Stretching from the Belgian border to the Baie de Somme (Somme estuary), the 140km-long Opal Coast – named for the ever-changing interplay of greys and blues in the sea and sky – features lofty chalk cliffs, rolling green hills, windswept beaches, scrub-dotted sand dunes and charming seaside towns. If you're coming from England, the area offers a breathtaking and sublimely beautiful introduction to France. Indeed, the shore here has been a favorite of British beach-lovers since the Victorian era. The coast is dotted with the remains of Nazi Germany's Atlantic Wall, a line of fortifications Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/cote-d-opale/introduction#ixzz4Ytt7NK4v
BOULOGNE & NAUSICAA
A visit to Nausicaa, France's national sea-life centre, gives you a exuberant, color-packed taste of the world's oceans. You'll enjoy close encounters with about 35,000 fish - from the shy cockatoo wasp fish to rays that lie on the surface and let you tickle them.
There are also sharks and sea lions but the last big tank is the best, with masses of different fish gliding and twisting to kaleidoscopic effect. Boulogne-sur-Mer is the largest fishing port in France and so the emphasis, as you would expect, is very much on seafood and all things connected with the sea. Apart from the stalls along the edge of the port, there is also Capécure, the commercial port where the fish is auctioned, frozen, salted, smoked and generally processed. The Chamber of Commerce organises guided tours for groups and it is fascinating to visit – and you can also buy fish to take home.
At the top of the town, lies the ‘old town’, the administrative and religious centre of the town, dominated by the belfry and dome of the Cathedral. The Rue de Lille leads up from the square where the Town Hall stands and is lined with a variety of shops and plentiful restaurants where you can revive yourself before visiting the historic sites. In the crypt of the Cathedral, you can still see the stone cannon balls employed by Henry VIII when he besieged and captured Boulogne at one stage. Vast ramparts built at the beginning of the 13th century on the foundations off the Gallo-Roman walls, with four gateways, surround this part of town. From the walkways there is an amazing view of the old port and the main town. In a corner is the 13th century Château, with its moats filled with water and waterlillies, modified in the 16th and 18th centuries. Boulogne also has a Natural History Museum. At the City Library in the Annunciates, you can visit the gardens and cloisters whilst the Maison de La Beurière chronicles the life of fishermen in the olden days. There is even a Casino, a bowling alley and two golf courses nearby. Overall, Boulogne has much to offer, whether for a day trip, a weekend break or perhaps a longer stay to soak up the many pleasures to entrance you in this charming seaside port.