Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais)

Boulogne-sur-mer is the capital of the beautiful Opal Coast. There is the old town (located on a hill, with a castle, fortifications, basilica, town hall & belfry) and the newer (located on the harbor). It is also the largest fishing port in France with a lot of fish processing industry. A number of Belgian wholesalers also get their daily fresh fish there. Individuals can also buy via every morning in the port at the many fish stalls. The basilica has the largest crypt in all of France: it is as large as 1,200 m². The dome of the basilica is currently closed for renovation work.

A dozen years ago, the city had a rather dreary appearance. In recent years, people are catching up and a lot of construction and renovation is going on. We give a first impression based on recent photos. We have gathered these photos around a number of themes.

Tip 1: If you want a nice overview of the entire city, you can get it by going to the observation platform of the Colonne de la Grande Armée. The photo at the top of this page was taken there.

Tip 2: THE main tourist attraction of Boulogne-sur-mer is the largest sea aquarium in Europe: Nausicaà. This is one of the top attractions in Flanders.

Tip 3: if you have enough time, visit Equihen-Plage, the typical fishing village a few kilometers from Boulogne-sur-Mer. Among other things, you will find the typical "quilles en l'air": upturned boats in which the poor fishermen lived. You can even rent one at the local campsite to spend a night in it yourself. Unique!

BOULOGNE-SUR-MER France

Indication of the location of Nausicaà on the map of Top.Flanders.
Indication of the location viewpoint at Wimille (Napoleon monument) on the tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen.
Indication of the location of Boulogne-sur-Mer on Google Maps.
Wikipedia page about Boulogne-sur-Mer: Dutch-language - French-language - English-language
Wikipedia page about the Egyptologist Auguste Mariette: Dutch-language - French-language - English-language
Official website Tourist office for the Boulonnais area.
Visitor numbers: Crypt: 45,000 per year (2019)

Special events:

• La Route du Poisson: competition to compete with draft horses to deliver fish to Paris as quickly as possible. Between the 13th century and the arrival of trains in 1848, this 300-kilometer route was also used to get fresh fish to the capital as quickly as possible. This race first saw the light of day in 1991 but disappeared in 2012. In 2022, on Sept. 17/18 more specifically, it was organized again. See Facebook The Fish Run. In 2024 this match was unorganized because law enforcement agencies were already more than burdened enough by the Olympics. Nothing is known about 2025 for now.
  
  Track 2021 of the Fishing Route. (c) Route du Poisson.
  
  Learn more at Wikipedia: French - English

Old town: City Hall, Belfry, Market Square

Old Town: the great Basilica & its Crypt

Currently, anno 2022, the basilica is unfortunately still largely under scaffolding. The large dome and beautiful frescoes cannot be viewed at the moment. Virtually all the paintings have been removed and the whole place looks rather austere. The crypt can still be visited (closed on Mondays).

Old Town: Castle & Fortresses

Egyptologist Auguste Mariette

StreetArt
A full trail has been laid out that visits the various street artworks. You can download an app for this purpose. Some frescoes depict typical, folkloric images.