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!

Giant Labyrinthe of the Seven Valleys:
Location: 25km south of Boulogne at Buire-le-Sec (on the D130 heading out of the village to the east).
General Info:  Tel No: +33 (0) 3 21 90 75 25.  Open from the beginning of July until the end of August. Cost in 2005 is €9 per adult and €7 for everyone else. Opening hours are 11.00-7.00pm although the main activities don't start till after lunch.
Description: An unusual maze offering the usual corn maze concept, coupled with an entertaining ancient Greek themed quiz - look out for the Minotaure!
Our recommendations: All the clues are in French, so you will need a reasonable knowledge of French to get the best from this attraction.  Don't forget a dictionary and plan to spend around 3 hours there, depending on how good your French is!  Take care to have plenty of sun bloc with you as well as a picnic - the on site facilities are basic to say the least.  Mazes move on from time to time, call ahead to check it is operating.
For the children:  Toddlers may tire of this attraction but older children who are keen to develop their French will enjoy themselves.

     - 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.