Le Tournesol - bright and attractive beamed gite in a rural setting

Situated in a quiet village in the 7 Vallees, between the French towns of Auxi-le-Chateau and Frevent, La Maison Longue is the perfect place to stay for a holiday in Pas de Calais. With the market towns of Hesdin, St Pol and Doullens only 20 minutes away and Arras, Abbeville and Amiens all within an hour’s drive, as are Montreuil, St Valery-sur-Somme, Le Crotoy and Le Touquet, our location means you can comfortably enjoy many of the tourist attractions and activities of the region and also the Somme.

The cottage is one of three at Le Petit Hameau, very well positioned for visiting the many attractions of Pas de Calais and Picardy, and also close enough to visit romantic Paris, Palace of Versailles, Disneyland Paris and architectural Lille with its Flemish influences.

Take time to visit the numerous commonwealth war graves, as well as the sites and memorials of World War I and II, such as Thiepval, Vimy Ridge, Le Hamel Australian Memorial, Lochnagar crater, Albert and its WW1 museum, the New Zealand National Memorial at Longueval, Peronne museum, the trenches and Canadian Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, the Second World War Blockhaus bunker and museum at Eperlecques, and La Couple, the V2 rocket launching base.

Azincourt and the battlefields of Crecy is also well worth a visit as are the touching guided tour of Wellington war tunnels in Arras.

Visit the gardens of Abbaye de Valloires, Sericourt or Liane, the amazing Louvre-Lens museam, the chateaux of Couin, Grand Rollecourt, Cercamp, Brias Château Fort de Rambures or Beaurepaire Montreuil. Stroll around the cobbled market town of Hesdin with its shops, restaurants and Thursday market, or visit Arras with its incredible Belfry, restaurants and medieval underground tunnels, Montreuil sur Mer’s, cobbled streets, walled ramparts, restaurants and bars. Visit Abbeville with its many chocolate shops and collegiate church, or Amiens with its UNESCO gothic cathedral, pleasant canals crisscrossing the town and the amazing zoo. St Riquier has a wonderful Abbey founded in 625 AD, lovely central square and nice restaurants to choose from. Take a trip to the fishing towns of St Valery, Le Crotoy or Le Treport, with fish restaurants, steam train ride and boat trips and at Le Treport there is a funicular – so much to see and do we can’t mention it all here!

For those feeling particularly energetic there are plentiful walking and cycling routes, and for sand and sea lovers, the beautiful beaches of Le Touquet and Fort Mahon, as well as many other beaches along the 250km of the Cote d’Opal. For the young – and young at heart - you’ll find in Le Touquet the on-beach waterpark Aqualud. Parc Bagatelle amusement and theme park near Merlimont, Dennlys Parc at St Omer, swim or bowl at ABC near Hesdin, or try the 7 vallee trout streams or golf courses at Nampont St Martin, Le Touquet, Hardelot. For the bird enthusiasts, Le Parc de Marquenterre nature reserve is a favourite visit for migrating birds.

Let’s not forget time to relax and unwind in the garden, where you will be able to listen to the sounds of nature in a beautiful countryside setting, whilst enjoying a glass of wine, beer, espresso or cup of tea or whatever your favourite drink might be.