A mere cork-pop away from Dover's white cliffs, Nord-Pas de Calais is at France's northernmost tip. Get your cultural kicks in Calais and Lille, then explore the region, from the Opal Coast's dramatic cliffs and dunes to the countryside speckled with woodland, lakes and rustic villages.

Look up to the belfry's blushing bricks in Calais and down from the Opal Coast's towering twins of Cap Gris Nez and Cap Blanc Nez. Amble along dune-flanked beaches in Ambleteuse and Hardelot, munch salty herrings by the water's edge in Gravelines, and take your kids to play on the soft sands of Boulogne-sur-Mer and Le Touquet.

Discover the pea-green lake and marshlands near medieval Ardres, then glance up at the 17th-century Flemish townhouses flanking the market square in Arras. The Guînes Forest is a retreat for hikers and cyclists, while Matisse paintings draw art buffs to the master's hometown of Le Cateau-Cambrésis. Lille has cultural clout: think art by the pool at La Piscine - Museum of Art & Industry and Notre Dame de la Treille's gothic gargoyles.

Experience the raw beauty of the cliffs at Cap Blanc Nez and Cap Gris Nez. Retreat to the Platier d'Oye coastal reserve to explore the dunes and wetlands rich in birdlife or trek shady trails through the Guînes Forest. Drift away with pampering treatments in Le Touquet's thalassotherapy centre.

Climb above the treetops and balance high-wire bridges at Passion d'Aventure forest near Guînes. Pedal around the lake near Ardres or canter past Le Touquet's dunes as the sun sets. Thrill-seekers make for the coast to kayak in Gravelines, hit the surf in Wissant and sand-yacht on the Opal Coast.

Savour hand-reared turkey and flavoursome flamiche au Maroilles (cheese tart) washed down with fresh-pressed cider in country farmhouses. Tuck into moules frites (mussels with fries) in Oye-Plage or the catch of the day in fish restaurants lining Calais' waterfront. Lille dishes up Flemish favourites like waterzoï (fish stew) and carbonnade flamande (beef cooked in beer).

Let Lille entertain you with sopranos at the Opera House, Flemish brews in hidey-hole taverns and all-night partying in clubs like B-Floor. Drink beer in atmospheric haunts around the Place d'Armes or bop to electro beats in Calais. Sip wine, listen to live blues and spy the sea in laid-back Dunkerque and Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Sniff out home-grown produce like cheese, honey and mustard at the market on the Place d'Armes in Calais, or take home a gift-wrapped box of divine Méert pralines for a lingering taste of Lille. Gifts of genievre (gin) and French wine always go down well.