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


WHAT'S ON IN NORTHERN FRANCE 

May 2008

(entries in red indicate new additions)

 

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.

59=Nord
62=Pas de Calais
80=Somme

Until 20 May 2008

Histoire, Histoire…  A new exhibition space in the Fine-Arts museum shows the history of the town through paintings, drawings, gold- and silver-work, and a model of Dunkerque’s town hall.

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dunkerque (59)

Until 25 May

Dunkerque, les défis de la sidérurgie sur l’eau  Exhibition about the setting up of steel-making factories in Dunkerque from the early 20th century, near the port where the raw materials arrived in France. Films, photographs, models and (French) commentaries from the people of neighbouring Grande-Synthe who work in this industry today. Wed-Mon 10-12.45 & 1.30-6. 3€, children 2.50€, family 7.50€.

Musée Portuaire, Dunkerque 59 Tél. :  03 28 63 33 39

 

Until13 July

 

 

 

 

 

Passé Présent  A sélection from the collection of the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais

Exhibition of works purchased by the region’s art foundation from 1983 to 1993. Artists represented include Carl André, Bernd et Hilla Becher, Joseph Beuys, Christian Boltanski, Daniel Buren, Isa Genzken, Hans Haacke, Bertrand Lavier, Eugène Leroy, Olivier Mosset, Panamarenko and Andy Warhol. Wed-Mon 9.30am-noon & 2-5.30pm.

 

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Arras, Abbaye Saint-Vaast, 22 Rue Paul Doumer

Arras, 62

 

 

 

 

Until 31 Aug

D'Après Nature  Exhibition of paintings inspired by nature, starting with a display of natural history items from the museum's original collections, and continuing with animals in mythology and in still-lifes. Wed-Mon 10-12.15 & 1.45-6.
 

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dunkerque, 59
(tel: 03 28 29 56 00)

Until 31 Aug

 

 

 

African Safari: Exhibition of sand sculptures  Some 80 lorryloads of sand from a quarry in Belgium (its grains are less rounded that beach sand, and hold in place better) are shipped in to allow specialised artists to create gigantic sculptures of elephants and other animals from the Masai Mara.

La Digue (seafront) near end of Rue St Jean, Le Touquet 62.

 

Until 16 Nov

Fendre l’Ombre 2008  Strange wooden figures sculpted by Christian Lapie are scattered about the grounds of the former abbey, along with (until 18 May) some of his paintings inside the abbey’s museum.  Mon-Fri 2-6pm; Sat, Sun 10-12 & 2-6 (28 Apr-28 Sept, daily 10-6). Admission free.

St Riquier, nr Abbeville, 80

 3 May-31 Dec

Dans les pas de Francis Tattegrain, Bernard Clarisse  Works in the claqssical tradition of art by a contemporary painter.

 Musée Opale-Sud, Berck-sur-Mer 62

1 May

ASCENSION DAY and
FETE DU TRAVAIL public holiday

 

 

1 May

Rederie de Maricourt  Village car-boot sale.

 

Maricourt, nr Albert 80

1 May

MAPID (Marché aux Puces International de Dunkerque)  Huge flea market, with more than 1,000 exhibitors.  6am-6pm. Admission free.

 

Dunkerque, 59

1 May

Brocante au Lac d’Ardres  Brocante fair near the lakes on the outskirts of the town. 8am-8pm.

 

Ardres, near Calais, 62

1 May

Brocante de Crochte  Brocante fair with 500 exhibitors. 8am-6pm.

 

Crochte, nr Dunkerque, 59

4 May

Rederie de Pont-Noyelles  Village car-boot sale.

 

Pont-Noyelles, nr Amiens 80

6-11 May

Les 4 Jours de Dunkerque   Major cycle race along the roads of Northern France. Check the daily itinerary on the website if you are thinking of touring, or you might get delayed while the race passes !  On Sat 10 May there is a major hill-climb stage at Cap Blanc Nez from 12.15-5.15pm.

6 Ma : Dunkerque to Douai area ;
7 May Henin-Beaumont to Le Cateau ; 8 May Le Cateau to St Quentin ; 9 May Wasquehal to Calais (via D940 coast road); 10 May, Cap Blanc Nez area; 11 May, within Dunkerque

8 May

ARMISTICE World War II :
public holiday

 

1 May

10, 11 May

Fête Bavaroise   Bavarian-style beer festival held in a marquee just outside Porte de Cassel. 
Sat 7.30pm-3am, Beerfest with bands ; admission 5€ including one drink.
Sun noon-5pm, Bavarian meal, with music and entertainment ; 25€, children 10€ (advance booking only). 5-10pm, Bavarian evening ; 5€, including 1 drink.

 

Bergues, 59

12 May

LUNDI DE PENTECOTE
Whit Monday : public holiday

 

 

 12 May

Grande cavalcade  Carnival procession, with Jehan, the Estaires giant, and his « guests » - other giants invited for the occasion. At the end of the musical parade comes Aliboron III, the town’s donkey. Starts 2.30pm.

Place Louis Blanquart, Estaires 59

17 May

La Nuit des Musées  Special late-evening openings and events in museums throughout France. Click on website to find out what is happening in your chosen area.

 

Throughout France

18 May

Mei-feest  Traditional farming is evoked with shows of horses and cattle in the streets of this Flemish village. Also a brocante fair and a flower market.

 

Steenwoorde, nr Cassel 59

 24 May-31 Dec

Dans les pas de Francis Tattegrain, Jacques Damville  Paintings by a contemporary artist who shows landscapes, people at work, in realistic style. Damville has recently turned to ceramics, creating a series of seascapes on enamelled plaques.

Musée Opale-Sud, Berck-sur-Mer 62

30 May

La Manche : Lien dans l’histoire du Kent et du Pas-de-Calais / The English Channel : the link in the History of Kent and Pas-de-Calais  A Franco-British exhibition, displayed in both languages on 10 panels that describe the many links between England and this part of France. It covers the 100 Years War, the trade links between the two countries in the Middle Ages and during the 18th century, the artists who travelled to France to paint, and the original, pre-1914 plans for a Channel Tunnel. 9am-6pm. Admission free.

 

La Trésorerie, Wimille, near Boulogne ; near exit 33 of the A16, 62

30 May-29 June

Le Procès des Sorcières  « Street opera » performance in the open air, with singers from the Compagnie On/Off enacting the story of a trial of three witches. A satire on justice, it is full of humour at the expense of intolerance.
Fri 30 Ma,y Place Jules Leriche, Lumbres, 9pm ; Sat 31 May, Place de l’Abbe Delannoy, Fauquembergues, 9pm. 7€, children 5€.

 

Fri 30 May : Lumbres, 62 ;
Sat 31 May Fauquembergues, 62

31 May-1 June

Journées Doullennaises des Jardins d’Agrément  Delightful garden show, with stands laid out inside the town’s ancient citadel. Bigger every year, it attracts exhibitors from France and England alike. Special focus this year on « fossil plants », that have been around for millions of years. Daily 9.30am-7pm. 6 euros, under-15s free.

Doullens, nr Amiens, 80

 31 May-2 June

Rendez-vous aux Jardins  A nationwide weekend of garden-visiting, with some private ones throwing open their gates to visitors. 

Throughout France

 

JAN    FEB    MAR   APR    MAY  JUNE  JULY  AUG  SEPT  OCT  NOV  DEC
 

NORTHERN FRANCE

|
index page |
|
accommodation | activities | battlefields | beaches | bookshelf | calendar |
|
guidebook | guidebook update | history |
| introduction to Northern France |
links | markets |
| practical info |  restaurants |  tour operators  travelling from UK to Northern France |


| mail webmaster by returning to the bottom of the index page |