The most charming town in France?
The first time Victor Hugo set foot in Montreuil-sur-Mer was in September 1837 . He was returning from a trip to Belgium and was on his way to Paris, so it was probably the typical stop to refuel, eat something and, as the name of the town suggested, enjoy beautiful views of the sea . The author's first surprise was precisely that: Montreuil-sur-Mer no longer had a sea . Its commercial port, which formerly served as a means of communication with Brittany, accumulated sediment over the years and its coastline grew a little over 16 kilometres. Victor Hugo's disappointment was left for posterity thanks to a letter that he sent to his wife during the trip in which, in addition, he suggested a name change to Montreuil-sur-Plaine (Montreuil the plain).
In his text, the author described the place as a walled citadel that offered excellent views of the hills and the surrounding fields. In it he talked about his narrow streets, some of them cobbled, his encounter with a carriage, the two churches, the old cannons of his fortress and the people who inhabited it. A priest, a child with an apple or a woman crying in front of the square were some of the key characters in his journey. What they did not imagine then is that, 25 years later, would be the protagonists of the famous novel The Miserables : the work with which Montreuil-sur-Mer would end up being filled with glory and attracting, every year, hundreds of readers.
The streets of Montreuil-sur-Mer
The first stop to follow in the footsteps of the author is the ** Hôtel de France **, a small old-fashioned-looking building chosen by Victor Hugo to spend the night. He had dinner at Relais de Roy , the restaurant located in its inner courtyard where today the colorful flowers on its walls make it one of the most welcoming corners of the town . From there, or perhaps from the room 12b in which he stayed , was where the famous playwright wrote to his wife telling her the details of his fleeting visit.
Open since 1578, the ** Hôtel de France ** has welcomed illustrious personalities throughout its history. Among his clientele is also the writer Laurence Stern, who stayed in it while working on his book A Sentimental Journey ; Napoleon Bonaparte , during the long journeys on the way to one of his many battles; or the british general douglas haig , when the citadel served as the headquarters for the British Army. All of them, in addition to other more current guests such as Gerard Depardieu or Mel Smith, are fondly remembered by the hotel, although its success is undoubtedly due to Victor Hugo and The Miserables.
Victor Hugo stayed in room 12B during his brief visit to the town
The author does not mention the name of the town in any of the pages of the novel, but he simply limits himself to dropping that it is about "M-- south M--" . From his stories and from the letters sent to his wife, it has been verified that Montreuil-sur-Mer is the place where the story takes place.
Some of the places that inspired the author, in addition to the aforementioned hotel, They were Clape en Blas , a small cobbled street where the small trades of the town were located and which today have become charming shops selling handicrafts. He too old citadel castle , where its ruins currently host the festival Les Miserables Sound & Light Show, a musical performed by practically the entire town in which more than 400 volunteers get into the shoes of the protagonists to recreate the work that gave them fame.
The military past of Montreuil-sur-Mer
A walk through the historic center of the town will allow us to transport ourselves to another era. Without having undergone great changes other than some damage caused by wars, Montreuil-sur-Mer remains almost as it was at the time Hugo describes it : walled, with low buildings, brick and stone walls, streets where you can open your arms and touch the sides, or facades completely covered with plants and flowers. A nice and quiet place whose history also keeps some of the darkest chapters of war conflicts.
And it is that the literary route is not the only one that can be done in this small town of Nord-Pas de Calais. Also included in memory paths, for having served as the British headquarters during the First World War on the Western Front, Montreuil-sur-Mer has an Indian cemetery in Neuville , where the bodies of more than 20 soldiers who fell during the battle are found; the citadel, which has a permanent exhibition on the role of this town in history; and a sculpture in homage to the British general Haig located in the square Charles de Gaulle . Actually, it is a replica of the original, since the first one was removed by the Germans during World War II.
British General Haig, legacy of his warlike past
Despite the damage caused by various conflicts, Montreuil-sur-Mer is considered one of the most beautiful villages in northern France. A contest organized by the France 2 television channel , in which every year viewers choose the places they like the most in their country, this 2016 has placed it as the second most charming town in the country, only behind Rochefort-en-Terre (Morbihan), in French Brittany.
**WELCOME TO THE NORTH (OF FRANCE)**
The call the opal coast Due to the color of its waters, it is dotted with small towns that are characterized by the fact that instead of wine, beer is produced here; The most common sport is the carrovela, which consists of drive a tricycle through the sand playing with the wind and the boom ; the cliffs that surround the region, being the Cap Blanc Nez and Cap Gris Nez the best known and whose names allude to the color of their stones; and for its people, who, as Dany Boon's film showed us in its day, Welcome to the North They have a cheerful, open character and a somewhat special accent. Yes, the whole region is full of friteries.
The closest airport to visit the north of France and get closer to the most beautiful towns in the area is Lille , the university city that is halfway between Brussels, Paris and London. The latter thanks to the fact that right in the westernmost part of the country is the popular eurotunnel . Many of the routes dedicated to design and art, culture, military, cinematographic or literary battles start from its capital, such as the one that today has taken us to Montreuil-sur-Mer, the landlocked town that inspired a great story.
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He fell in love with Victor Hugo, will you fall in love with him?