Montreuil
This charming walled town is perfect for a day trip away, with it beautiful
old houses and churches, its imposing ramparts and its cobbled streets,
not to mention a good selection of restaurants.
The town is also known as Montreuil-sur-Mer, despite being 12 km from
the sea, and was a very important medieval port for the Calais region.
Silting of the river means you will no longer see ships when you visit,
but the town remains something of an undiscovered beauty, with much to
enjoy in the historical streets.
The town is on a small hill surrounded by ramparts, from when it was
a frontier town against Artois to the north-east, in the 16th century.
The ramparts were further reinforced by the French military architect Vauban
during the 17th century. From the ramparts there are fine views across
the surrounding countryside and the river, with the sea in the distance.
Montreuil also had a castle, but only a small part - two towers - now remains.
