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Montreuil-sur-Mer

The ramparts of Montreuil-sur-Mer

A whole walled town, twenty minutes from the sea it no longer touches

The wall-walk on the ramparts of Montreuil-sur-Mer
Photo: Johan Allard, source, CC BY-SA 4.0

The essentials

Where
Montreuil-sur-Mer
How long
Two hours
Price
Ramparts free to access; citadel charged
  • 3 km of ramparts
  • Citadel
  • Les Misérables
  • Free access
What to do in Montreuil-sur-Mer?

Montreuil-sur-Mer hasn't touched the sea for centuries — the Canche estuary silted up and the coast now lies some fifteen kilometres away. What remains is a complete fortified town, ringed by three kilometres of ramparts you can walk in full.

It's one of the few walled towns in the north of France still legible as such: you circle it on foot along the wall-walk, with the valley on one side and the rooftops on the other.

Walking the ramparts

Three kilometres, roughly flat, freely accessible at any hour. The path alternates grassy stretches with narrow passages between two walls, and passes the citadel, the Porte de Boulogne and the bastions.

It's an end-of-day walk: the low light is beautiful, and locals stroll it like a park, because it is one.

The citadel

Built on the remains of the royal castle and reworked by Vauban, it can be visited. You go down into the underground passages and up onto the towers, with views over the whole Canche valley.

Victor Hugo passed through

Hugo stayed in Montreuil and set part of *Les Misérables* here: this is where Jean Valjean becomes Monsieur Madeleine, mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. The town takes it seriously and stages a sound-and-light show in the citadel every summer.

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    3 activities to book

    What activities to do in Montreuil-sur-Mer?

    Our favourite

    For the town seen from above

    Le tour des remparts

    Three kilometres of ramparts and bastions around the upper town, open access.

    1 h · on foot

    For the history of the stronghold

    La citadelle

    Montreuil's citadel is open to visitors, with its underground passages and viewpoints over the Canche valley.

    1 to 2 h · guided visit

    For the countryside around the town

    La vallée de la Course à vélo

    Quiet roads and lanes in the valley, setting off from Montreuil.

    Half a day · bike

    Our 3 restaurants

    Where to eat in Montreuil-sur-Mer?

    Our favourite

    For a proper gourmet meal

    Le Château de Montreuil

    Near the citadel, with a garden. The bistro menu is far more affordable than the evening one.

    4 chaussée des Capucins, Montreuil

    To eat in the cobbled lane

    Le Pot du Clape

    Rue du Clape-en-Bas, the town's prettiest street.

    17 rue du Clape en Bas, Montreuil

    The façade of the Cocquempot restaurant, in Montreuil-sur-Mer

    For a table in the centre

    Restaurant Cocquempot

    Place de la Poissonnerie, in the heart of the upper town.

    Place de la Poissonnerie, Montreuil

    Nearby

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