Dunkirk and Malo-les-Bains
France’s third largest port, Dunkirk combines a port museum, a famous carnival and a long promenade to Malo-les-Bains. The 19th-century seaside resort lines up colourful beach huts and belle époque villas facing the North Sea. A sand yacht on the beach, a filled waffle from a stall on the promenade: the spot is made for sunny dates when the north wind softens.
Dunes of the Opal Coast
From Bray-Dunes to Zuydcoote, the wild coast is protected by a dune belt where rare birds and plants find shelter. You walk along the edge, listen to the gulls, watch the ships in the distance. The village of Zuydcoote, made famous by Robert Merle’s novel, has quiet charm. A salty walk that works wonders after a morning in the fresh air.
Hills of Flanders
Inland, the hills of Flanders form an island of slopes above the plain. Mont Cassel, among the most beautiful villages in France, overlooks the landscape at one hundred and sixty metres: on a clear day, you see all the way to Belgium. At the Mont des Cats, a Trappist beer awaits walkers. On Lyad, people from Nord share their hidden corners; a chance to find someone to push the door of an estaminet with.
Date ideas
- Opal Coast
- Dunkirk
- Malo-les-Bains
- Bray-Dunes
- Zuydcoote
- Mont des Cats
- Mont Cassel
- Flanders
