Northern France: What's on in December

ANGELA BIRD'S
Northern France
What to do and see within 90 minutes of Calais

WHAT'S ON IN NORTHERN FRANCE

December 2012

(entries in red indicate new additions)

	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. 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 will also be 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. 62=Pas de Calais 59=Nord 80=Somme

Until 7 Dec 2012	Albert Siffait de Moncourt et l'éloge du Patrimoine Moncourt, born in 1858, was a specialist in historical painting, especially subjects featuring the heritage of the nearby region of Ponthieu. Wed-Sat 10-12 & 2-6. Closed Tues. Admission 4 euros.	Musee Roger Rodiere, Pl St Walloy, Montreuil, 62
Until 31 Dec 2012	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- Sun 10.30am-7.30pm. Closed 25 Dec.	Amiens, 80
Until 7 Jan 2013	Babel Exhibition demonstrating the artistic richness based on the theme of the Tower of Babel – the most celebrated architectural allegory in art. Painting and photography, film and comic strips illustrate multiple facets of the Babylonian myth.	Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille, 59
Until 14 Jan 2013	Bosch, Bles, Bril, Brueghel: Les fables du paysage flamand au XVIe siècle, du merveilleux au fantastique International exhibition featuring around 100 works devoted to 16^th-century Flemish landscapes.	Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille, 59
Until 27 Jan 2013	Marguerite Yourcenar et la peinture flamande To celecbrate the 25th anniversary of the death of the most famous writer of the north, the exhibition is a blend of literature and Flemish art, showing paintings as the source of some of Yourcenar’s writings. It includes works by Pieter Brueghel and Jérôme Bosch	Musée de Flandre, Cassel (59)
13 Oct 2012- 10 Feb 2013	CoBrA : Le regard d’un passionné Gilbert Delaine, first director of Dunkerque’s excellent modern-art museum, LAAC, has curated an important exhibition of artists of CoBrA (which stands for Copenhagen/ Brussels/ Amsterdam), an avant-garde movement formed in 1948, of which the museum holds France’s largest collection. Tues-Sun 10am-12.15pm & 2-6pm (3^rd Thurs of month, until 8.30pm). 4.50€, 18-25 year-olds 3€, children free. Free for all on first Sun of month. Ticket valid for 7 days and admits to the town’s Musée des Beaux Arts too.	LAAC, Dunkerque (car parking in Rue des Chantiers de France). 59 Tel 03 28 29 56 00
Until 10 Nov 2013	Roulez Carosses! Exhibition of royal carriages and other grand conveyances from the magnificent collection of the Chateau de Versailles. They include paintings, sculptures, sleighs, sedan chairs, harness. Wed-Mon 11-6; closed bank holidays such as 14 July. Admission 7 euros	Musee des Beaux-Arts, Abbaye St-Vaast, Arras, 62
Until 24 Dec 2011	Marché de Noel Christmas market, with wooden chalets set up in Place Rihour. Daily 11am-7pm.	Lille 59
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
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
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
Late Nov-early Dec	Marché de Noël Christmas market in the centre of this ancient fortified town.	Montreuil, 62
1 Dec 2012 - 1 Jan 2013	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
3 Dec 2011	Défilé de la Saint Nicolas A grand parade of St Nicholas, with local giants Batisse and Zabelle, 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)
Early Dec	Marché de Noël Christmas market in the centre of this picturesque riverside village.	St Venant, near Aire-sur-la-Lys 62
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
Early Dec	Parade of giants Local characters Batisse and Zabelle parade through the town’s streets.	Boulogne-sur-Mer 62
Early Dec	Marché de Noël Christmas market in this attractive traditional seaside restort.	Wimereux, near Boulogne 62
6-24 Dec	Marché de Noël Christmas market.	St Omer, 62
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
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
Early Dec	Défilé de la Saint Nicolas A grand parade of St Nicholas/Father Christmas	Etaples 62
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
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
Mid Dec	Marché de Noel Christmas market, in the little seaside resort of Wissant. 10am-7pm.	Wissant (62)
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 tel : 06.77.65.13.08
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
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
Mid Dec	Marché de Noël Christmas market in the heart of Boulogne. 10am-7pm.	Boulogne-sur-Mer 62
Mid Dec	Marché de Noël Christmas market.	Hesdin 62
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
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
Mid Dec	Marché de Noel Christmas market in the picturesque cobbled main square. Until 10pm.	Ardres 62
Mid Dec	Marché de Noel Le Touquet’s Christmas market, under the arcades of the quaint market hall.	Le Touquet, (62)
Mid Dec	Marché de Noel Christmas market, in the fishing town of Etaples. Daily 11am-7pm.	Etaples (62)
Mid -late Dec	Marché de Noel Dunkerque’s annual Christmas fair.	Place Roger-Salengro, Dunkerque (59)
Mid Dec	Marché de Noel One-dayChristmas market, in the little market town of Samer. 10am-7pm.	Samer, near Desvres (62)
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)
Late Dec	Marché de Noel Christmas market, in this disgnified seaside resort.	Hardelot, near Le Touquet 62
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)
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
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 (tel : 03 21 09 56 94)
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 ; Equhien; Le Portel ; 62
25 Dec	CHRISTMAS DAY (public holiday)
End Dec	Marché du Nouvel An Dunkerque’s New Year’s fair.	Place Roger-Salengro, Dunkerque (59)
	WINTER CLOSURES 2009-2010 Historial de la Grande Guerre, Péronne; closed 17 Dec – 13 Jan. La Coupole, Helfaut, closed 20 Dec to early 2010. Thiepval visitor centre, closed 21 Dec-10 Jan.

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