Boulogne is sited at the mouth of the river Liane and is France's biggest fishing port. It has been an important town and port since Roman times, when it was the main link for trade and military movements between Roman Gaul and Britain. Today you can walk all round the ramparts, with good views inside to the Old Town and, looking outwards to the newer town centre, the port and the sea. On most sides the walls are lined with trees and gardens and in one corner there is a medieval castle which is now the town Museum. The château strengthens the weakest landward-facing corner of the town's defensive system - built in the 13th century by the Counts of Boulogne on the foundations of earlier Roman walls. There are four gateways by which you can enter the old town one on each side of the rectangular fortification. Boulogne sur Mer is the most rewarding of the northern ferry ports.

It still has an intact medieval centre with a 19th century Basilica Notre-Dame which presides over the port. Nearby is the Chateau-Musee with its eclectic display of Egyptian mummies and 19th century Inuit masks. In the Ville Basse or lower part of town you'll find some superb shops and fish restaurants especially on quai Gambetta on the east bank of the river Liane. Boulogne is home to the first-class marine aquarium Nausicaa which has plenty of interactive displays and informative exhibitions on marine life. This serves as an appropriate introduction to the Cote d'Opale - a 40km stretch of coastline backed by cliffs and sand dunes from Boulogne to Calais. The coast with its spectacular vistas is the ideal spot for cyclists, walkers and riders alike.