Local information and things to do

We will send you more information on the area with your booking pack. But here is a flavour of the region and what you could spend your time doing…

Aix-en-Issart is a small village of 215 souls situated on the Bras de Brosne trout river. There are a number of signposted walks and cycle routes in the area. In summer, the village hosts the Bras de Brosne festival and is lit-up as part of the area’s illuminated celebrations.

Les Sept Vallées area forms part of Pas de Calais (dept 62). This is a diverse region of France and the variety makes for a good holiday. The Opal Coast has stunning beaches (just 20 minutes from us). There are forested areas at Boulogne, Guines and Hesdin and Devres. There’s good mainstream shopping (Calais, Boulogne, St Omer, Le Touquet) as well as lots of little towns, markets and brocantes (flea markets and antique stores) to potter round. Country ways and traditions are still strong; this is ‘real France – real close’.

Here are just some of our recommendations:

Site-seeing:

The walled town of Montreuil. Victor Hugo wrote part of Les Miserables here and a son-et-lumiere version is enacted annually
Hesdin (the injured and dead from the battle of Agincourt were transported to Hesdin's town hall)
Boulogne (port, old city centre, shopping and ramparts)
Numerous pretty villages
Cristal D’arques glass factory at St Omer
Desvres, centre of the local earthenware and pottery industry (with a number of factory shops and visits)

Fresh air:

Seaside; miles of golden sand from the elegance of Le Touquet and Hardelot to the family-friendly Merlimont and Stella Plage
Surfing and sand yachting
Walking and cycling
Horse-riding
Canoeing and kayaking
River and sea fishing
…and of course golf! Golfers are well-served by stunning courses at Le Touquet, Hardelot and Nampont

Children:

Bagatelle theme park for older children
Dennlys Parc for younger children
Aqualud water park at Le Touquet
Nausicaa (Europe’s finest aquarium) at Boulogne

History:

Field of the Cloth of Gold
Azincourt
Crecy
First world war; military cemetery at Etaples, Somme, Vimy
Second world war; block house at Eperlecques, rocket sites of La Coupelle and Mimoyecques and the ‘Atlantic wall’ fortifications and museums

MILEAGE CHART	Miles from	Approx
	Aix en Issart	(km)
Montreuil	6	(9.5)
Le Touquet	15	(24)
Desvres	17	(27)
St Omer	28	(45)
Boulogne	30	(48)
Calais	50	(80)
Arras	65	(104.5)