Montreuil-sur-Mer: Victor Hugo's Ramparts, the Citadel and the Gardens of Valloires
Hauts-de-France, France
Badge Unlock
Montreuil Rampart Walker
Complete this challenge to add this badge to your collection.
225
XP
+100 France
= 325 total
1 day
Montreuil-sur-Mer: Victor Hugo's Ramparts, the Citadel and the Gardens of Valloires
225 + 100 XP
Montreuil-sur-Mer, on its walls above the Canche, gave Victor Hugo, who passed through on 4 September 1837, the town of Monsieur Madeleine in Les Misérables, and from 1916 to 1919 it was the British army's headquarters. Its 3 km of ramparts of the 13th and 16th centuries ring the old town, rebuilt with bastions by François I after Charles V's army destroyed the place in 1537, and Vauban reworked the citadel at their northern corner around 1670. To the south the abbey of Valloires keeps gardens laid out by Gilles Clément.
Required Activities
1
of 4
Walk the 3 km rampart promenade of the 13th and 16th centuries under its big trees, following the diversion round the stretch that collapsed in the 2023–24 floods, and from the citadel's chemin de ronde pick out the Canche below, the Canche lighthouse at Le Touquet and the wind turbines of Widehem
2
of 4
In the citadel, go into the tour de la Reine Berthe — a gate tower of the early 14th century, 15 m across — and find the memorial to the knights of Montreuil killed at Agincourt staged inside it, then the tour Blanche on the north-east side and the exhibition on the Montreuillois bats whose Grand rhinolophe nursery is why the site is a Natura 2000 zone
3
of 4
On the place du Théâtre, find Paul Landowski's equestrian Douglas Haig — the bronze first unveiled on 28 June 1931, melted down by the Germans and recast from the original mould in 1950 — and look for the bit, bridle and sabre put back in the 2022 restoration
4
of 4
At the Abbaye de Valloires at Argoules, work up through Gilles Clément's eight hectares — more than 5,000 plant taxa — from the formal roseraie by the abbey front to the islands of nearly 120 old and botanical roses, finishing in the jardin de l'évolution laid out for Lamarck at the top of the slope, then go into the abbey church for Simon Pfaff de Pfaffenhoffen's carved rococo woodwork
Walk the 3 km rampart promenade of the 13th and 16th centuries under its big trees, following the diversion round the stretch that collapsed in the 2023–24 floods, and from the citadel's chemin de ronde pick out the Canche below, the Canche lighthouse at Le Touquet and the wind turbines of Widehem
In the citadel, go into the tour de la Reine Berthe — a gate tower of the early 14th century, 15 m across — and find the memorial to the knights of Montreuil killed at Agincourt staged inside it, then the tour Blanche on the north-east side and the exhibition on the Montreuillois bats whose Grand rhinolophe nursery is why the site is a Natura 2000 zone
On the place du Théâtre, find Paul Landowski's equestrian Douglas Haig — the bronze first unveiled on 28 June 1931, melted down by the Germans and recast from the original mould in 1950 — and look for the bit, bridle and sabre put back in the 2022 restoration
At the Abbaye de Valloires at Argoules, work up through Gilles Clément's eight hectares — more than 5,000 plant taxa — from the formal roseraie by the abbey front to the islands of nearly 120 old and botanical roses, finishing in the jardin de l'évolution laid out for Lamarck at the top of the slope, then go into the abbey church for Simon Pfaff de Pfaffenhoffen's carved rococo woodwork
Before you go
The gardens of Valloires are a seasonal garden: the published calendar runs from late March to the start of November and stops there, so the fourth activity is not available between November and spring — ring 03 22 23 53 55 for the year's dates. The citadel is open all year but closed on Tuesdays outside July and August, and it shuts at no notice when gusts top 70 km/h, which on this coast is a real risk in winter. The 3 km rampart walk and the Haig statue are free and open whenever you come, and the exposed stretch above the Canche is where the wind hits.
The citadel is open daily except Tuesdays outside July and August, and can shut without notice in high wind. The Jardins de Valloires open daily from mid-March to mid-November only, so the garden is out between then and the spring. Part of the rampart promenade and the path below it remain closed where the walls collapsed in the 2023–24 floods — follow the signed diversion rather than climbing a barrier.
Finding nearby campsites...
About Hauts-de-France
Loading region info…
Explore more about Hauts-de-France:
Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
225 XP
France country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
325 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in France.
More challenges nearby
within 100km
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage: The Lighthouse, the Beach and the Forest Resort
France · Hauts-de-France
relaxation
easy
1d
13 km away
Berck: The Seals of the Baie d'Authie and Seven Kilometres of Sand
France · Hauts-de-France
wildlife
easy
1d
16 km away
Crécy and Saint-Riquier: The Battlefield of 1346, the Blind King and the Flamboyant Abbey
France · Hauts-de-France
history
easy
1d
25 km away
Azincourt: Henry V's Battlefield, Fressin Castle and Hesdin
France · Hauts-de-France
history
easy
2d
26 km away
Baie de Somme: The Marquenterre, the Seals and Saint-Valery
France · Hauts-de-France
nature
medium
1d
28 km away
Boulogne-sur-Mer: Nausicaá, the Haute-Ville and the Belfry
France · Hauts-de-France
scenic
easy
1d
31 km away