Page 196 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

5
Flandre Maritime
! D1 ⌂ Nord k Lille
£ Bergues g Dunkerque
n Bergues, Le Beffroi,
pl Henri Billiaert; www.
bergues.fr
EXPERIENCE Le Nord and Picardy waterways and expan sive Aerial view of the salt marshes that
South of Dunkerque lies a flat,
agricultural plain with narrow
skies – an archetypal Flemish
landscape with canals, cyclists
and ancient windmills. The
Noordmeulen, built just north
of Hondschoote in 1127, is
thought to be the oldest
distinguish the Baie de la Somme
windmill in Europe.
From Hondschoote the D3
follows the Canal de la Basse
estuary of the Somme River
woods alongside provide
Colme west to Bergues, a
fortified wool town with fine dur ing high tides, the vast abundant wildlife. Lakes and
provides habitat for 300 spe-
enjoyable camping, walking
16th- to 17th-century Flemish cies of birds. The best place and fishing.
works in its Musée du Mont- to learn about the Baie de la Battlefields lie along the
de-Piété. Further south, the Somme’s avian life is the wild, river and its tributaries north
hilltop town of Cassel has a open Parc du Marquenterre and northeast of Amiens, and
cobbled Grande Place with Bird Sanctuary, which has extend north to Arras. Neat
16th- to 18th-century build- three walking trails where World War I Commonwealth
ings, and views across Flanders guides can help spot rare cemeteries cover the area.
from its Jardin Public. birds. Local experts offer The Historial de la Grande
guided walks across the Guerre at Péronne gives a
Musée du Mont-de-Piété estuary and seal-watching thoughtful introduction to the
" ⌂ 1 rue du Mont de Piété, excursions. The sea front war. Parc Mémorial Beaumont-
Bergues # 2–6pm Thu–Mon towns of Le Crotoy and Hamel, near Albert, is a real
¢ Nov–Apr ∑ musees- St-Valery-sur-Somme offer battlefield left to disappear in
bailleul-bergues.com places to stay and eat. its own time. Travel to Vimy
Ridge Canadian Memorial,
Parc du Marquenterre near Arras, to see a bloodbath
6 Bird Sanctuary battle site preserved as it was,
" ⌂ 25 bis chemin des
and to Notre-Dame de Lorette,
Baie de la Somme Garennes, Saint-Quentin- the French National Cemetery.
en-Tourmont # Mid-Feb– West of Amiens, Samara –
! D1 n 2 pl Guillaume Le
Conquérant, St-Valery-sur- Oct: 10am–5pm daily; Nov- the Gallo-Roman name for
mid-Feb: Sat & Sun
Amiens – is France’s largest
Somme; www.tourisme-
baiedesomme.fr ∑ parcdumarquenterre.fr archae ological park. Taking
visitors back 600,000 years, it
Although much of its salt features reconstructions of
marshes are submerged prehistoric dwellings, and
7 exhibitions explaining early
Vallée de la Somme crafts such as flint-cutting and
PICTURE PERFECT corn-grinding. Further down-
Flemish Style ! D2 ⌂ Somme k £ stream, Église St-Vulfran at
Flemish-style buildings @ Amiens n 16 pl André Abbeville is noted for its
Audinot, Péronne; www.
from the 17th and 18th somme-tourisme.com Flamboyant Gothic west front
centuries, topped by with beautifully carved
Dutch gables, surround The name “Somme” is sadly 16th-century door panels.
Arras’s main squares, synonymous with the slaugh-
the Grand Place and ter and horror of trench
adja cent place des warfare during World War I
Héros – enchantingly (p68). Yet the Somme Valley is Pavement cafés on place
illuminated at night. home to pretty countryside, des Héros facing the
a vast estuary wetland and Hôtel de Ville, Arras
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