Port de pêche et marché aux poissons

Boulogne-sur-Mer is the largest fishing port in France and supplies the entire country with fish and seafood. The harbor front is a cozy whole and a great place to spend the end of the afternoon. The fish or shellfish here are of excellent quality and the obvious white wine can be replaced with a beer from the region. In addition to the fishing port, there is also a fish market called “Criée”, where more than 70 different species of fish are unloaded and sold every day.

Batisse and Zabelle are a pair of giants of processions and parades that represent the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. They were first inaugurated in 1923 and have been an important part of local folklore ever since. Batisse is a giant of 3.80 meters high and 60 kg in weight, which is carried by one person. He carries a net over his left shoulder and is dressed in a fisherman's costume: coarse linen trousers, a cap, a jacket and a scarf around his neck. His wife, Zabelle, is also a giant of the same size and wears a black turn-of-the-century dress covered with a white shawl on her shoulders and a traditional white lace hat. The couple can be seen at various celebrations and parades in the region and are a symbol of the fishermen's community in Boulogne-sur-Mer.