Every 14th July for as long as anyone can remember, there has been a market in the lovely town of Montreuil-sur-Mer. The picturesque cobbled streets of this hill top village are filled with stalls for the annual antiques market and as darkness falls there is a big fireworks display.
On Bastille Day the town becomes pedestrianized and stalls are set up in every street. There are professional dealers and amateurs offering a huge range of antiques and bric-a-brac at prices ranging from 1 Euro to thousands of Euros. From top hats to armoires, from ancient wood fires to four poster beds – all types of antiques are to be seen and taken home to be loved all over again.
For those who have a passion for second hand markets, antique fairs and brocantes – this is definitely one not to miss, the hundreds of stalls will have you entranced.
While you’re there you’ll also be able to enjoy all that the picturesque town of Montreuil has to offer – spectacular views from the ancient ramparts, lots of restaurants and bars, and plenty of historical sites including the Inn that Victor Hugo stopped at when he visited in 1867. Montreuil is proud of the fact that Hugo based the setting and some of the characters in Les Miserables on the town and the people he met at Montreuil.
If you spend all your money or want a change of pace then you’re close to 120km of sandy beaches, several golf courses, fishing lakes, water sports, war cemeteries and memorials, horse riding and lots more but you may find with so much to see and so many great antiques to inspect you won’t have time for much more. Take a break in one of the many restaurants or buy a filled baguette and head for the ramparts that encircle the town for an alfresco lunch and stunning views over the surrounding countryside.
In the evening Montreuil puts on a fireworks display to commemorate Bastille Day and you can join visitors and locals on the ramparts, sip a glass of wine and watch the sky explode into colour over the surrounding beautiful countryside.
If you are going to the fair, book accommodation in advance, there are plenty of hotels in Montreuil-sur-Mer from medium price range upwards. For an authentic taste of old France you might like the Relais de France – Victor Hugo, Napoloeon and Jules Verne tried it and liked it! For a touch of glamour and luxury Le Hermitage set in an old hospital building is tres chic. Hotels get very booked up for this event so if they are full, try towns nearby and drive to Montreuil and park the car at the bottom of the hill and walk up the cobbled stoned streets through the picturesque arch to the town.
There is a full programme of events in Montreuil-sur-Mer year round, lots to do and see, some great restaurants and bars and historic places to visit.
Recommended visits close by include Hesdin, Le Touquet, Boulogne, Hardelot and St Valery-sur-Somme.
How to get to Montreuil- sur-Mer
Eurotunnel from Ashford to Calais, approximately 40 minutes to Montreuil on the A16
P & O Ferries or DFDS Ferries to Calais, approximately 45 minutes to Montreuil on the A16
DFDS Ferries to Dunkirk, approximately 65 minutes to Montreuil
