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France : the discreet charm of Baie de Somme

© Ludovic MAISANT / hemis.fr

As Mont Saint Michel bay or Halong bay the «Baie de Somme» alsobelongs since 1999 to the exclusive club of the most beautiful bay inthe world. Stretching over 70 km between headland of Hourdel inthe south over to headland of Saint Quentin en Tourmont in thenorth. Its rich biodiversity is symbolised by Parc du Marquenterreconsidered one of the finest places for ornithology. On the coastlinethe region boasts some amazing seaside resort such as Le Crotoy,Saint Valery sur Somme and its limestone headland, Le Bois de Cise,one of the few natural woods of the coast along the Manche Sealisted as «picturesque site» or the smart town of Mers les Bains andits seaside villas dating of la Belle Epoque era. Discreet, sometimesslightly grey, sometimes blue but always attractive, Baie de Sommeis definitely a place to discover.

Other images : Annette SOUMILLARD, Bertrand GARDEL, CamilleMOIRENC, Christophe BOISVIEUX, Francis CORMON, GillesRIGOULET, Hervé HUGHES, Jean-Daniel SUDRES, Louis-MariePREAU, Ludovic MAISANT, Philippe RENAULT, Patrice THOMAS,Thierry BORREDON / hemis.fr

HEMIS_214289 : France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Marquenterre Ornithological Park, Common Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

HEMIS_353385France, Somme, south of Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, child running with alanding net along the beach huts

HEMIS_214266France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)

HEMIS_309317France, Somme, the beach of Mers les Bains

HEMIS_146858France, Somme, Baie de Somme, lambs and sheep of salted meadows

HEMIS_213645France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Camargue horses

HEMIS_359233France, Somme, Baie de Somme, White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) displaying

HEMIS_335526France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, Tide Whirlwind (aerial view)

HEMIS_335542France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, praw fishing on the beach (aerialview)

HEMIS_335529France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Saint Valery sur Somme, Cap Hornu, Sailors'Chapel(aerial view)

HEMIS_214287France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Marquenterre Ornithological Park, CommonSpoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

HEMIS_174257France, Somme, Baie de Somme

HEMIS_174258France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Marquenterre Park, storks

HEMIS_174263France, Somme, Baie de Somme, near Le Crotoy, horse riders

HEMIS_359262France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)

HEMIS_359258France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus)

HEMIS_214290France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Marquenterre Ornithological Park, CommonSpoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

HEMIS_213631France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Herson horse and cattle egret

HEMIS_213662France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Boulonnais stockbreeding, workhorses

HEMIS_174256France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Noyelles sur Mer, fishing boat

HEMIS_242745France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, Les Ormeaux Villa, seaside villas andbeach huts

HEMIS_146855 : France, Somme, Baie de la Somme, Ornithological Park of the Marquenterre, Philippe Carruette in one of the observationposts of the park

HEMIS_309162France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, fishing boat (aerial view)

HEMIS_353362France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, people walking on the beach

HEMIS_353353France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, Les Tourelles hotel in the formerresidence of the Guerlain family

HEMIS_353358France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, Les Tourelles hotel in the formerresidence of the Guerlain family and view from the beach

HEMIS_353369France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, house made of painted bricks withmaritime representations on the shutters

HEMIS_146852France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, market on Friday morning

HEMIS_353371France, Somme, the Baie de Somme Nature Reserve, salt meadow on tidal zonesituated between the coast and the sea

HEMIS_353379France, Somme, Baie d'Authie, Intertidal zone as the tide is going up

HEMIS_111326France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Town of Cayeux sur Mer, Bathing Huts

HEMIS_130228France, Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, shingle beach, nuns

HEMIS_130251France, Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, shingle beach, woman reading a book

HEMIS_149763France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, people walking on the beach

HEMIS_353387France, Somme, south of Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, hut on a pebble beach

HEMIS_353384France, Somme, south of Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, beach cabin hut Rose dePicardie

HEMIS_353388France, Somme, south of Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, beach huts

HEMIS_054253France, Somme, Cayeux Sur Mer, Bathing Huts of the Chemin des Planches

HEMIS_149758France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, man on the beach

HEMIS_174199France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, shrimp fishermen

HEMIS_335524France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, Les Galeries (aerial view)

HEMIS_071658France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Fort Mahon beach, crowd

HEMIS_353354 : France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, seaside villas and beach huts

HEMIS_085935France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Fort Mahon, sandsailers

HEMIS_129889France, Somme, riders in the Baie de Somme after a storm, foam

HEMIS_130225France, Somme, crossing of the Baie de Somme with a naturalist guide

HEMIS_174195France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Quend beach, dunes

HEMIS_213657France, Somme, Baie de Somme, calash and Boulonnais workhorse

HEMIS_213665France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Boulonnais stockbreeding, workhorse

HEMIS_213856France, Somme, Baie de Somme, calash and Boulonnais workhorses, ride

HEMIS_213869France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Boulonnais workhorses and horse guard

HEMIS_353381France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Saint Valery sur Somme, boat at low tide

HEMIS_130244France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Saint Valery sur Somme, the banks

HEMIS_130237France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Saint Valery sur Somme, the Northern Sea Wall

HEMIS_146856France, Somme, Baie de Somme, steam train of the Baie de Somme

HEMIS_146868France, Somme, Baie de Somme, steam train of the Baie de Somme

HEMIS_184503France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Brighton Lighthouse (aerial view)

HEMIS_214227France, Somme, Baie de Somme (aerial view)

HEMIS_215292France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Hourdel (aerial view)

HEMIS_017384France, Somme, beach of Mers Les Bains

HEMIS_039904France, Somme, Mers les Bains, sea front villas dated late 19th Century

HEMIS_039910France, Somme, horse riding on the Mers les Bains beach with seafront with thevillas dated late 19th century in the background

HEMIS_054239France, Somme, Mers les Bains, cliffs, sea and villas dated late 20th century, childrenplaying on the beach

HEMIS_309337 : France, Somme, Mers les Bains, the Fete des baigneurs (Bathing festival) in July, locals and tourists dress up in oldfashioned clothes and take baths in old fashioned swimsuits evoking the Golden Age of the early 1900's

HEMIS_242762France, Somme, Mers les Bains, the beach and its beach huts

HEMIS_309318France, Somme, the beach of Mers les Bains, the beach huts

HEMIS_309344France, Somme, Mers les Bains, the Fete des baigneurs (Bathing festival) in July,locals and tourists dress up in old fashioned clothes evoking the Golden Age of theearly 1900's

HEMIS_242742France, Somme, Mers les Bains, the Fete des Baigneurs ((Bathing festival), portrait ofa young woman

HEMIS_309347France, Somme, Mers les Bains, the Fete des baigneurs (Bathing festival) in July,locals and tourists dress up in old fashioned clothes evoking the Golden Age of theearly 1900's

HEMIS_242746France, Somme, Mers les Bains, the Fete des Baigneurs (Bathing festival), boatmodels

HEMIS_242768France, Somme, Mers les Bains, seaside villas

HEMIS_309325France, Somme, Mers les Bains, villas facade

HEMIS_309353France, Somme, the beach of Mers les Bains at dusk

HEMIS_054254France, Somme, Ault chalk cliffs view from Bois de Cise

HEMIS_242743France, Somme, Ault, Bois de Cise, villas

HEMIS_335545France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Saint Valery sur Somme (aerial view)

HEMIS_335536France, Somme, Ault, cliff on Cote d'Albatre (aerial view)

HEMIS_309163France, Somme, near the Baie de la Somme, Hable d'Ault Natural Reserve (aerialview)

HEMIS_309168France, Somme, Ault, the lighthouse (aerial view)

HEMIS_316241France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Saint Valery sur Somme, the small port

HEMIS_237258France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, Charles Derositere harvesting traditionalmoules de Bouchot mussels

HEMIS_237257France, Somme, Le Crotoy, Baie de Somme, moules de bouchot cleaned mussels

HEMIS_111324France, Somme, Baie de Somme, sailors chapel in Saint Valery city

HEMIS_071660France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Hourdel lighthouse

HEMIS_237255 : France, Somme, shrimps of the Baie de Somme, photography styling by Valerie Lhomme

HEMIS_120211France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Hourdel lighthouse

HEMIS_149767France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Cayeux sur Mer, street scene

HEMIS_149765France, Somme, Baie de Somme, Onival, place of the break of the dyke in 1990,camping

HEMIS_130236France, Somme, Baie de Somme, view from Saint Valery sur Somme