impressive sight.
The area within the walls is lively with pleasant gardens, lots of bars, restaurants and shops - sit outside a brasserie and watch the world go by.
OLD TOWN - NOTRE-DAME DE BOULOGNE
With its 101 metre high dome, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Boulogne is a prominent landmark overlooking the town.
Built during the 19th century on the ruins of the medieval cathedral, a 'must-see' is the ancient crypt which is believed to be the longest in France. A network of rooms and passages with frescoes, religious art and icons - it is well worth paying €9 for a combination ticket which includes the Chateau Musée, and children go free.
OPEN AIR MARKET
In the “Centre Ville" of Boulogne you can find a charming cobbled square surrounded by brasseries, shops, restaurants and the thirteenth century Eglise St-Nicolas, protector of sailors, the oldest church in Boulogne.
Here in the Place Dalton the town's open-air market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday from 8.30am until noon.
Crammed with stalls selling fruits and vegetables, flowers, bunches of herbs, speciality breads, jams and butter, eggs, and every type of sea food, as well as the local speciality ‘soup de poisson’.
LA COLONNE DE LA GRANDE ARMÉE
Three kilometres out of town on the N1 is the impressive Colonne de la Grande Armée. Marking the location of the base camp known as Camp de Boulogne, it is topped by a statue of Napoleon Bonaparte in military dress.
The column was built after a ceremony in which L'Empereur bestowed the Legion d'Honneur on the biggest army that France had ever seen - 185,000 men and 2,000 boats amassed there between 1803 and 1805 with the intention of invading England - bloomin' cheek!
A STROLL AROUND THE HARBOUR
Boulogne has a busy marina for pleasure and fishing boats. Although not exactly the Côte d'Azur, adjacent to the harbour in Capécure district it is possible to find cinemas, bowling, a theatre and the Casino de Boulogne-sur-Mer which offers roulette, blackjack, a poker room and slot machines.
During the Second World War the harbour was a base for German E boats (it is still possible to see the huge storage bunkers). The whole area was flattened by RAF bombs immediately after the D-Day landings to curtail any Nazi naval activity, and was rebuilt in a rather brutalist architectural style during the 50s and 60s.
