Boulogne-Sur-Mer Overview

The busy harbor of Boulogne-sur-Mer (buh-lohn-yuh-suhr-mayr; pop. 45,000) is the city’s lifeblood, but Boulogne’s most interesting diversions reside in its secluded haute-ville and by its white, sandy shores. The city appeals to beach bums and château enthusiasts alike, and the amazing aquarium is not to be missed by anyone. With a cool sea breeze, summer floral displays, and towering red-brick ramparts, Boulogne is the more aesthetically attractive of the two channel ports. A local summer escape, Boulogne is sleepy in the low season.

• Trains: Gare Boulogne-Ville, bd. Voltaire. Info office open M-Sa 6:15am-7:30pm, Su 6:15am-8:50pm. Ticket office open M-Sa 8:45am-7pm. To Calais (30min., 13 per day, €7.20), Lille (2hr., 11 per day, €21; TGV 1hr., 2-3 per day, €24), and Paris (2-3hr., 11 per day, €58).
• Buses: BCD, in Gare Boulogne-Ville. To Calais (40min., 4 per day, €7.20) and Dunkerque (1hr., 4 per day, €12).
• Public Transportation: TCRB, 14 rue de la Lampe (☎03 21 83 51 51). Sends bus #10 from the train station and pl. de France to the haute-ville (get off at Dernier Soy; €1.10). Most buses (€0.70-1.10) go through pl. de France.
• Taxis: Calais (☎03 21 91 25 00), at the train station.

Orientation And Practical Information

The Liane River separates the ferry terminal from everything else. To reach the central place de France from the train station, turn right on bd. Voltaire. Turn left onto bd. Danou and follow it to the place. The streets between place Frédéric Sauvage and place Dalton form the centre-ville, while the vieille ville is at the top of the hill, up rue de la Lampe, which becomes Grande Rue.

• Tourist Office: 24 quai Gambetta (☎03 21 10 88 10; www.tourisme-boulognesurmer.com), past pl. de France and the roundabout. English-speaking staff offers bus info, a reservations booking service, and a free map. Guide Touristique, in English and French, lists nearly every establishment in town. Open M-Sa 9:30am-12:30pm and 1:45-6:30pm, Su 10am-1pm and 3-6pm.
• Bank: Crédit Agricole, 26 rue Nationale (☎08 10 81 06 96). 24hr. ATM and currency exchange available. Open Tu-W 8:45am-12:15pm and 1:30-5:30pm, Th 9:15am-12:15pm and 1:30-4:15pm, F 8:45am-12:15pm and 1:30-6:45pm, Sa 8:45am-12:15pm and 1:30-5pm.
• Laundromat: 62 rue de Lille (☎03 21 80 55 15), in the haute-ville. Wash €4 per 6kg. Open daily 7am-8pm.
• Police: 9 rue Perrochel (☎03 21 99 48 48). Call for the pharmacie de garde.
• Hospital: Allée Jacques Monod (☎03 21 99 33 33).
• Internet Access: Syrius, 23 rue des Religieuses Anglaises (☎03 21 46 33 12). €3 per hr., €5 per 2hr. Open M-Sa 10am-8pm. Cash only.
• Post Office: Pl. Frédéric Sauvage (☎03 21 99 09 09). Open M-F 8:30am-6pm, Sa 8:30am-12:30pm. Postal Code: 62200.

Accommodations

• Auberge de Jeunesse (HI), pl. Rouget de Lisle (☎03 21 99 15 30; fax 99 15 39), across from the train station. Tidy, well-decorated 2- to 4-bed rooms, each with bathroom that doesn’t lock. Kitchen. Breakfast included. Free Internet and Wi-Fi. Reception Mar.-Sept. daily 8am-midnight; Oct.-Dec. M-F 9am-11pm, Sa-Su 9am-noon and 5-11pm. Check-out 11am. 24hr. code access. Reserve ahead in summer. Dorms €21, ages 4-11 €12; €5 more per person to ensure a private room. MC/V.
• Hôtel Alexandra, 93 rue Thiers (☎03 21 30 52 22; fax 30 20 03), between the train station and the ferry port. Classy hotel offers clean and spacious rooms with showers, TVs, and beautiful bedspreads. Breakfast €6. Free Wi-Fi. Reception 7am-11pm. Check-out noon. June-Sept. singles and doubles €55-60; triples €72; quads €85. Oct.-May singles and doubles €52-57; triples €69; quads €82. MC/V.

Food

There is an excellent market on place Dalton (open W and Sa 6am-1pm), and daily fish markets reel customers in along place Gambetta. A Champion supermarket, bd. Danou, is in the Centre Commercial de la Liane. (Open M-Sa 8:30am-8pm.) Small restaurants line rue de Lille in the haute-ville, as well as rue du Doyen in the centre-ville. Booming brasseries fill place Danton.

• Restaurant de la Haute Ville, 60 rue de Lille (☎03 21 80 54 10). Cute dining room and flower-strewn courtyard. Île flottante (a light, fluffy dessert) €5. Menu végétarien €13. Open Tu-Su noon-10pm. MC/V.
• Le Doyen, 11 rue du Doyen (☎03 21 30 13 08). Offers regional seafood dishes in an intimate dining room. Tangy feuilleté de fruits de mer (seafood platter; €5.90). Plats €13-18. Open M-F noon-2pm and 7-9:30pm, Sa noon-2pm and 7-10pm. Reservations strongly recommended. MC/V.
• La Scala, 16 pl. du Général de Bouillon (☎03 21 80 49 49). French and Italian cuisine. Outdoor terrace packed on sunny days. Basic, gargantuan pizza (€5). Menus from €9. Open daily noon-10:30pm. MC/V.

Sights And Outdoor Activities

Enjoy Boulogne’s sparkling surf with a windsurfer or catamaran from Le Yacht Club Boulonnaise, 234 bd. Ste-Beuve. (☎03 21 31 80 67; www.ycboulogne.net. Windsurfers €20 per hr. Catamarans €35 per hr. Open Mar.-Nov. M-Sa 9am-5pm.)

 Nausicaä: Centre National De La Mer. Boulogne celebrates its main source of commerce at this aquarium. You’ll find everything on the food chain—from plankton to sharks—as you move through the building’s labyrinthine layout. Exhibits remind visitors of the need to   respect the environment. Ironically, seafood cafes exist throughout the aquarium, with signs reading, “La mer vient à votre table” —literally, “the sea comes to your table.” (Bd. Ste-Beuve. ☎03 21 30 99 99; www.nausicaa.fr. Open daily July-Aug. 9:30am-7:30pm; Sept.-Dec. and from late Jan. to June 9:30am-6:30pm. July-Aug. €17, students and ages 3-12 €11; Sept.-Dec. and from late Jan. to June €15/10. Audio tours in multiple languages €3. English brochure €3.)

Château-Musée. This 13th-century castle showcases a worldly exhibition, including an Egyptian mummy and 550 Grecian urns—France’s second-largest collection of such relics, after the Louvre’s cool 25,000. (Rue de Bernet. ☎03 21 10 02 20; chateaumusee@ville-boulogne-sur-mer-fr. Open M and W-Sa 10am-12:30pm and 2-5pm, Su 10am-12:30pm and 2:30-5:30pm. €2, under 18 free. Audio tours in English and French €2.)

Basilique De Notre Dame. This 19th-century structure sits above a 12th-century crypt, the second-largest in France. Father Haffreingue, an amateur architect, built this church following the Revolution, when the previous basilica was destroyed. (Rue de Lille. ☎03 21 99 75 98. Open daily Apr.-Aug. 9am-noon and 2-6pm; Sept.-Mar. 10am-noon and 2-5pm. Crypt open Tu-Su 2-6pm. Free. Crypt €2, under 18 €1.)

Nightlife

Neon-lit pubs fill the pedestrian centre-ville, particularly at place Dalton.

• O Sud, 20 bis rue du Doyen (☎03 21 83 97 05; www.restaurantosud.com). Stylish alcove with plush pillows. Tapas (available until 10:30pm) from €2.30; 3 for €6.50. Mixed drinks €6.50. Open M-F and Su 11am-midnight, Sa 11am-1am. MC/V.
• WoolPack Inn, 14 pl. de la Résistance (☎03 21 31 62 20), in the haute ville. Open Tu-Su 5pm-2am. MC/V.
• Bar Hamiot, 1 rue Faidherbe (☎03 21 31 44 20), down the hill by the port. Classic brasserie. Beer from €2. Open daily 6am-midnight. AmEx/MC/V.