ANGELA
BIRD'S
Northern France
What to do and see within 90 minutes of
WHAT'S ON IN NORTHERN FRANCE
December 2010
(entries in red indicate new additions)
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PLEASE NOTE This website is 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. |
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. 62=Pas de Calais |
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Until 24 Dec |
Marché
de Noel Christmas market, with wooden chalets
set up in Place Rihour. Daily 11am-7pm. |
Lille 59 |
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Until 24 Dec |
Marché de Noel Christmas market, with 60 wooden chalets set up in the
picturesque Grand’Place. Stalls sell gifts, food, mulled wine and hot
chestnuts. There are cookery demonstrations and an open-air ice rink. (6 Dec,
5.30pm, Descent of Father Christmas from the belfry) Mon-Fri noon-8pm; Sat
10am-9pm; Sun 10am-8pm. |
Arras 62 |
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Until 24 Dec |
Marché de Noël Amiens’ Christmas market stretches through the city’s streets
and squares, with 125 stalls set up in little wooden chalets. Don’t miss the
free son et lumiere of the cathedral front each evening, around 7pm. Mon
2-7.30pm; Tues-Fri 11am-7.30pm; Sat, Sun 10am-7.30pm. Closed 25 Dec. |
Amiens, 80 |
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Until end
Dec |
Christmas
Illuminations at Le Touquet Tasteful fairy-lights
and more substantial illuminated figures decorate this famous seaside resort.
Especially good round Place de l'Hermitage. Admission free. |
Le Touquet 62 |
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Until 31 Dec |
Marché de Noel Christmas market, with wooden chalets set up in the main square.
Daily 11am-7.30pm. 24 Dec, special arrival of Father Christmas 6pm. |
Bethune 62 |
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Late Nov-early Dec 2008 |
Marché de Noël Christmas market in the centre of this ancient fortified town. |
Montreuil, 62 |
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1 Dec - 1 Jan |
La Cathédrale en couleurs See the magical effects of light on the west front of the cathedral,
as the original colours of the cathedral’s saints and scenes are projected
onto the naked stone. Stand outside to watch this popular nightly show, which
was first launched for the Millennium. It runs about half an hour. Daily 7pm. Admission free. |
Cathedral square, Amiens
80 |
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Early Dec 2009 |
Défilé de la Saint Nicolas A grand parade of St Nicholas goes along Rue Nationale, Grande
Rue, Rue Thiers and Rue Faidherbe to reach the port, where a magnificent
firework display is given at 7pm. (Event starts 5pm) |
Boulogne-sur-Mer (62) |
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Early Dec |
Marché de Noël Christmas market in the centre of this picturesque riverside
village. |
St Venant, near Aire-sur-la-Lys 62 |
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Early Dec |
La déscente de St Nicolas Father Christmas arrives in spectacular fashion, by abseiling
down the tall belfry on top of Arras’s town hall. 5.30pm. Admission free. |
Place des Héros, Arras, 62 |
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Early Dec |
Parade of giants Local characters Batisse and Zabelle parade through the town’s
streets. |
Boulogne-sur-Mer 62 |
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Early Dec |
Marché de Noël Christmas market in this attractive traditional seaside restort. |
Wimereux, near Boulogne 62 |
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6-24 Dec |
Marché de Noël Christmas market. |
St Omer, 62 |
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Early Dec |
Fête de Saint Nicolas A parade through the town’s streets to celebrate the arrival of
Father Christmas. Starts 3,30pm, Grand’Place. |
Bergues, near Dunkerque 59 |
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Dec |
Sunday shopping in Calais Special pre-Christmas opening of the 4B shopping mall near Place
Creèvecoeur and the central shops in the Place d’Armes area. |
Calais 62 |
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Early Dec |
Défilé de la Saint Nicolas A grand parade of St Nicholas/Father Christmas |
Etaples 62 |
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Early Dec |
Marché de Noël Christmas weekend market in the heart of Calais, on Place
Crèvecoeur 9am-7.30pm (12 Dec until 8.30pm).. |
Place Crèvecoeur, Calais 62 |
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Early Dec |
Marché de Noël Christmas weekend market in the village centre, with 400
Christmas cribs on display in the parish church. |
Steenwerck, near Bailleul 59 |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de Noel Christmas market, in the little seaside resort of Wissant. 10am-7pm. |
Wissant (62) |
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mid Dec |
Salon des Brocanteurs Fifty stalls sell furniture, postcards, stamps, coins, comic
books, records and militaria. Held in the “halle municipale”, and
outside. 9am-7pm. |
Frévent (between Doullens and St-Pol-sur-Ternoise) 62 |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de Noel Christmas market in the shadow of the belfry, in the pretty
little walled town of Bergues. Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-7pm. |
Bergues, near Dunkerque 59 |
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mid Dec |
Fête de la Dinde Annual turkey festival, with turkey tasting and a parade of
turkeys through this little town that specialises in raising the birds for
the Christmas table. Sat, Sun Food market; Sun morning parade. |
Licques, near Ardres 62 |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de Noël Christmas market in the heart of Boulogne. 10am-7pm. |
Boulogne-sur-Mer 62 |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de Noël Christmas market. |
Hesdin 62 |
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mid Dec |
Défilé du Père Noël Father and Mother Christmas, with reindeer and sleigh, parade
through the streets accompanied by jugglers, elves and troubadours. Starts
3pm, from La Nation to Place d’Armes. |
Calais 62 |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de Noël and outing for local
giant The giant “Guillaume de Rubrouck”, based
on a real-life character from the village’s history, is paraded through the
village during the Christmas fair. |
Rubrouck, near Cassel, 59 |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de Noel Christmas market in the picturesque cobbled main square. Until
10pm. |
Ardres 62 |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de
Noel Le Touquet’s
Christmas market, under the arcades of the quaint market hall. |
Le Touquet, (62) |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de
Noel Christmas market, in the fishing town of
Etaples. Daily 11am-7pm. |
Etaples (62) |
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Mid -late Dec |
Marché de Noel Dunkerque’s annual Christmas fair. |
Place Roger-Salengro, Dunkerque (59) |
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Mid Dec |
Marché de Noel One-dayChristmas market, in the little market town of Samer. 10am-7pm. |
Samer, near Desvres (62) |
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Late Dec |
Marché de Noel Week long Christmas market, in the market town of Aire. 2-7pm;
Sat, Sun 10am-8pm. |
Aire-sur-la-Lys (62) |
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Late Dec |
Marché de Noel Christmas market, in this disgnified seaside resort. |
Hardelot, near Le Touquet 62 |
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late Dec |
Marché de Noel Christmas market, in the small fortified town of Gravelines.
Wed, Thurs 2-8pm; Fri 10am-10pm; Sat, Sun 10am-8pm; Mon 10am-1pm. |
Gravelines, near Dunkerque (59) |
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Late Dec |
Marché de Noel Christmas market in the main square of this little market town,
with a decor of snow-clad Christmas trees. 5-11pm. |
Audruicq, near Ardres, 62 |
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Late Dec |
Guénel Parade and competition Local children parade through the town’s streets with their
lanterns made from sugar-beet. Fri 6pm,
children’s parade; Sat exhibition of their creations at the Etaples Christmas
Market, with prizegiving at 7pm. |
Etaples, near Boulogne; 62 |
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23 Dec |
Guénel Parades In a local tradition, children parade through different towns in
the Boulogne area with their lanterns made from sugar-beet. |
Boulogne-sur-Mer ; |
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End Dec |
Marché du Nouvel An Dunkerque’s New Year’s fair. |
Place Roger-Salengro, Dunkerque (59) |
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WINTER CLOSURES 2009-2010 Historial de la Grande Guerre, Péronne; closed 17 Dec – 13 Jan. |
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