A French Bagpipe Festival!
The town of Compiegne (60 Oise, Hauts de France) holds its annual Cheese and Wine Fair (Foire aux Fromages et aux Vins) 28- 29 May 2022 Compiegne styles itself as…
The Bay of the Somme - nature, birds and a Steam Fair!
An ambitious project to locate an outpost of Paris Musée du Louvre in unfashionable Northern France opens to the public on 12 December 2012 The Louvre-Lens is sited in Lens…
Journées européennes du patrimoine (European Heritage Open Days) in France are on the weekend of 21 - 22 September 2024. Throughout the weekend and across France, many galleries, museums and…
The otherwise rather dour northern french city of Arras (62 Pas-de-Calais, Nord- Pas-de-Calais) opens a new Aquatic Centre called ACQUARENA The rather modern and flowing lines of this complex of…
Lille (59 Nord, Hauts-de-France) has joined ranks of inland French towns and cities which create a summer beach in town. Often by riversides or in parks, with imported sand, deckchairs…
yes - a soup festival!
murderous one day cycle race
Dunkerque (62 Pas de Calais, Hauts de France) manages to brighten up the miserable northern French winter with its annual Carnival on numerous dates between 21 January - 26 February…
Although Dunkerque (59 Nord, Hauts de France) is not the most attractive of Channel ports, the DFDS ferry from Dover to Dunkerque has meant that many travellers now by-pass Calais…
Boulogne-sur-mer (62 Pas de Calais, Hauts de France) may no longer have a cross-channel ferry service, and as a consequence fells more "french" and less frenetic and transitory than its…
The village of Arleux (59 Nord, Hauts de France) just south of Douai holds its annual Arleux Smoked Garlic Festival 31 August - 1 September 2024 (Foire à l'Ail Fumé)…
Situated just an hour south of the Channel port of Calais , St Valery-sur-Somme (80 Somme, Hauts de France) offers not only a first or last stopover to/from more distant…
Le Touquet (62 Pas de Calais, Hauts de France) celebrates Christmas in rare style 9 - 10 December 2023 with Christmas Lights, a Christmas Market, a Jazz Festival and an…
Boulogne-sur-Mer (62 Pas-de-Calais, Hauts de France) is holding its Christmas market: Boulogne-sur-Mer (upper town) 8-10 December 2023 Although there is no direct ferry crossing to Boulogne any longer - it…
The main attractions of much of northern France are the impressive main squares of the principal towns – e.g. Arras, Lille and St Omer. The belfries and town hall spires…
The northern French city of Lille is one of my favourites for a weekend break - medieval old town (Vieux Lille) together with all the vibrancy, restaurants, shopping and other…
A quiet secluded cove in the cliffs is always worth finding - and at Ault (80 Somme, Picardie) between Eu/Le Treport on the coast of Picardy discover Hotel/Restaurant Le Cise…
Berck-sur-Mer (62 Pas-de-Calais, Hauts de France), south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, hosts the International Kite Festival (Rencontres internationales de cerfs-volants) from 20 - 28 April 2024. The breezy, sandy beaches here in…