Take the kids to Europe’s largest aquarium: Nausicaa

An unmissable stop-off for those taking family holidays in France, it’s among the very best things to do in France and a place to enjoy spending time as a family while marvelling together at natural wonders and having ones senses awakened. 

 

Whether you come with your children or grandchildren, NAUSICAA is a place to pass on knowledge and to help the younger genereration to understand the importance of preserving our planet for their own children and grandchildren in turn.

 

Just a short hop across the Channel in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer and hence perfect for those travelling to France by car, the venue centres on a new exhibition route all about the open sea – an area that covers more than half of our planet’s surface and as such offers huge scope for exploration and sciencitific discovery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nausicaà first opened its doors in 1991 with the mission of educating families and the public at large about the fragility of the marine environment and our collective responsibility when it comes to conserving the world’s oceans and to contributing to sustainable development and protecting the environment in general.

 

The focal point of the expanded Nausicaà is a vast tank re-creating the ecosystem of the high seas. Its 18-metre-long transparent tunnel, giant windows and 20-metre-long viewing panel all afford spectacular 

views of stunning marine species including hammerhead sharks, manta rays and moon fish.

Europe’s largest tank joins NAUSICAA’s existing displays that now fall under the banner Mankind and Shores, where visitors can dive in and learn about coastal regions and their management – both for their protection and as a resource from which humans can benefit. Areas covered include the Northern seas, the Mediterreanean, kelp forests, lagoons and coral reefs. But the highlight of NAUSICAA for families is usually the Californian reserve, where five sea lions zip around in the their vast tank.

 

 

 

 

 

NAUSICAA is located on northern France’s breathtaking Opal Coast – Europe’s most unspoilt stretch of coastline, less than a three-hour journey from London. As well as being France’s biggest fishing port, Boulogne-sur-Mer is classified as a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (City of Art and History) and has an array of must-see attractions, including a fortified city, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed and the Basilica of Notre-Dame. That said, after visiting NAUSICAA as a family, most parents and kids will want to make a beeline for Boulogne’s safe, fine-sand beach (kids can bathe in total safety) for some family run.

 

Within easy reach of Boulogne, the chic seaside resort of Le Touquet–Paris-Plage, Hardelot with its Franco-British castle, and Calais with its Lace Museum are also well woth the detour, and there are restaurants galore in which to experience French art de vivre as you sample local delicacies such as mussels with chips (try Cap Nord in Wimereux close to Boulogne, for instance, where you  can enjoy your fresh local seafood on a sea-view terrace). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow your exploration of NAUSICAA with your family by choosing from an array of activities including hiking  (to explore les Deux Caps nature reserve), cycling and beach and water sports such as land-sailing, kite-surfing and kayaking. Hiring a bike (tourist offices can recommend bike-hire firms in the various resorts) is an especially good way of immersing oneself in nature, often in protected nature reserves. For those looking for outdoors activities for children, this region of northern France can’t be beat.