The road to Paris - Bulogne

BOULOGNE is quite different from Dunkerque and Calais - recommendation in itself. It has long been an important harbour and claims to be the largest fishing base in Europe. Rising above the port is an attractive medieval quarter, the ville haute , contained within the old town walls and dominated by a grand, domed cathedral. Below,

amid the newer shopping streets of the ville basse , are some of the best charcuteries and pâtisseries in the north, along with an impressive array of fish restaurants. Alone among the northeast Channel ports, this is a place that might actually tempt you to stay.

The town
The quiet cobbled streets of the ville haute make a pleasant respite from the noise and congestion of the ville basse . Within the walls, the Basilique Notre-Dame (closed for 2hr around noon, except during July & Aug) is an odd building - raised in the nineteenth century by the town's vicar, without any architectural knowledge or advice - yet it seems to work. In the vast and labyrinthine crypt (Tues-Sun 2-5pm; 8F/?1.22) you can see frescoed remains of the Romanesque building and relics of a Roman temple to Diana. In the main part of the church sits a bizarre white statue of the Virgin and Child on a boat-chariot, drawn here on its own wheels from Lourdes over the course of six years during a pilgrimage in the 1940s.

Nearby, the Château Musée (Mon & Wed-Sat 10am-12.30pm & 2-5pm, Sun 10am-12.30pm & 2.30-5.30pm; 20F/?3.05) has Egyptian funerary objects donated by a local-born Egyptologist and a good collection of Greek pots. Alternatively, you can climb up the most ancient monument in the old town, the twelfth-century belfry (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-noon; free; access via the Hôtel de Ville), attached to the Hôtel de Ville, at the other end of rue de Lille from the Basilique, or stroll round along the medieval walls , decked out with rosebeds, gravel paths and benches for picnicking, with impressive views over the town and port.

Outside the ville haute the place to head for is the town's smart new aquarium at the Centre National de la Mer, or Nausicaá , on boulevard Sainte-Beuve (daily: July & Aug 9.30am-8pm; rest of year 9.30am-6.30pm; closed 3 weeks in Jan; 68F/?10.37). Ultraviolet lighting and New Age music create a suitably weird ambience, while hammerhead sharks circle overhead and giant conger eels conceal themselves in rusty pipes - definitely not for piscophobes. There's plenty of educational stuff, too (in French and English throughout), and a half-hour film show, though only a passing nod towards environmental issues.

Three kilometres north of Boulogne on the N1 stands the Colonne de la Grande Armée , where, in 1803, Napoléon is said to have changed his mind about invading Britain and turned his troops east towards Austria. The column was originally topped by a bronze figure of Napoléon symbolically clad in Roman garb - though his head, equally symbolically, was shot off by the British navy during World War II. It is now displayed in the Château Musée.

Shopping
You'll find everything in the consumer line - clothes, furniture, sheets, hats, plates - around Grande-Rue, Thiers, Faidherbe and Nationale. For general shopping, head for the Centre Commercial Liane, on the corner of boulevards Diderot and Danou, a downmarket shopping mall on two levels - lots of neon, milling teenagers, food stalls, a supermarket and a cheap cafeteria. If you want to hit the serious hypermarkets , catch bus #20 for the Leclerc or bus #8 for the monstrous Auchan complex, 8km along the N42 towards St-Omer - certainly the most convenient place for large-scale food and wine shopping.

More fastidious foodies should cross the Pont de l'Entente-Cordiale into Grande-Rue. For charcuterie , try Bourgeois, on the corner of Grande-Rue and Victor-Hugo; for chocolates and other goodies, head for De Marchez, on the corner of Thiers and Faidherbe. Check out the fish selection at Aux Pêcheurs d'Étaples, a large poissonnerie on the Grande-Rue, opposite place Dalton. Next door, the Comtesse du Barry specializes in foie gras and other gastronomic luxuries, and there's a good selection of wine at Les Vins de France on rue Nationale. One other shop that should not be missed is Philippe Olivier's famous fromagerie , just around the corner in rue Thiers, which has a selection of over two hundred cheeses - in various states of maturation.

As far as department stores go, there's a Nouvelles Galeries on rue Thiers, where you'll also find plenty of fashion boutiques. For Parisian women's clothes, try Cloë, on rue Nationale. A wide selection of hats is on sale at Monteil, on the corner of rues Faidherbe and Hugo; and you can choose from over 600 handbags at Maroquinerie Florence, on rue Faidherbe between rues Thiers and Victor-Hugo. Roger, at 67 rue Thiers, has a beautiful selection of shoes ; while Seduction, on rue Nationale, sells exquisite French lingerie . At Leclercq, 15 Grande-Rue, you'll find beautiful homeware , including glass, cutlery and plates.

The best bookshop is Le Furet du Nord, 14 Grande-Rue, with a wide selection of maps and an excellent papeterie downstairs. If you're looking to cycle or bike from Boulogne, Cycles Dufour is a motorbike/cycle shop at 207 rue Nationale; it also sells mountain-bike supplies. From place Lorraine and place Charpentier, rue Faidherbe heads uphill (but downmarket) with lots of bargain shops, hi-fi and electronics . And don't miss the Wednesday and Saturday markets on place Dalton.

Eating and drinking
As you might expect from a large fishing port, Boulogne is a good spot to eat fresh fish and seafood. There are dozens of possibilities for eating around place Dalton and the ville haute , but bear in mind the day-tripper trade and be selective. If you're after a drink , there is a concentration of bars in place Godefroy de Bouillon, opposite the Hôtel de Ville, and several lively bars in place Dalton, with Au Bureau and the Welsh Pub being most popular.