Yes — the film was shot around Bergues, and the nickname 'Ch'ti' for the local dialect and people comes from this part of northern France.
Discover Authentic Nord-Pas-de-Calais: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Nord-Pas-de-Calais, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as the Wazemmes market in Lille, the Wellington Quarry in Arras and the Canche lighthouse in Le Touquet.
Top 5 Things to Do in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Lille
Vieux Lille's Flemish gabled houses and the Grand Place set the tone — this is a city that feels as much Flemish as French. Wazemmes market, running since the 19th century, is where locals actually shop, not just tourists.
Arras
Two grand Baroque squares, Place des Héros and the Grand Place, both ringed with Flemish-style facades. Climb the belfry — part of the UNESCO-listed belfries of Belgium and France — for a rooftop view over both squares at once.
Cassel
A hilltop village crowning the Flanders plain, voted France's favourite village in 2018. On a clear day the view stretches for miles — bring a map and try to pick out the windmills.
Bergues
Star-shaped ramparts and cobbled streets that will look instantly familiar if you've seen 'Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis'. Much of the film was shot here. A quieter, smaller cousin to Lille, worth an afternoon.
Marais Audomarois
A UNESCO-recognised patchwork of canals and market gardens around Saint-Omer, still farmed by boat. Take one of the flat-bottomed boat trips through the waterways — it's the only way to really see it.
Explore Nord-Pas-de-Calais's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
We've mapped local spots from Lille to the Opal Coast.
Lille & Arras
Halles de Wazemmes
Lille's covered market, dating from 1869: around 400 stalls and up to 50,000 visitors on Sundays. Stop at Au Cheval Blanc afterwards, like the locals. A 30-minute walk from our central Lille hotels.
Wazemmes, Lille · Market · Perfect for Sunday mornings
Wambrechies marina
Ten kilometres from Lille, the marina on the Deûle sits between the château and the church. Cycle there along the river; boat trips run on Sundays from June to September.
Wambrechies · Marina · Ideal for a riverside outing
Wellington Quarry
Dug by New Zealand tunnellers, these tunnels sheltered thousands of British soldiers before the 1917 Battle of Arras. Immersive tours bring their story to life. A 15-minute walk from our Mercure Arras Centre Gare.
Arras · WWI memorial · Made for history
Les Sept Bonnettes
On a hillside at Sailly-en-Ostrevent, a small stone circle linked to a legend of girls turned to stone – and a sweeping view of the Artois plain. The trail starts at the village church.
Sailly-en-Ostrevent · Megalithic site · Perfect for legends and views
La Piscine, Roubaix
Art and industry in a spectacular Art Deco swimming pool – one of the finest museums around Lille. The light alone is worth it.
Roubaix · Museum · Made for art lovers
Villa Cavrois
Robert Mallet-Stevens' modernist masterpiece, built 1929–1932 for a Roubaix textile family.
Croix · Architecture · Great for design lovers
La Manufacture
A textile museum where working looms bring Roubaix's industrial past back to life. Listen to them clatter.
Roubaix · Museum · Perfect for families
Les Trois Tricoteurs
A knitting workshop with a bistro: sip a coffee or a local beer while socks are made before your eyes.
Roubaix · Workshop-bar · Ideal for something different
Open Roubaix
On the first Sunday of each month, when La Piscine is free, shops and cultural venues across Roubaix open their doors. Wander from one to the next.
Roubaix · Monthly event · Perfect for a Sunday
Braderie de l'Art
For 24 hours, 150 artists create works from recycled materials and sell them for no more than €400.
Roubaix · Art fair · Great for affordable art
Charles de Gaulle's birthplace
The Lille house where de Gaulle was born, now a museum recreating a late-19th-century bourgeois home.
Lille · Museum · Ideal for history
Brasserie Moulins d'Ascq
An organic brewery founded in 1999, now in eco-designed premises and open for visits.
Villeneuve-d'Ascq · Brewery · Made for beer lovers
Le Fer à Cheval
An institution since 1976, grilling French meats over embers by the fire.
Restaurant · Perfect for meat lovers
Centre Historique Minier, Lewarde
A mining museum on the former Delloye pit, telling three centuries of coal mining in the region.
Lewarde · Museum · Great for history
Opal Coast
Canche lighthouse, Le Touquet
Climb the 274 steps of this listed lighthouse to a platform 75 metres up, with Le Touquet and the coast spread out below. Guided tours at weekends and in school holidays. 10 minutes from our Mercure Le Touquet.
Le Touquet · Lighthouse · Perfect for views
Audresselles
Near Cap Gris-Nez, a charming former fishing village with quaint houses and two beaches. The GR120 coastal path runs right through it towards Cap Blanc-Nez – follow it.
Opal Coast · Fishing village · Made for coastal walks
La Vélomaritime
A 150 km stretch of the EuroVelo route along the Opal Coast, from Le Touquet to Dunkirk via Boulogne, Wissant and Calais.
Opal Coast · Cycle route · Great for cyclists
Ch'ti Tour, Bergues
Walk the filming locations of 'Welcome to the Sticks', from the belfry to the Café de la Poste. Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis!
Bergues · Walking tour · Perfect for film fans
Bain des Givrés
Every 1 January, Dunkirk locals dash into the icy North Sea at Malo-les-Bains – then warm up with onion soup. Joining them?
Malo-les-Bains · Tradition · Made for the brave
Brasserie de l'Abbaye de Clairmarais
Two friends brewing beer to tell the story of Clairmarais Abbey.
Clairmarais · Brewery · Great for beer lovers
FAQ
Spring through early autumn, when the market gardens are in full growth and boat trips run most regularly.
Arras is a quick train ride from Lille. Cassel is better reached by car, but it's still a manageable half-day trip from the city.
The covered market is open most days, and the big market around it is busiest on Sundays, with up to 50,000 visitors.
A network of WWI tunnels dug by New Zealand soldiers, now a memorial with immersive tours, a 15-minute walk from Hotel Mercure Arras Centre Gare.
Yes. The Canche lighthouse has 274 steps to a viewing platform 75 metres up.
Where to Sleep in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
See our Mercure hotels across Nord-Pas-de-Calais, ideally placed to explore these picks.