A major port for centuries and France's historic gateway to Britain, Calais had no news for good reasons.
Many hustle on their way to Paris or picturesque places in northern France. But if you have an open mind there’s a lot to keep you occupied. The ever-present belfry is a UNESCO site, and just opposite is one of Auguste Rodin’s most acclaimed works. You can immerse yourself in the history of the Calais lace factory, and dive into the preserved underground bunker. Discover the best things to do in Calais.
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1. Town Hall
Calais’ town hall has a 75-meter-high belfry that is part of a UNESCO site straddling the French and Belgian border, made up of towers within the old Duchy of Burgundy and the historic County of Flanders.
It may seem historical from afar, but it's really from the 20th century, designed in a renaissance style. Inside, you can see patterns of operation of the Port of Calais, and you can also catch an elevator up to the viewing platform in the bell tower for a vast view. Most agree that the belfry’s chimes are among the most beautiful in France.
2. Burghers of Calais
In front of City Hall on the edge of the Parc Saint Pierre is one of Auguste Rodinftime's most famous works. It was unveiled in 1895 and was designed to honor the self-sacrifice of six of Calais’ leaders after a year-long siege from 1346 to 1347 that was part of the 100 Years’ War.
When Calais finally surrendered, Edward III promised that the townspeople would be spared if six guards agreed to speak to him, for what they thought would be executed. The sculpture depicts them starting to walk in shame, with necklaces around their necks, subconsciously, in an extraordinary way.
There are several Burghers of Calais actors on display around the world, but this is the original.
3. La Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode
Ren City and Fashion reveal the past and present of lace production. The museum is located in one of Calais's last collective lace factories, founded in the 1870s. By 1902, there were 80 looms operating here, and the weight and power of these iron machines, the walls of the U-shaped building had to be sloped out to counterbalance.
The showrooms feature 3320 hand-made pieces and lace throughout the years, with collections by designers such as Iris van Herpen and Cristóbal Balenciaga. Expert tullists demonstrate their profession on an active loom you can see in action every hour of every afternoon.
4. Musée de la Guerre de Calais
Also in the Parc Saint-Pierre is a Nazi bunker almost 200 meters in length. When you reach the entrance, you will understand how it can escape bomb damage during the war, as this structure is completely obscured by the park's foliage in the summer.
When Calais was arrested, Canadian forces attacked the bunker, using flamethrowers in their attack. The bunker was a communications center for the entire northwest of France, built-in 1941, and now has 21 galleries with artifacts, photographs, uniforms and newspaper cuttings.
Warnings posted and propaganda posters shed light on life in Calais during the occupation.
5. Calais Lighthouse
The city’s 53-meter high lighthouse was completed in 1848 and also managed to escape damage in the Second World War. The main attraction is at the top, where on a clear day you can create the White Cliffs of Dover.
That’s provided you’re feeling spry, as you have to scale 271 steps to get up there. In the adjoining building, a small, different museum tells you about the previous lighthouse owners who worked here until 1987 and has Channel Channel maps that illustrate the weight of the daily traffic.
6. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Calais
On the upper side of Parc Richelieu, Calais’ main art museum has some exciting pieces in an airy interior that belies the building’s stern and unwelcoming appearance from the street.
The museum concentrates on French, Dutch and Flemish art from a variety of eras, with Gerrit van Honthorst and Balthasar van der Ast from the Dutch Golden age, and Eugène Boudin perhaps the most important French painter on display.
You can get some wonderful insights about how Rodin’s Burghers of Calais came about, as there’s a whole room filled with the figures in terracotta, plaster, and bronze.
7. Courgain Maritime
The Art Museum and Lighthouse are both in Courgan Maritime, the historic fishing district of Calais.
Like most cities, there is not much evidence of medieval architecture because of the significant destruction during the wars, but visitors who are eye-informed and can find a lot of traces. exciting.
One is the Tour du Guet, a medieval watchtower erected in the early-13th century with a height of almost 40 meters. It was used as the city lighthouse until the present was built. Fort Risban has controlled the harbor since the middle ages, and at that time it was controlled by the English, French, Spanish, and German.
The legendary military engineer Vauban visited the fort in the late 17th-century and made some minor alterations, but much of these were lost when the building was wrecked by an accidental explosion in 1799.
8. City Parks
Many people waiting for their ferry, or newly off the boat, will stop at Parc Richelieu to get fresh air and stretch their legs. It’s a well-tended green space with a pond in the center and paths through thickets and next to shrubberies and flower beds.
Parc Saint-Pierre has a lot of French feeling when you notice from the locals playing pétanque. There are pergolas, balustrades and an ornate fountain.
9. Calais Beach
On a hot day, you can do much worse than going down to the city beach, a little west of the harbor. Many bathers can see the steam is fast, but they are shallow and safe because the beach has a very low slope.
For the rest, there's a soft strip of golden sand stretching to relax and rows of graceful beach tents painted in white.
As you head west, the landscape behind the beach becomes more rural and you enter the Nat Natelel Régional des Caps et Marais amusement park Opale, a large protected area, in contrast to the industry and central strip to the east and south of Calais. Further to the harbor is a promenade with mini-golf, bars, and restaurants.
10. Cap Blanc-Nez and Escalles
Just over ten kilometers from Calais is Cap Blanc-Nez, a headland with soaring white chalk cliffs that are the mirror image of those in Dover. The highest point is 134 meters and above the sheer chalk bluffs is grassy moorland cratered occasionally by Second World War bombs.
There are bunkers here from the war and a monument to the Dover Patrol, a World War I Allied campaign to protect the strait. Escalles Beach, a little further away, has a widescreen beauty, set on magnificent cliffs. Come for unforgettable adventures at any time of the year.
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