"If one started now one could breakfast in France, at Boulogne…” Oscar Wilde


Well over a century ago, in the 1860’s to be exact, a fierce rivalry developed between two small ports on the northern French coastline. Both sought to capitalise on a burgeoning tourism industry, and both were well positioned to do so. The prize was England’s wealthy travellers, the towns concerned were Calais and Boulogne sur Mer, and the battle was waged on the choppy seas of the English Channel. To the victor went all the spoils; and there are certainly no prizes for guessing who lost the final battle. Boulogne’s traders mourned, on the day the final Hovercraft pulled out to sea, and without the steady stream of shopping day-trippers, the town began to descend into disrepair. Calais became as synonymous with the channel crossing as Dover, whilst Boulogne languished in relative obscurity, on this side of the water, anyway. Perhaps all sea-crossings on the channel are doomed to become quaint anachronisms in time, especially since the advent of cheap flights, and the completion of the Channel Tunnel. Nonetheless, since last year, things are beginning to change. Boulogne is on the up. Why? Well, a ferry link has been re-established. It is fast, it is efficient and it is very cheap. And once this secret gets out, it seems set to re-ignite a very old battle in a very modern market.


WHY BOULOGNE? Boulogne Sur Mer is located at the mouth of the River Liane, and in my opinion is far lovelier than Calais. We spent three days there last summer, and were completely smitten with the place. It is (somewhat astonishingly) the largest fishing port in the whole of France, and boasts an enormous fish market. The town itself is charming, especially the Medieval Old Town, which was built within the original roman walls. There is a stunning Catholic Cathedral with an ancient crypt, a labyrinthine maze of gorgeously crooked, cobbled streets lined with cafes, restaurants and antique shops, a wonderful market on the town square, the largest nautical museum in Europe, numerous superb shops, and a fabulous, sandy beach less than 10 minutes from the old town centre. Best of all, it is almost completely devoid of tacky tourism. For the time being, anyway…


HISTORY: Boulogne has been an important port since Roman times. The Emperor Claudius used the town as a base for his invasion of Britain in AD 43, and it later played a key role, linking the Roman provinces of Gaul and Britain. Matching lighthouses were erected in Boulogne and Calais to guide Roman ships across the channel. In the thirteenth century, a chateau was erected by the count of Boulogne within the old Roman ramparts, which still exists to this day, and the chateau is one of the best preserved examples of its type in France. The first passenger steamship crossing between Boulogne and Dover took place in 1822, on the ‘Rob Roy’. In the 1870’s, a more permanent route was established, this time between Boulogne and Folkestone. The route was operated by the South Eastern Railway company, which owned the port of Folkestone, and a train-ship-train service was set up between London and Paris.


THE OLD TOWN: Boulogne’s largely Medieval Old Town is completely encircled by tall town ramparts, erected in the 13th century on the foundations of the old Roman wall, and with four large entrance gates, one on each side. We walked the whole way around the fortifications, at times finding ourselves amidst the tops of some very tall chestnut trees, and intermittedly treated to very picturesque views of both the town and the harbour beyond. The old town itself is built on the peak of a rather steep hill, presumably for defensive purposes. This wouldn’t ordinarily bother me, but when pushing a heavy buggy, the combination of cobblestones and steep ascents really doesn’t bare thinking about. There is a 12th Century Belfry, located near to the Porte des Dunes, with a small museum inside it. The Cathedral, or Basilique Notre Dame, which stands near to the Porte Neuve, was constructed on the ruins of the old cathedral, which had been destroyed in the aftermath of the French Revolution. The Basilique features a very impressive dome, supposedly the second largest of its type in the world, and is an undeniably attractive building, but the real treasures lay beneath it, in the crypt, where they have rested undisturbed for centuries. Some parts of the crypt date back to the 7th century. It includes a ‘treasure chamber’ filled with priceless artefacts made from silver and gold. The only security guard in evidence was a cadaverously elderly monk, seated behind a bridge table and collecting small change from the tourists. The general atmosphere was a little damp and eerie, but thoroughly compelling. Alas, at this juncture our little boy decided to become Very Cross Indeed, and his howls echoed horribly through the ancient corridors as I scrambled to get him back out in to the fresh air. We let him crawl about on the lawns for a bit and then decamped to a place with outdoor tables across the road, and had a G&T beneath some vines. Thus fortified, we strolled down the rue de Lille towards the Town Hall. There was an array of fabulously untidy little bric-a-brac shops, many of which had some fantastic furniture, especially rustic/farmhousey things, and there were definitely some genuine bargains to be had.


THE SEASIDE: The coastline surrounding Boulogne is very attractive, if a little stark, and there are a number of pleasantly sandy beaches nearby. These were particularly popular with English holidaymakers in the Victorian era, and Turner came here to paint. The beach at ‘Wissant’ is a case in point, taking its name from ‘White Sand’, a local distortion of overheard English. This beach is very clean and quite popular. Further along the coast is the seaside resort of Wimereux, which is basically a French approximation of Great Yarmouth. Turn of the century monoliths tower over a wide beach crowded with noisy Parisians. We had a rather indifferent lunch at one of a succession of beachside brasseries, and then spent a really nice afternoon on the beach, but would probably have been better off staying at Boulogne, away from the crowds. However, with the warm sea and the beautiful countryside beyond, it really is easy to forget that you are on the English Channel, rather than somewhere in the South of France…


SHOPPING: A market is held near the old town on Wednesdays and Saturdays; this is definitely worth a visit, with dozens of little stalls run by individuals, selling things they have grown or made themselves. We bought some pickled cucumbers from a very sweet little old man and they were absolutely delicious…Apparently a very pretty Christmas market is also held there in December. There’s a sublime cheese shop, Phillipe Olivier, on rue Thiers with literally hundreds of cheeses on display. There are also dozens of fabulous clothes shops, boutiques and kitchenware stores. If the purpose of your visit is to booze-cruise (or even if it isn’t - there’s no harm in killing two birds!)… there’s an ENORMOUS hypermart about 10 minutes out of the city centre.

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WHERE TO STAY: We stayed at the Enclos de l'Evêché, a ‘Boutique hotel’ consisting of just seven guest rooms, located within part of a private mansion in the heart of the old town. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. It is a superb place, with large and beautifully decorated rooms, each with its own unique décor. One room has an Egyptian theme. There is a light-filled courtyard, and the hosts are very friendly and accommodating. It is also extremely good value, starting from about EU100 a night per double for a very spacious room. Other popular hotels in Boulogne include the Faidherbe, which is a perennial presence in guidebooks, and La Matelote, on Boulevarde Ste Beuve. Boulogne has no shortage of wonderful restaurants, but as we were travelling with a baby, we didn’t go to any particularly good ones… we simply chose busy-looking places with outdoor seating where he could be entertained without disturbing anyone. Talk about altruism. Anyway, whilst all of our meals were perfectly fine, next time we visit Boulogne we shall definitely be going to Aux Pêcheurs d'Etaples, a seafood restaurant with an unimpeachable reputation, located just near the fish market. I wandered past it a couple of times and glanced mournfully through the windows…


GETTING THERE: The Dover-Boulogne ferry service is operated by Speedferries, who (deservedly, in my book) have just won an award for ‘Best European Crossing Operator’ at the 2005 Daily Telegraph Travel Awards. The ferries are brand spanking new, clean and comfortable, with attractive bathrooms and a very pleasant bar/café area. Fares for a car with 5 passengers start from just £25!


http://www.speedferries.com/
http://www.tourisme-boulognesurmer.com/
http://www.enclosdeleveche.com/


Recommended: Yes

Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug