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Sunday, February 28 - Saturday, April 24 - Sunday, April 25 ... the choice
distance: 54 km
elevation: 750 m (approx.)
place of departure-arrival: ext CRS / Lifeguards Swimmers before the Esplanade de Ste Cécile (seaside) at 10h
... Soon however
Photos by Oliv, Dom and Phil
Leave you tell the program ... :
First, a dozen miles of beach on the nature reserve Canche.
the north of Etaples in the territory of the municipality of CAMI, the Grand Hotel Saint-Gabriel "seaside residence of great princes of Europe, opened July 3, 1898 on the beach, is swept away by the tide in a single night: this event for years jeopardizes the development of another resort nearby and thus facilitates the subsequent development of the Le Touquet.
Then passing near the monumental military cemetery at Etaples sur Mer , the vast necropolis unaugurée 11 000 stelae in 1922 by the King of England George V.
the 15th km of the village of Camiers : The Legend s'ingénue Camiers to be at the place of death of Frénégonde, wife of Charlemagne. The body of the deceased does not decompose revealed the existence of a gold ring in his hair including senior officials, before the strange fact, seized and thrown into the lake of carp Roy.Une swallowed and the body broke down.
We will then head to the hinterland to browse the wind cliffs Widehem .
Then past the 20th km and the village of Dannes we begin the ascent of the highest dune in Europe Le Mont St Frieux . This current
dunes formed during transgressions dunkerquiennes which began in the 1st century AD. The site is named Férioc (which became transformation "Frieux"), contemplative hermit who lived atop Mount in the late seventh century and was beheaded by the invading Vikings in retaliation for alerts before he passed on to villagers their landings (detail shown in a stained glass church Dannes and Neufchatel). At the same time, while the dunes were not the same development there was a village at the foot of Mount Bellefontaine buried perhaps in the late twelfth century. Here as elsewhere, these expanses of bare sand damage made up their attachment by planting marram grass from the nineteenth century. World War I marked the site permanently (many traces are still visible), in effect from 1917 until 1400 are men of the third contingent labor in South Africa, who built a huge ammunition depot ... they were replaced later by Chinese numbering 3 000 in 1918. During World War II occupation troops have been build, including by deported Jews interned in a camp in the village of Dannes, many bunkers, shelters, ammunition, antiaircraft guns ...
At the 30th km approach we enter the territory of Hardelot where we cross from its vast forests to an assault on its magnificent castle!
The first castle was built by the Counts of Boulogne in the twelfth century e . It remains today the curtains. There, in 1194, R. Dammartin signed the first charter municipal de Boulogne. The present castle was built by Count Philippe Hurepel of Clermont in 1222. Taken, taken, this Fortress will pass through the walls of the French troops, British, Burgundy, then at the XVI th century during the Wars of Religion, Leaguers and supporters of the king occupied. Richelieu had it dismantled. It was then transformed into ferme.Les events of 1789 n'affectèrent little parish in Condette Boulonnois. The approximately 380 residents were especially concerned about the invasion of sand from the coast. The castle is listed as a national asset in 1791 and is the lord of Châteaubourg who buys 26,400 pounds. In 1820, the castle was sold again with its 880 hectares of dunes and warrens ranging up the sea a few years later, hoping to stop the advance of sand inland, we began the first plantings of conifers. In 1848, the castle was bought by the Englishman Sir John Hare, who gave him the appearance of a Tudor mansion, above the underground of the thirteenth century e and one of the best preserved towers. The writer Charles Dickens, a friend of John Hare, often came in this house which were given large receptions. In 1899, Englishman John Whitley bought the castle and its dependencies (grasslands, dunes, marshes, woods, copses and ponds-Eau Claire). The castle becomes the center of attraction in the area: golf, tennis, hunting, fishing, archery, etc.. In 1910, several hotels and restaurants are established near the castle. During the First World War the castle is available to the British army. In 1934, Father Bouly the priest Condette, buy it. It was then occupied by a congregation of nuns. It was sold in 1987 in the town of Condette. In 2001 a long lease of 50 years was signed between the General Council of the Pas de Calais and the common Condette to install a cultural center. The General Council of the Pas de Calais began in September 2007 a massive renovation project after the discovery of dry rot in the framing, trim and walls of the castle. June 13, 2009 Cultural Center of the entente cordiale born, a cultural center "in order to maintain, with the county of Kent in the UK, the famous" Entente Cordiale ".
We then rotates in the heart of Ultra forest and dunes of the massive Ecault . And arrived at the north end of the course we happily living in the GR Littoral to lead us directly to St. Cecilia.
The United Opal opens its doors to the Knights of Horizons. We have a mission to pay tribute to the monk St. Frioc ridding this region of the spectra of barbaric Vikings still haunt dunes and forests.
If this land of a thousand dangers do not scare you, follow the standard of the Horizons!
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