Mers-les-bains

Mers-les-Bains is a seaside resort and of tourism of the Somme, located on the littoral of the Manche, located near the mouth of Bresle, i.e. just in extreme cases enters Picardy and Normandy. This seaside resort has a pebble beach (and sand with low tide) approximately a kilometer length as well as high chalk cliffs.

Top of these last, close to the statue of Notre-Dame, emerges a vast panorama (accessible to foot while passing in front of the church or conveys some by the plate while following the direction of Blengues) from where it is possible to see the sea, the city close to Tréport, its trade and marina, the city of Eu with in particular its castle and its collegial, then in north to see Ault and the hâble éponyme, in direction of Bay of Somme. In clear weather, the Picardy coast is revealed with the horizon until Marquenterre. Very close to Seas is the Bois de Cise, attached to the commune of Ault, superb residential glazing bar which gives on the sea.

With Eu and Tréport, Mers forms of the integral part; a geographical entity known as of the Three sisters cities, elsewhere distant from each other of approximately 3 km.

As regards the intercommunality, Mers also belongs to the Community of communes Interrégionale Bresle Maritime, territorial collectivity whose seat in Eu.

Bristling with pinnacles, balconies and bow-windows, the sea front is imprinted with the charm of the Belle Époque and Art nouveau; it invites you to delve into the history of this seaside resort. This district is classed as a protected site.

In 1873, with the arrival of the railway, Mers-les-Bains was transformed into a seaside resort very highly-prized by the Parisians. These amazing villas were then built, giving expression to the explosion in decorative arts at the turn of the last century. More than 300 of them, including some of exceptional workmanship, still exist today. They are the only group of "Belle époque" buildings on the entire coastline of France. After years of oblivion, they are coming back into fashion and setting the tone for buildings along the whole of the Picardy Coast.

The Notre-Dame de la falaise viewing point

Taking the road that leads to the Rompval camp site, you have a clear view of the three sister towns (le Tréport, Eu, Mers) and of the line of cliffs.
Saint Martin's church

The church, rebuilt in 1928 by the architect E. Douillet, in Art Deco style, has an altarpiece from the XVIIth century.

The visitor can discover a rich person littoral fauna while walking along the beach and on cliffs:

• The herring gull. Voracious bird and crier, it niche a little everywhere in cliffs and on the roofs. The seagull follows the fishing vessels of Tréport which at sea leave in order to recover fish rejected by the sailors, but it is also with the mounting of all the household waste and food offered by the city. Appreciated by the tourists, the gull herring is less by the autochtones.
• The gull. Bird which can meet in some disparate groups of time to other, its physical aspect slices that of the seagull clearly.
• The falcon kestrel. Bird which can sometimes be observed on the plate between Mers and the Wood of Cise, in flight above the fields.
• The mussel (Mytilus edulis). Mollusc edible with black shell or maroon and attached to the rocks by a byssus (system of small natural wire). Its gathering is prohibited in Mers by maritime order of the prefect since 2001, that it is with foot and the knife, but more still with the rake. This practice is indeed completely prohibited because it deteriorates the natural environment of the mussel while not enabling him to fix itself, and unnecessarily destroyed the nessaim, i.e. small the mussels which allow the renewal of the species.) .
• The green crab (Carcinus maenas). Shellfish running on the French coasts.
• The currycomb (Portunus Puber). Shellfish. Small crab very appreciated for the smoothness of its taste, and with the posterior legs in the shape of pallets which enable him to swim. During its cooking, the crab becomes red/orange.
• The gray shrimp (Crangon crangon). Shellfish cooks in l' salt water, it is consumed cold at the time of an aperitif for example. * Bouquet or pink shrimp (Leander serratus).
• The arénicole. Sedentary Annélide polychète. Marine worm which lives in sand, easily recognizable with the small sand heaps in form of spaghettis rolled up and with the small funnels that it leaves with the opening of its burrow, in form of " U". The fishermen the extract from sand with the helps of a pump with aspiration and use as soft food for the fishing of fish of sea.
• The sand flea or talitre (Talitrus saltator). Small shellfish close to the woodlice, can be observed in the failed algae and on the sides of the dam opposite the headlight of Tréport (Mers side).