ReportingDestination n ° 10 in the “Le Monde” 2022 trip list. In canoe-kayak then by boat, the descent of this coastal river to its estuary at Le Touquet offers a change of scenery. From the strength of its flowing waters in a wild nature to the softness of the seaside with its beach, its sand yachts and its birds.
Upstream from Touquet-Paris-Plage (Pas-de-Calais), where the Canche meets the sea, this coastal river traces its bucolic path far from the tumult of the coast. An invitation to navigation in all its forms to discover an enchanting valley, where nature is preserved.
First stage, Beaurainville, 30 kilometers from Le Touquet to take the boats to the canoe-kayak club. We jump into the water 14 kilometers upstream, in Hesdin, to descend the Canche, discovering the medieval banks and low bridges of the city (be careful with your head!), Then the junction with the Ternoise, which marks the beginning. from a quieter section to Guisy before the last part, quite sporty, just before returning to the club.
The supervisors are young cracks, like Florian Jumetz, French junior C2 champion in whitewater slalom, and they know the river perfectly, which here has everything of a river. This tiny and tumultuous Canche is invisible from the shore: no path, almost no bridges, canoeing is the only way to reach it.
Montreuil-sur-Mer, medieval city
From Beaurainville, you have to go 10 kilometers following the river to discover Montreuil-sur-Mer. There is not, and there never has been, the sea in Montreuil. However, before silting up, the Canche estuary reached as far as the port, then maritime, of the medieval city. La Canche remained, licking the town to the northwest. You can guess it more than you see it from the citadel, a magnificent example of pre-Vauban royal fortifications which offer a unique view of the surrounding landscape.
With its mansions, medieval alleys and its profusion of good addresses, the micro-sub-prefecture of Pas-de-Calais (one of the smallest in France with its 1,900 inhabitants) is an adorable surprise. The upper town seems to be nestled within its enclosure, with its ramparts reaching an end that you can go through entirely in a 3-kilometer loop.
After the kayaks, the boats. Those of Petit Quentovic are moored rue du Marais, in Attin, in the vast wetland bordering Montreuil. With their small electric motors, they invite you to a romantic stroll that inevitably brings to mind Country party (1946), by Jean Renoir, so much the softness of the water, the thousand vibrations of nature and the passages under the willows awaken the senses.
Going up the river leads us to La Grenouillère, its two-star restaurant for the taste buds and its huts for the night. It is one of the addresses of Alexandre Gauthier, a figure of Montreuil, who also owns the restaurant L’Anecdote, with its “memory cuisine”, inspired by a 1979 menu, and ultra-cozy guest rooms. , The Piles.
You have 51.47% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.