Nord Pas de Calais Attractions  This area of France gets rushed past by hordes heading south, but has some gems that can be enjoyed both  for a holiday close to home, as well as day trips to experience French culture rather than having a booze cruise!  Plan a day trip well and there will be time not only to stock up on wine and spirits, but also to visit a local attraction such as Nausicaa or La Coupole and then top the day off with a meal in a French restaurant!

The Blockhaus d'Eperleques:

Location: 10km west of St Omer, north of the N43.  It is well signposted in the area.
General Info:  Open all year from March to November, all day between May and September.  Entrance costs €7 for adults and €4.50 for children.  Tel: 0(3) 21 88 44 22.  Website.
Description: Hidden away in the edge of the Eperleques forest, the Blockhaus d'Eperleques is a very evocative and moving testament to the horrors of war.  Here you can find a massive concrete building designed to launch both V1 and V2 rockets.  There is an excellent commentary in English at key parts of the site along with detailed explanations on panels.  The site remains just as it was in 1945.  The average length of the visit is about 1 1/2 hours.
Our recommendations: This is a truly fascinating place with plenty of information available
For the children: Young children may get bored after a while, however the novel, small trolleys for pulling "little ones" around the site are a great help to keep them interested!

     - We are still looking for good ones....so far we have only found booze cruise sites and ferry sites (the latter can be found elsewhere on this site).  If you have any good suggestions, please let us know.