Boulogne-sur-Mer Attractions

Boulogne (pop. 45,508), situated on the river Liane, which here flows into the Channel (Straits of Dover), is France's largest fishing port and one of its most important commercial ports, as well as a popular seaside resort.

From the Place Frédéric-Sauvage, on the right bank of the Liane Quai Gambetta runs to the harbor, formed in the estuary of the river. In the Grande Rue, to the east of Place Frédéric- Sauvage, is the church of St-Nicolas (13th-18th century).

At the east end of the Grande Rue is the upper town, a rectangle surrounded by massive walls with four gates. Near the south end are the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall, 1734), with a keep (12th and 18th C; views), the Palais de Justice (Law Courts) and the Library, housed in a former monastic building of the 13th C. Near the north end is the church of Notre-Dame (1827-1866), in Greco-Roman style, with a massive dome (11th C crypt, treasury).

In the castle is a museum with a geological collection, a collection of antiquities and works by 19th C French painters.