Saint-Valery, a medieval town on the Bay of the Somme

Let's start with a few spelling and pronunciation points: Saint-Valery is locally pronounced "Saint-Val'ry", without stressing the "e", and not "Saint-Valéry" as you might think!

The cause was a monk called Gualaric, whose name, distorted many times, ended up being pronounced "Valery". Our Gualaric settled here in 611: a miracle-working hermit, he attracted disciples who, after his death, founded the abbey of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, of which only a few remains today.

The port grew from this abbey to a respectable size in the Middle Ages. In 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, set sail with his war fleet to claim the crown of England. Much later, in 1431, Joan of Arc was imprisoned in Saint-Valery after crossing the Bay of the Somme. Her next stop was the stake in Rouen. From this historic period, the town has inherited its medieval city, also known as the "upper town".

Thanks to the salt trade, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme enjoyed a real period of prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries, before going into a slow decline. The Courtgain district, with its fishermen's houses that give Saint-Valery its charm today, developed. During the First World War and the Battle of the Somme (1916), Saint-Valery proved to be a strategic port from which the British fed and re-supplied the front.

After the war, fishing declined in Saint-Valery due to the silting up of the port, and the small town turned to tourism, now flourishing, as its main activity.

Saint-Valery is a charming place to stay right on the Bay of the Somme. It owes its cachet to its historic heritage, which can be discovered between the upper and lower town.

The upper town is the medieval city, perched on a limestone spur: the ancient ramparts offering great views, the gates surrounded by towers, including the emblematic Guillaume Towers, the church of Saint-Martin, the cobbled lanes and the old medieval-style residences - a setting that's both historic and photogenic!

The scenery is different, but no less charming, in the Courtgain district, the lower town, where you can see the tiny fishermen's cottages that have been refurbished to become attractive holiday homes... From the Calvaire des Marins (Sailors' Calvary), where you would wait desperately to catch a glimpse of a ship returning from the sea on stormy days, there is a beautiful panoramic view over the Bay of the Somme.

The town centre of Saint-Valery is centred around the Rue de la Ferté, which is bustling with all kinds of food shops and fashion, interior and souvenir boutiques. There's also a wide choice of restaurants serving Picardy cuisine! This is where the town's liveliness is concentrated, all the way to the Place des Pilotes, where the big market is held: a not-to-be-missed event every Sunday.

Saint-Valery is appreciated for its proximity to the Somme and its vast estuary, which you can explore by strolling along the quays, from the marina to Cap Hornu and the moving Chapelle des Marins. Don't hesitate to extend your walk to the Pointe du Hourdel, home to grey seals and sea calves...

You can walk, cycle or even take the train: Saint-Valery is served by the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme, an old-fashioned train that runs between Noyelles, Le Crotoy and Cayeux-sur-Mer and Saint-Valery.

Another option is to go on a guided walk through the marshes of the Baie de Somme, which you can explore at low tide. Every year in June, Saint-Valery is also the starting point for the Transbaie, an endurance race that runs to Le Crotoy and back!