The best traffic-free bike rides around Hucqueliers

nice place to visit

Montreuil on the sea

The origins of Montreuil, whose name derives from the Latin 'monasteriolum' (small monastery), are closely linked to its religious history. The abbey church of Saint-Saulve in Montreuil-sur-Mer was built in the 12th century and is located on the site of an older monastery dedicated to Saint Walloy, founded in the 10th century. In 926, the monks of Landévennec (Finistère) fled the Norman invasions and found refuge in Montreuil, where they founded the abbey of Saint-Walloy (local deformation of the name Saint Guénolé). In 1111, this abbey changed its name when the remains of Saint-Saulve were brought there. In its original design, the building had a layout typical of pilgrimage churches with an ambulatory and radiating chapels. In the Middle Ages, the numerous relics attracted pilgrims to Montreuil and gave the town a character of holiness. It was then nicknamed 'The Necropolis of Ponthieu'. The reconstruction after the earthquake of 1467 caused the collapse of at least six religious buildings, including the Hôtel-Dieu and the Saint-Saulve church, which was completely rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century.

Montreuil is a royal citadel built in the 16th century on the foundations of an ancient castle. You can explore the citadel and its fortifications, admire the architecture and views of the Canche valley, and discover the history of the site. You can also visit the museum located inside the citadel, which features exhibits on the military and natural heritage of the region.

Impressive cliffs, but you can't cycle underneath them.

The Bras de Bronne, a tributary of the Canche that crosses the city, once served as a natural border. While part of the village was in Artois, the bell tower was in Boulogne: the parish came under the diocese of Boulogne. The patron saint is the founder of the neighboring diocese, Firmin, first bishop of Amiens. In the choir is a beautiful effigy of the saint, sculpted in the 16th century. Marles-Sur-Canche and its parish church dedicated to Saint Firmin contain treasures such as the statue of Saint Nicolas from the 16th century, the bronze bells from 1805 or the Altar from the 18th century. Despite its humble appearance, its history is set in stone. The building combines a sober nave with a beautiful choir in Flamboyant Gothic style, more slender. This contrast between the two sides is astonishing. The Saint Firmin church is thus strongly marked by the architectural heritage of the 15th century. The Marlois are attached to their church which, despite regular work since 1812 and the numerous renovations, shows a worrying state of health, visible by the numerous deteriorations: cracks, detachment of the cladding, broken stones, crumbling, weakened masonry of the buttresses, decaying structural wood.

It is in the Pas de Calais, in the heart of the green valley of the Canche, 20 km from Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and 5 km from Montreuil sur Mer, a fortified city steeped in history and a secret city of the Templars, that is the mansion Francis... The little Lord of Montville, who had a bit of a delusion of grandeur, had this astonishing residence built of chalk rubble in the style of a fortress built in the 17th century. Partly concealed by the large porch covered with Virginia creeper, the Francis manor is typical of Boulogne manors, these stately homes designed to protect themselves from prowlers. Past the porch, you will first be greeted by a benevolent heterogeneous fauna, a miniature replica of Noah's ark, basking in a vast enclosed courtyard.

The Chartreuse Notre-Dame-des-Prés is a large former monastery founded in 1325 for the Order of the Carthusians by the Count of Boulogne and closed in 1901 due to the Waldeck-Rousseau law. It is located in France, in Neuville-sous-Montreuil. During the Belle Époque, it became a sanatorium and an artist's residence.