Beaches, Golf, Shopping & Designer centres, Hiking
Our spacious holiday house is ideally located for attractions such as golf courses, beaches, theme parks and the boutiques & casinos of Le Touquet.
Citi Europe, Boulogne, Nausicaa, the Somme Estuary's war graves, historic sites & famous beaches are nearby as are the famous Abbey de Valoise & gardens
Inxent is in the Valley de la Course. The Auberge d'Inxent is a 2 minute walk, Ligniers, along the road in Beussent, is about 15 minutes walk and there is an equestrian centre just round the corner from the house.
Other than that, there is a very pretty little church which is always open, the town hall, (the "Marie"), & many houses with beautifully kept gardens.
Montreuil-sur-Mer, an old fortified town that centuries ago was a sea port, is our nearest town. You can walk the ramparts and stroll cobbled streets with a multitude of bars, cafes and good restaurants to choose from. Outside the town are the main supermarkets, all just a short drive from the house.
Food & Drink!!
One of the great things to do in France is to eat out and in our region you are spoiled for choice.
You may want to splash out on a Michelin starred restaurant such as the Auberge de le Grenouilliere in La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil, Le Chateau or Le Jeraboam, (in the Hermitage Hotel), in Montreuil sur Mer or slightly further afield in Le Touquet, The Westminster or the Swiss House.
Alternatively you might prefer something more traditionally French such as L'Auberge de Cormont in Cormont, (10 mins away on the other side of the N1), which is set on a working farm, or Le Moulin in Bournonville, just outside of Devres:- very rustic and hefty portions!!
A few hundred yards from our front door is the Auberge d'Inxent, very friendly and welcomes children. They serve good food and have an exceptionally good wine list.
Then there is Ligniers in Beussent, less than a mile away, where you can just pop in for a drink at the bar or go into the restaurant for a meal. In good weather it is lovely to sit out in their garden with a drink and something to eat; try the ribs!
Other than those mentioned here, there are many good places to eat and drink in the area ranging from small local cafes to elegant restaurants.
Buying food locally
If the weather is fine, it is nice to eat at the house. As well as the kitchen there are BBQs in the garden.
In Attin, next to Montreuil, there are supermarkets selling most things you may need. However, you could visit some of the markets, heaped with local produce, they are a pleasure to walk round.
Maybe you like sea food, in which case a short drive to Etaples, (next to Le Touquet), would pay dividends as they have some of the best fish markets in France.
For meat, veg, fruit, honey and cheese, (miel & fromage), you have only to drive around the small roads along and around the valley to see signs where you can buy direct from the producer.
If you like chocolate, some of the very best is made right on our doorstep in the Choclaterie de Beussent, (go out the front door, turn right and carry on about a mile - it's on the right). Fantastic!
Bon appetit!
Golf, theme & amusement parks & steam train
There are excellent golf courses in this part of France. Competition standard St Omer is about 35 minutes by car, but other well known golf courses close by are Le Touquet, Hardelot and Wimereux.
The children's amusement theme park Dennlys Park is at Dennebroeucq about 40 minutes from Inxent & Bagatelle amusement park at Berck Plage is only a short drive away.
Catch the Vallée de l'Aa steam train at St Omer to Lumbres and back then spend the day around the old town and canal area. The region's most visited attraction is the marine world Nausicaa at Boulogne, 30 minutes drive.
War Graves & historic sites
Mon Desir is ideally located for those interested in war graves, historic sites & military history. Agincourt and Crecy are very close. Arras, Vimy, Bethune, the Somme, Albert and many others can be visited easily. At Etaples, a working fishing port across the bridge from Le Touquet, there is a beatifully maintained graveyard and there are still concrete WW2 gun emplacements in the forest.
Boulogne & surrounding area
Many people think of Boulogne simply as a port of entry and somewhere to drive straight through en route south. However, this is a mistake as it is a vibrant interesting area with all sorts of discoveries waiting to be made.
Boulogne is the largest town near Inxent. As well as the port and marina there is a large shopping area running up the hill towards the Haute Ville, the Old Town. This is a maze of small roads and walkways full of restaurants and bars, antique shops and old houses. The Cathedral of Notre Dame dominates the Old Town and looks out over Boulogne. Inside, it has the 2nd largest dome in Europe and is well worth a visit as is the old chateau, (which is now a museum).
Just outside of Boulogne there are the hypermarkets, Citi Europe and the Designer Outlet. There are all types of shops where you can get the latest fashion wear, furniture, bedding etc. At Carrefour & Tesco, in Citi Europe, there is a vast choice of wines/spirits & beers from around the world. There is another huge selection at Auchan in Boulogne St. Martin.
Le Touquet & Etaples
Le Touquet is close by and is a bustling trendy town full of boutiques, bars and restaurants. There is a water park on the sea front for the children and fabulous beaches to wander along plus 2 casinos for anyone who might want to try their luck!. Le Touquet is also famous for its golf courses.
Before you go across the bridge to Le Touquet you will find Etaples with its seafood restaurants, fish markets & bars. Tuesday is market day, one of the best markets in the area and is held in the main square.
If, instead of turning right across the estuary to Le Touquet, you follow the main road just beyond the outskirts of the town, you will come to the gates of a beautifully maintained war grave site on your left hand side; well worth a visit.
Hiking, walking & biking
The areas all around our holiday house & Montreuil sur Mer are perfect for either a gentle walk or a more vigorous hike over the hills or around the ramparts. Inxent is in the Vallee de la Course which in turn is part of the area Des Sept Vallees and the possibilities for the serious, (or not so serious!), walkers & explorers are almost endless.
Cyclists of all descriptions enjoy the area. You can take an easy pedal along the main valley road or work yourself into a lather going up & down the sides. Very often you will see cycle rallies going on in and around the Vallee de la Course.
