Réserve naturelle régionale du pré communal d'Ambleteuse, Regional nature reserve in Ambleteuse, France
The réserve naturelle régionale du pré communal d'Ambleteuse is a 60-hectare regional nature reserve in Ambleteuse, Pas-de-Calais, 7 km north of Boulogne-sur-Mer and 1.5 km from the coast. It protects a mosaic of lawns, heathland, low marshes, wet meadows and streams on ancient dunes, including a relict dune formed during a Flandrian marine transgression around 5000 BC.
The land was previously used for farming and grazing before local authorities decided to protect it permanently. The reserve was officially created in 2012 and has since been managed by the Syndicat Mixte du Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d'Opale.
The site has long been communal meadow, grazed for centuries, and grazing continues today as a management tool that keeps the grassland open. The reserve is managed by the Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d'Opale, and the information board at the entrance names the Baie de la Slack and the communes of Ambleteuse and Wimereux.
Marked paths run through the reserve, and it is best to stay on them to avoid disturbing the more delicate habitats. The area is open year-round, but spring and fall tend to offer the most activity for wildlife watching.
Despite its modest size, the reserve shelters over 500 plant species, of which more than a hundred are considered rare. The dunes found here are also among the last coastal dunes in northern France that still carry their original plant cover.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,551 contributors worldwide.
