The best traffic-free bike rides around Verchocq

Very pretty valley, quiet road

The Vallée de la Canche is a beautiful region in northern France, located between the towns of Montreuil and Hesdin. The area is characterized by its green landscape of valleys, forests and meadows, crossed by seven small rivers: the Authie, the Canche, the Ternoise, the Créquoise, the Planquette, the Bras de Brosne and the Lys. Cycling is one of the best ways to explore this beautiful area. The 7 valleys have a total of 500 km of hiking trails and dozens of cycling routes. Along the way you can enjoy relaxing views of villages, old farms and the ancient backdrop of hedges and hedges. On the edge of the Canche lies the town of Hesdin, whose current center dates back to the 16th century. The belfry of Hesdin is an eye-catcher, as is the 17th-century town hall, several historic houses and the Gothic church. Other beautiful places in Vallée de la Canche include the villages of Aubin-Saint-Vaast, Boubers-sur-Canche and Conchy-sur-Canche. For the best view of the valley, however, you should go to the picturesque fortified town of Montreuil-sur-Mer, where you can walk over the ramparts. After a day of cycling you can enjoy a romantic sleeping address in the green and taste fresh products from the country (including cheese, honey, snails, currants) in one of the many local restaurants and estaminets. There are also plenty of accommodations available in Montreuil for cyclists looking for a comfortable place to stay. In short, cycling in Vallée de la Canche between Montreuil and Hesdin is a great way to explore this beautiful area and enjoy all it has to offer.

The triumphal arch of the beautiful church portal is typical of the late Renaissance. The round arch with carved cassettes is flanked by fluted Corinthian columns. The hall church interior was embellished with Baroque furniture in the 18th century. In the back of the nave a wreathed Assumption of Mary and a canopy with the dove of the Holy Spirit. At the back of the left nave is a beautiful altar with carved angels, fruits and flowers

The ornate town hall, built of brick and stone, dates from the 16th century. It was once the palace of Mary of Hungary, the sister of Charles V. The central loggia depicts Philip IV of Spain and Isabella of Bourbon, surrounded by the Seven Virtues. The loggia (bay window) dates from the time when the palace was converted into a town hall (1629); The hood was added in 1702. The mayor can address the people from here. The belfry is on the Unesco world heritage list

The banks of the Canche are lined with wooded areas made up mostly of willows, alders or even ash. Among other things, they make it possible to limit flooding, slow down the current, stabilize the banks with their roots implanted in the banks.

The Bras de Bronne, a tributary of the Canche that crosses the city, once served as a natural border. While part of the village was in Artois, the bell tower was in Boulogne: the parish came under the diocese of Boulogne. The patron saint is the founder of the neighboring diocese, Firmin, first bishop of Amiens. In the choir is a beautiful effigy of the saint, sculpted in the 16th century. Marles-Sur-Canche and its parish church dedicated to Saint Firmin contain treasures such as the statue of Saint Nicolas from the 16th century, the bronze bells from 1805 or the Altar from the 18th century. Despite its humble appearance, its history is set in stone. The building combines a sober nave with a beautiful choir in Flamboyant Gothic style, more slender. This contrast between the two sides is astonishing. The Saint Firmin church is thus strongly marked by the architectural heritage of the 15th century. The Marlois are attached to their church which, despite regular work since 1812 and the numerous renovations, shows a worrying state of health, visible by the numerous deteriorations: cracks, detachment of the cladding, broken stones, crumbling, weakened masonry of the buttresses, decaying structural wood.

It is in the Pas de Calais, in the heart of the green valley of the Canche, 20 km from Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and 5 km from Montreuil sur Mer, a fortified city steeped in history and a secret city of the Templars, that is the mansion Francis... The little Lord of Montville, who had a bit of a delusion of grandeur, had this astonishing residence built of chalk rubble in the style of a fortress built in the 17th century. Partly concealed by the large porch covered with Virginia creeper, the Francis manor is typical of Boulogne manors, these stately homes designed to protect themselves from prowlers. Past the porch, you will first be greeted by a benevolent heterogeneous fauna, a miniature replica of Noah's ark, basking in a vast enclosed courtyard.

The Chartreuse Notre-Dame-des-Prés is a large former monastery founded in 1325 for the Order of the Carthusians by the Count of Boulogne and closed in 1901 due to the Waldeck-Rousseau law. It is located in France, in Neuville-sous-Montreuil. During the Belle Époque, it became a sanatorium and an artist's residence.