With the Dunes d'Écault, several walking trails and a 12th-century building, Saint-Étienne-au-Mont offers distinct highlights for a nature and culture trip. The dunes stretch across Equihen-Plage and Saint-Étienne-au-Mont. When choosing where to stay, you can focus on nature watching, a particular trail, views or cultural heritage.

Dune formations and natural diversity

The Dunes d'Écault include embryonic dunes, white dunes with marram grass, grey dunes with mosses and lichens, shrub dunes—especially with sea buckthorn—and wooded dunes. The landscape therefore brings together several dune formations and the plants found in each. The Dunes d'Écault formed as they settled over an earlier sandstone and marl cliff. This adds a geological dimension to the visible plant life. The dunes are of natural history interest because of their plant, bird, mammal, insect, amphibian and reptile species. During a walk, you can therefore look out for both plants and different groups of animals.

Walking trails with different highlights

The Sentier des dunes in the Dunes d'Écault is 4.7 km long. The site naturel d'Écault offers nine walking trails. These figures provide different kinds of guidance: 4.7 km is the length of a specific trail, while nine is the number of trails in the nature area. A stated trail length is a concrete planning reference; the number of trails indicates a choice of routes.

The Sentier Communal d'Écault includes a botanical loop trail where you can learn about the local flora. On some trails in the site naturel d'Écault, information panels cover local history, fauna, flora and how the landscape formed. The botanical loop focuses on plants, while the panels introduce other topics on some trails. This lets you choose a trail according to the natural or educational focus you are looking for.

The chapel, history and views

The Chapelle d'Écault dates from the 12th century. It preserves the only surviving examples of Cistercian architecture in all of northern France. For travellers who want to explore architectural history as well as nature, it is a notable historical landmark.

Another historical feature is the Chemin des Juifs, a remnant of the Second World War that can be walked along the Sentier des Ifs. This brings together different historical periods: the medieval Chapelle d'Écault and a path remnant from the Second World War.

The Sentier de la Chapelle offers panoramic views of Equihen-Plage, the English Channel, Boulogne-sur-Mer and its basilica. Along this trail, you can also spot warblers, wagtails, butterflies and dragonflies. Access to the Sentier de la Chapelle is from the Stade de la Cachaine car park on Rue du Stade in Saint-Étienne-au-Mont. Check trail conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Pont De Briques, Fampoux, Mont-Saint-Éloi, Embry, Étaples, Ouve-Wirquin, Offrethun, Fresnicourt-Le-Dolmen

For the wider travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.