Northern France: What's on in April

ANGELA BIRD'S

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

WHAT'S ON IN NORTHERN FRANCE

April 2012

(entries in red indicate new additions)

Départements are identified with their official number:
59=Nord; 62=Pas-de-Calais; 80=Somme

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 9 April 2012

Les années 68 The gallery displays items from the 1960s and 70s from its collections, the time of the 45rpm pop records, magazines, comics and psychedelia, with special emphasis on May 1968, the time of the student riots in Paris.

Tues-Sun 10am-12.15pm & 2-5.30pm.

LAAC centre for modern art,

Jardin de sculptures, Dunkerque, 59 (tél. : 03 28 29 56 00)

Until 15 Apr 2012

Rester Debout ! Exhibition about the resistance mounted by prisoners in the Nazi death camps of World War II. Different nationalities had their own ways of adapting to circumstances and of retaining their essential humanity. Mon, & Wed-Fri 2-4.30pm’ 1^st & 3^rd Sun of month 2.30-6pm. Admission 5 euros, children under 12 free.

Musée de la Resistance, Bondues, near Lille (tel: 02 20 25 94

Until 20 May 2012

Picasso à l'oeuvre. Dans l'objectif de David Douglas Duncan Exhibition devoted to two creators of genius: Pablo Picasso and American David Douglas Duncan. Taken between 1956 and 1973, Duncan’s images show Picasso in the privacy of his life as an artist.

Tues-Thurs 11-6, Fri 11-8, Sat, Sun 1-6. Closed 25 Dec & 1 Jan, 7 euros, chldren 4.50 euros.

Musée la Piscine, 23, rue de l’Espérance, Roubaix 59 (tél : 03 20 69 23 60), nr Lille

Until 10 June 2012

Une lignée de patrons pêcheurs étaplois de 1883 à nos jours Exhibition of photographs and stories relating to the best-known fishing-boatowners of the 19^th century and their descendants, gathered by retired local fishing-boat-owner Gervais Perrault,.

Musee de la Marine, Etaples, 62

Until 24 June 2012

Eugeen van Mieghem et le port d'Anvers A prolific artist, Eugeen van Mieghem (1875-1930) was part of the late-19^th/early-20^th-century art scene in Paris. A fouvourist subject was the port of Antwerp, where he showed the everyday lives of the dock and its workers.

Musée Départemental de Flandre, Grand’Place, Cassel 59

Until 3 July 2012

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

1 April 2012

Marché aux Puces/Vide-greniers Flea market and antiques fair, near the station. 9am-7pm. Admission free.

Frévent, near St Pol sur |Ternoise, 62

1 Apr 2012

18ème Bourse Aux Plantes À Saint-Riquier

Annual plant fair, held in the gardens behind the abbey church in this picturesque village. Some 50 knowledgeable gardeners will be on hand to give advice and sell plants. 9.30am-6pm.

Saint-Riquier, near Abbeville, 80 (tél. : 03 22 71 82 20)

1 April 2012

Foire des Rameaux Annual Palm Sunday agricultural show in town centre, with displays, demonstrations, and competitions for various breeds, including the beautiful, chestnut-coloured local dairy breed the Rouge Flamande.

Bergues, near Dunkerque, 59

during April

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

Moringhem, near Houlle 62

7-16 April 2012

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

Berck-sur-Mer, 62

8 April 2012

EASTER SUNDAY Public holiday

9 April 2012

EASTER MONDAY Public holiday

9 April 2012

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

Samer, near Desvres, 62

9 April 2012

Anniversaire du Caou de Merville This town on the river Lys has a traditional carnival that includes the giant St Antoine and an equally large-scale cat – le Caou.

Merville, nr Hazebrouck, 59

9 April 2012

Carnival d’été The “summer” carnival of Cassel is so famous and of such long standing that its characters are UNESCO-listed. This Easter Monday carnival sees both the regal giants Reuze Papa and Reuze Maman parading, surrounded by hobby horse and other traditional characters. Parades at 6am, 10am, 2.30pm, and the one with the giants at 5pm; return of giants from 9pm.

Cassel 59

14, 15 Apr 2012

20,000 Lieues Dans Les Airs Large annual flying event, with a chance to take 20-min trips in plane, glider, microlight, hang-glider etc. Organised by the aéro-club de Picardie Amiens Métropole. Events include kite-flying demonstrations, exhibition of old gliders, model-aircraft flying, flight simulator, children’s roundabouts, and traditional pub games. 10.30am-sunset.

Amiens-Glisy Aerodrome, Glisy, E of Amiens. 80

15 Apr 2012

Marche De Florimond A rambling festival, held on the 3^rd Sunday in April, when more than 100 walkers meet by the local “giant” Florimond to set out on graded walks of 7, 12 or 16 kms.

Doullens, 80 (tél. : 03 22 32 54 52 )

15 Apr 2012

Rassemblement mensuel de Voitures de Collection “Aux Marches du Palais” First of this year’s monthly presentations of elegant collector’s cars – from Jaguars to 2cvs - lined up on the lawns in front of the Palais de l’Europe (near the tourist office). 10.30am-12.30pm.

Others take place on the third Sunday of the month from April to September.

Palais de l’Europe, Place de l’Hermitage,
Le Touquet, 62

mid April

Brocante de la Ville Basse More than 100 exhibitors set up stands near the railway station and the river Canche, outside the city walls in Montreuil’s lower town. 7am-7pm. Admission free.

Montreuil, 62

19 April -
25 Nov 2012

Missing of the Somme Exhibition revealing individual stories of some of the 73 000 soldiers lost in the Somme battlefields during World War I, many of whom are commemorated on the massive Monument to the Missing at nearby Thiepval. It will look at the continuing pull the region exerts on British and Commonwealth residents today, who come to visit the cemeteries and monuments.

Historial de la Grande Guerre, Péronne, 80

21-29 April 2012

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

25 Apr 2012
(ANZAC Day)

ANZAC Commemoration Each year, two commemoration ceremonies are held for Australians and New Zealanders who lost their lives during World War I:

- at Villers-Bretonneux:

5.30am Dawn service at Australian National Memorial (gates open 3.30am).

8.30am Wreath-laying ceremony at French war memorial in town centre.

- at Bullecourt in memory of the battles of April-May 1917
11am Commemoration at Commonwealth and French monuments in: village centre;
11.45am at Australian “Digger” memorial on outskirts of village.

3pm Opening of the Bullecourt Museum

- at Longueval

4pm? Ceremony at New Zealand memorial.

Villers-Bretonneux, near Amiens, 80.

Bullecourt, near Arras, 62

27, 28 April 2012

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)

27-29 April 2012

5e Ronde Européenne des Géants Portés Supplementing Steenvoorde’s annual carnival, this is a huge event bringing giant carnival figures from all over Europe – with a particular emphasis on those from Spain.

Carnaval d’été de Steenvoorde A great parade at 3pm accompanies the local giant, Belle-Helene, followed by an afternoon of events in the streets and evening happenings in the local estaminets. The event is held on the last Sunday of April.

Steenvoorde,
nr Cassel 59

28, 29 Apr 2012

Journées eurorégionales 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. Some events are listed on this tourist board site.

Bergues, Gravelines, Montreuil, Calais, Boulogne, Arras etc.

28, 29 Apr 2012

Louis Blériot Cup Annual sand-yacting competition, named after the great aviator who was also the first to organise this event, at nearby Hardelot in 1914.

Le Touquet beach, 62

29 Apr 2012

Réderie de Printemps One of the north’s largest brocante fairs, with 2,000 professional and amateur exhibitors set up in the streets in the Les Halles area (near belfry and market-hall), and St-Leu (on the river)..

Amiens city centre, 80

29 April 2012

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

Crochte, near Bergues, 59

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