As we all know, there’s a certain formula for making multigenerational family weekend breaks come together, so we’ve taken care of all that for you…
Take one (big) holiday cotage near Calais… Welcome to Manoir-du-Bolgaro in Flanders. From the classically Flemish red brick exterior, push open the heavy wooden doors and explore all 300m2 of the super-comfortable living space. Whilst you clap eyes on the huge and atmospheric vaulted lounge in the cellar, the kids are off exploring the bedrooms, peering through the arrow slits, and establishing that yes, this IS the BEST hide and seek house they’ve ever seen. With exposed brick and beams in the five bedrooms, plus four beautiful bathrooms and a vast modern-equipped double-kitchen, it’s ticking every box. And though you’ve got all the mod cons here, like wifi, it’s refreshing to see that everyone opts to replace tech with parlour games, footie in the secure gardens, cooking together and making exciting plans to get out and about in Northern France…
Now add some unforgettable experiences... Whether you’re all heading out together or splintering into little groups, everyone’s agenda is taken care of in Flanders. Show the children how wheat is ground into flour at an age-old local windmill, or there’s nature’s all around - from the vast forest on the doorstep to the Opal Coast’s beaches or the Saint-Omer marshlands - explorable by traditional boats known as ‘bacôves’. Shoppers may succumb to the allure of Lille, or for smaller-scale history and culture, there’s the cobbled and winding streets of Cassel - voted France’s favourite village in a national competition.
And there’s one wide-appeal day-trip that unites you all: the WW1 remembrance trail. Morbecque is only 40 km from Ypres, so here’s your chance to instil compassion and knowledge in the kids by showing them the conflict’s awe-inspiring memorials, poignant cemeteries and deep trenches - a more powerful experience outdoors on the WW1 battlefields themselves than head-down-in-a-textbook.
… and a lot of food! Dine out during your family weekend break at a local ‘estaminet’ (it’s an old Northern France word for a tavern, so traditional food and ambiance is guaranteed) or use Manoir-du-Bolgaro’s two kitchens to prepare a crowd-pleasing French feast. Head off to the French hypermarché - that’s an adventure in itself - but the real pleasure’s in meeting the local producers at French markets, farms and boulangeries. Owner Françoise will not only tell you exactly where to head but also invite you to help yourselves to some fresh and seasonal produce in her vegetable garden. As befits a large holiday house in France, there’s also a barbecue and four (yes, four) terraces too – alfresco here we come!
… et voilà. That’s your big family gathering in Northern France all wrapped up. Just add friends and family, of course!
Insiders Tips