Pas-de-Calais

Pas-de-Calais holiday rental homes - Cottages Pas-de-Calais

Pas-de-Calais is a department found in northern France.  The department is located in the region of Nord-Pas de Calais. Its capital is Arras. Its principal coastal towns are Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Other significant in-land towns include Artois, Lens, Liévin, and Saint-Omer.

There are numerous rivers within the department including Authie, Canche, Ternoise, Liane, Sensée, Scarpe, Deûle, Lys and Aa.  Pas-de-Calais is one of the most heavily populated departments of France, and yet it has no large cities. The centre and south of the department are more rural, but still quite heavily populated, with many villages and small towns all worth visiting when you rent a holiday house or cottage in Pas-de-Calais, France.

Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 21 miles wide here, and is the closest French town to England. The white cliffs of Dover can be seen on a clear day. The old part of the town, Calais proper (or Calais-Nord), is situated on an artificial island surrounded by canals and harbours. The modern part of the town, St-Pierre, lies to the south and southeast. The town centre is dominated by its distinctive town hall, built in the Flemish Renaissance style (and visible well out to sea).  On the outskirts of Calais there is Cité Europe, a huge shopping complex with shops, a games arcade, bars restaurants and a multiplex cinema. Located next to Cité Europe is L'Usine, a factory outlet centre for higher-end brands – irresistible when you stay in a self-catering cottage in Pas-de-Calais!

The in-land capital of the department, Arras; is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the belfry of the town hall and the citadel. The Vimy Memorial is a memorial just north of the town honouring a major World War I battle, the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Basilica of Notre Dame de Lorette cemetery, overlooking the nearby village of Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, stands before one of France's largest World War I necropolises. Part of an extensive network of tunnels dug in World War I by British Empire soldiers can be visited at the Carrière Wellington museum in the suburbs.

Travelling to your holiday accommodation in Pas-de-Calais, France

By air: The nearest airport is at Lille, however there are no direct flights to and from the UK. The Paris airports offer the best choice of flights to access this department. By rail: Calais is served by two railway stations: Gare de Calais-Fréthun and Gare de Calais-Ville, the former being the first stop on mainland Europe of the Eurostar line. By road: The A1 motorway connects Arras with Lille and Paris, the A26 with Calais and Reims.