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Motorhoming in Pas de Calais
Pas de Calais is one of the two departments of the region of Nord Pas de Calais in the north of France. ‘Pas de Calais’ is the French equivalent of ‘Dover Straits’. This department is just a stone’s throw away, so if you’re hiring a motorhome in England, check out how to cross the channel. Hiring a motorhome in France is another option but whatever you decide, the Pas de Calais is ‘open to the exterior’ and finds itself naturally a land of welcome as well as a land of departures.
There are several arrival points in Pas de Calais; Coquelle where the Eurotunnel surfaces and the ports of Calais and Boulogne Sur Mer. In terms of passengers, Calais is the number one French port and number two in the world. At only 38kms from the English coast the first steam cruise ship arrived in Calais from Dover in 1821. Subject to English domination during long years, Calais has lots of English touches, not least the Tudor style Church of Notre Dame, but possesses also some very typical regional heritage such as its bell tower.
The region of Nord Pas de Calais is famous for its bell towers which, constructed in wood, house the bells and insulate the stone towers from damaging vibrations which would weaken their construction. Calais’ bell tower is a particularly fine example and they were, at the time, seen as a sign of a town’s wealth.
Arras is incontestably one of the most beautiful towns in the north of France. Known for its elegance, in the 15th century for its celebrated tapestries and for its blue and white porcelain which bought prosperity to the town in the 18th century, Arras is a pleasure to visit and has successfully repaired the damage suffered during two World Wars. Don’t miss a visit to the two squares which served as market places; the ‘Grand Place’ surrounded by 155 Flemish houses built between the 17th and 18th centuries and the smaller ‘Place des Héros’, animated, dominated by its splendid 75m high bell tower, entirely rebuilt, loyal to the original destroyed in 1914.
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage is a chic seaside resort which was discovered by an English businessman at the end of the 19th century. He found the immense sandy beach with its dunes planted with coastal pines very appealing and was followed very quickly by the arrival of the Parisians helped by the new railways and the tramway inaugurated in 1900. Even the Second World War didn’t manage to erase the magic of Le Touquet, with its splendid villas, hotels and Casino, and it rests today, a firm favourite in French seaside destinations.
While you’re motorhoiming in Nord Pas de Calais, don’t forget to sample the ‘hareng’ or herrings which are lovingly known in Pas de Calais as the king of fish. In the past, not only a staple part of the diet but also a currency of exchange, they figure today in several well loved local recipes. Continue the assault on your taste buds and go motorhoming in Nord, motorhoming in Champagne Ardenne or motorhoming in Picardie.
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