The coastline of Pas-de-Calais (in northern France) is known as the Opal Coast, thanks to the spectacular light here. Lying just twenty-something miles across the English Channel, the Opal Coast is a great, hassle-free trip for UK schools, with minimum travel time involved.
Although big cities such as Paris, Lille and Lyon offer some great opportunities for school trips, sometimes it's the smaller, more rural destinations that allow for quicker immersion in the French language and culture.
The Opal Coast is home to warm, friendly locals, as well as some brilliant cultural experiences, giving your students plenty of opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and practise speaking French with native speakers.
Top 4 Activities for School Groups on the Opal Coast
- Boulangerie Le Fournil
- Chocolats de Beussent
- Nausicaa
- Les Escargots du Bocage
Boulangerie Le Fournil
What trip to France would be complete without a foodie activity? This family-owned bakery offers your students the chance to watch a French baker at work in the original part of the bakery (le fournil in French), before visiting the more modern part of the bakery, where they make viennoiseries, like croissants.
The visit will give students the opportunity to widen their food vocabulary. They'll also have the chance to practise their French by asking the charismatic baker questions about his work.
To top it all off, you will (of course) be welcome to sample some of the delicious baked goods before you leave.
Visiting a French bakery is a hugely cultural experience. For the French, bread is more than just food - it's an essential part of daily life. Many would say you've not really experienced French life until you've waited in line for your freshly baked baguette.
Every town and city has at least one boulangerie, and many are home to artisan bakers. The job of a baker is well-regarded in France, and there are many hotly contested bakery prizes.
So, you can see that while a visit to Boulangerie Le Fournil will certainly boost your students' speaking and listening skills, they'll also gain insight into a really wonderful element of French culture.
Chocolats de Beussent
It's pretty clear why this is such a popular activity with school groups - after all, who doesn't love chocolate?
You'll be given a warm welcome by Alain, the master chocolatier, who will demonstrate how the chocolates are made. He'll tell you about the different kinds of cocoa beans used, and how they are mixed with just the right amount of sugar to get the taste just right.
He'll then show you how the chocolates are moulded and decorated. Some of the moulds are really amazing and include a huge church, a cow and a train.
After the demonstration, you'll be able to try some of the chocolates (and, of course, you'll have a chance to buy some as gifts for friends and family - or to enjoy on the journey home).
Nausicaa
This famous sea life centre is one of the region's biggest attractions and is always a very popular inclusion on our school French trips to the Opal Coast.
Nausicaa is an interactive sea life centre aimed at teaching visitors about the marine environment and man's impact on it.
You'll see a huge variety of marine life, including sharks, sea lions, clownfish and many more. You'll also find out how modern life is taking its toll on the planet (and the health of our seas, in particular).
At Nausicaa, your students will have the opportunity to learn and test out their environment vocabulary.
Les Escargots du Bocage
Les Escargots du Bocage is a snail farm on the Opal Coast. A visit here gives school groups the chance to try something new (which is really important when exploring another culture).
During the visit, students are given a tour of the farm and have the opportunity to ask questions. They are then taken into a classroom where the snail farming process is explained using a slideshow.
To conclude the visit, students are given a glass of lemonade and have the chance to try escargot for themselves (and you might be surprised at how many teachers say this was the highlight of their trip).
This visit is great for encouraging students to try out their vocab, as well as a very typical French delicacy.
Ready to start planning your school trip to the Opal Coast?
These are just a few examples of the type of activities that the Opal Coast offers. Think it might be the ideal destination for your group's next trip abroad? Get in touch today to start planning.
Senior Tour Consultant
