Pretty French towns just across the Channel make Calais and its surroundings a must-see destination, filled with fascinating sights and fantastic restaurants.
Well worth a stopover in its own right, Calais boasts a UNESCO-listed belfry, unique lace and fashion museum, working 19th-century lighthouse, lovely beach and great restaurants. From there it’s an easy hop to:
Lille
Splendid architecture, excellent art museums and world-class restaurants define Lille. Make a beeline for its UNESCO-listed belfry for views over this compelling city, admire the 17th-century Stock Exchange and modern Cathédrale de la Treille, and in September, browse Europe’s largest flea-market. Art-lovers shouldn’t miss the vast Palais des Beaux-Arts or Lille Metropole Musée d’art Moderne.
From Calais: 70 minutes via A16 and A25 motorways.
Boulogne sur Mer
Best known as home to mighty Nausicaa aquarium, Boulogne has plenty more to detain you, whether on its fine beach or in its cobbled upper town.Sights include the Château-Musée de Boulogne (archaeology, history and fine art), Basilica of Notre Dame, with France’s longest crypt, and UNESCO-listed belfry, with views of the English coast on fine days. Restaurants on the seafront and in the upper town make wonderful use of local seafood.
From Calais: 30 minutes via A16 motorway.
Arras
Firmly on art-lovers’ maps since the Louvre-Lens opened nearby in 2012, this romantic town is itself home to a fine Musée des Beaux-Arts within a former Benedictine abbey. Also high on its list of attractions are the UNESCO-listed belfry, town hall with its Gothic facade, and underground Carrière de Wellington, a World War One museum and memorial.
From Calais: 70 minutes via A26 motorway.
Life in this classic seaside resort centres on its 7-kilometre sandy beach, but there’s also a restored lighthouse to discover (with views of Dover's white cliffs on fine days) and activities ranging from golf to sand-yachting, horse-riding in the estuary and cycling in the pine forest. The shopping’s fantastic too, whether in the Marché Couvert or on Rue Saint-Jean with its fashion and homeware boutiques and tempting boulangeries.
From Calais: 45 minutes via A16 in direction of Boulogne, exiting at Junction 26 at Etaples and following signs to Le Touquet.
