ANGELA BIRD'S

Northern France
What to do and see within 90 minutes of Calais

 

WHAT'S ON IN NORTHERN FRANCE 


April 2010

(entries in red indicate new additions)

Northern France: What to do and see within 90 minutes of Calais

PLEASE NOTE

This website is really just a supplement to Angela Bird's guidebook, Northern France: What to do and see within 90 minutes of Calais (left), which gives full details in its 176 pages of hundreds of interesting and off-beat tourist sites throughout the region.
What you see on the website consists of either extra topics not covered in the book (Calendar, Restaurants, Travel routes, Internet links etc), or updated information (new tourist attractions open - or old ones closed) since the book appeared.
For the complete picture, order Northern France through bookshops in the UK and Ireland
, or from Amazon ; it is also on sale in good bookshops throughout Northern France.

The listings on this site are supplied in good faith, gathered by the author from various sources.

However it is always wise to check details with organisers or tourist offices before making a special journey.

 

The “département”, or county, is indicated by the following official figures:

59=Nord

62=Pas de Calais
80=Somme

 

 

 

Until late June

Le Jardin des Boves  The annual three-month summer period when the tunnels beneath the tourist office of Arras take on a new air, being filled with growing plants and strange music.  Visitors expecting the usual history-filled tour may be disappointed... Guided visit 4.70€, children 2.70€.

 

Office de Tourisme, Hôtel de Ville, Place des Héros, Arras 62

early Apr

Festival des Epeutnaerts  Annual scarecrow festival, when fantastic figures invade every corner of this village NW of St-Omer.



Moringhem, near Houlle 62

early April

 

 

Foire aux Rameaux  Annual agricultural show in town centre, with displays, demonstrations, and competitions for various breeds.

 

Bergues, near Dunkerque, 59

4 April 2010

EASTER SUNDAY  Public holiday

 

 

5 April 2010

EASTER MONDAY  Public holiday

 

 

 

5 Apr

 

Brocante de Paques  Easter-Monday brocante fair. 7am-7pm. Admission free.

 


Samer
, near Desvres, 62

5 Apr

Carnaval d’Été  So famous that its characters are UNESCO-listed, the Easter Monday carnival of Cassel promises the regal giants Reuze Papa and Reuze Maman, surrounded by hobby horse and other traditional characters.

 

Cassel, 59

18 April 2010

Anniversaire du Caou de Merville  This town on the river Lys has a traditional carnival that includes the giant St Antoine and an equally larbge-scale cat – le Caou. This year’s is special, since the current Caou celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2010.  Several giants from surrounding towns and villages will be joining the grand parade.

 

 

Merville, nr Hazebrouck, 59

mid April

Louis Blériot Cup  Annual competition, named after the great aviator who was also the first to organise this sand-yachting event, at nearby Hardelot in 1914.  This year being the centenary of Blériot’s flight across the Channel, it will have a higher profile than usual.

 

Le Touquet, 62

10-18  April 2010

Festival de l’Oiseau et de la Nature  A week of bird related walks, talks, films and other events in and around the Somme estuary.

Abbeville area, 80

mid April


Vide grenier  A large annual car-boot sale and brocante fair, with more than 300 stalls. 6am-8pm. Admission free.

Rue, near Le Crotoy, 80

  

mid April

Brocante de la Ville Basse  Some 150 exhibitors set up stands near the railway station, outside the city walls in Montreuil’s lower town.  7am-7pm. Admission free.

Montreuil, 62

 late April

 

Rencontres Internationales de Cerf-Volants
Spectacular annual kite festival, on the wide sands of Berck.

Berck-sur-Mer, 62

23, 24  April 2010

 

 

 

La Nuit du Miroir aux alouettes, Anno 1585  Annual promenade performances around the old streets and ramparts of Bergues, with costumed characters in wait to plunge spectators nto the year 1585 and the Spanish occupation of Flanders. Booking opened in October, and places are allegedly sold out already, so chances of a last-minute ticket are low, but who knows...  (There are 2 other dates in September) Admission 14€; children under 12, 8€.

Tourist office, Bergues 59 (tel: 03.28.68.71.06)

 

 

 

25 Apr  2010
(ANZAC Day)

 

 

 

 

ANZAC Commemoration  Each year, two commemoration ceremonies are held:

- at Villers-Bretonneux: 

5.30am  Dawn service at Australian National Memorial.

9am  Wreath-laying ceremony at war memorial in town centre. 

- at Bullecourt  in memory of the battles of April-May 1917
2pm  Commemoration at Commonwealth and French monuments in: village centre;
3pm at Australian “Digger” memorial on outskirts of village.

Villers-Bretonneux, near Amiens, 80.

Bullecourt, near Arras, 62

 

 

 

25 April 2010

 

Carnaval d’été de Steenvoorde  A great parade of giants at 3pm, followed by an afternoon of events in the streets and evening happenings in the local estaminets.  The 2010 event will have a Celtic theme.

 

 

Steenvoorde, nr Cassel 59

 

25, 26  Apr

 

Journées des Villes Fortifiées  A weekend of walks and special events in the fortified towns of France, including in the north. Traditionally held on the last Sunday in April, but events usually spread over the weekend.



Bergues, Gravelines, Montreuil etc.

 

26 April

Salon des Collectionneurs  Collectors’ fair, with stamps, toys, postcards, coins, magazines and other items. 9-6. Admission free.

 

 

Hesdin, 62

26 April

Brocante  500 exhibitors promised, in this small Flemish village.  6am-6pm. Admission free.

 

Crochte, near Bergues, 59

26 April

Rederie de Printemps More than 2,000 brocante and antique stalls are set up near the city’s central market and ancient belfry. 7am-7pm.

 

Amiens, 80



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