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About an hour’s drive from the port ofCalais, Hesdin is a small town nestledin the Seven Valleys region of Pasde-Calais.Surrounded by rolling hillsand beautiful countryside, Hesdin issomething of a hidden gem – a lovely,traditional French town says localJanine Marsh.In 1554, if you had visited what is now thetown of Hesdin, you’d have seen a buildingfrenzy in progress, the ruler of the area havingdestroyed most of another nearby town –then also called Hesdin (now known as Vieil-Hesdin- Old Hesdin), for resisting his rule. Noordinary ruler either. He was Charles Quint,Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain.Confused? Well, this area has a long and yes,confusing history. Formerly part of Artois thenFlanders, this corner of northern France waslong coveted by the Spanish, the Burgundiansand the English for its rich fertile lands, lakes,forests and proximity to the English Channel.Hesdin only became French in 1659.What to see and doin HesdinToday the well-preserved buildings andhistoric remains bear witness to Hesdin’srich history. The former palace the Emperorbuilt for his sister Marie of Hungary is nowthe town hall. Above the lavishly ornateentrance porch you’ll spot the Imperial Eagleof the Hapsburgs, and above the sculptedbalcony is the Spanish royal coat of arms,added by Charles’ son and successor, PhillipII of Spain. Inside, the vaulted dungeons lookmuch as they did hundreds of years ago, youcan visit the little museum there as part of aguided tour with the tourist office. The palaceballroom is now a theatre. And the building isdominated by a UNESCO-listed belfry.Hesdin town hallPont BlondinSECRET FRANCEHesdin, Pas-de-CalaisIt’s a quintessential market town, with cobbledstreets and ancient Flemish-influencedbuildings, and boasts one of the best marketsin the region, a sprawl of stalls on the mainsquare, Place d’Armes, which spill out into sidestreets, selling everything from mattresses tolive chickens. Legend has it that the NiagaraFalls tightrope walker Charles Blondin, AKAthe ‘Great Blondin’ was born in a circus tenton this square in 1824! He’s honoured at theflower-bedecked Pont Blondin, a great placeto sit and relax under the ancient trees, or to48 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 49
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