Driving Holidays to Boulogne sur Mer

France’s premier fishing port at the mouth of the River Liane, offers the freshest catches in this attractive Channel-port town that is a treat for shoppers looking for something different from the hypermarkets up the coat at Calais. Unlike Calais, the historic heart of Boulogne emerged unscathed from World War II, although the port and much of the lower town was devastated by bombs.

In the city's old town, the narrow cobbled streets and historic buildings of the old town are enclosed by 13th-century ramparts. The tree-lined walls make for a great summer stroll, with views over the Channel. The medieval Chateau-Musee is linked to the ramparts by a drawbridge and displays bronze sculptures by Auguste Rodin.

The symbol of Boulogne, the slightly ungainly dome of the 19th-century Basilica of Notre-Dame, replaced an earlier cathedral destroyed during the days of the revolution.

Read more on this destination in the AA Keyguide to France.