The local what's-on guide for the Opal Coast
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Hello! Tell me what you feel like — “a concert this weekend”, “a family outing near Calais” — and I'll suggest events on the Opal Coast.
Bergues, Opal Coast
Source : DATAtourisme — Hauts-de-France Tourisme, mise à jour du 2019-03-07. Licence Ouverte 2.0.
Bourbourg
This building was designated a prison in 1550. Its facade, roof, and dungeons are listed as Historic Monuments. The building has served as a prison since the 16th century. Rebuilt in the 18th century, it still contains the jailer’s quarters, as well as the prisoners’ cells and dungeons. A unique and authentic place that immerses you in the prison world of days gone by.
Arques
Located in the town of Arques, this boat lift is the only one of its kind in France. Built between 1881 and 1887, it was designed to replace a series of five locks on the Neufossé Canal, as it was impossible for boats to navigate the 13.13-meter elevation difference between the Aa and the Lys rivers.Designed by engineers Bertin and Edwin Clark, the hydraulically operated lift consisted of two water chambers that balanced each other out, allowing barges to be raised and lowered. The last boat passed through the lift in 1967. Designated a Historic Monument in 2014, the site was saved from demolition twelve years after it ceased operations, thanks to an association from Arques. Now open to the public, the museum features three rooms—an exhibition hall, the blacksmith’s shop and video room, and the repair workshop—that are sure to delight visitors.
Dunkerque
Built of a combination of red brick and stone, the belfry stands 75 meters tall. Above the central balcony stands an equestrian statue of Louis XIV, who repurchased the city from the English in 1662. A large stained-glass window depicting Jean Bart’s triumphant return after his victory at the Battle of Texel in 1694 illuminates the belfry. One elevator ride and 65 steps up, you can admire the carillon.
Gravelines
Fully integrated into City Hall, the belfry is visible only from the outside. It once housed the city’s dungeons, which have fortunately been replaced today by the municipal museum. The building, which stands 70 meters tall, rests on a very simple square tower. At the platform level, the first scrollwork decorations appear, and the fourth floor is adorned on each side with a mullioned window decorated with friezes. An octagonal lantern crowns the top and houses a two-metric-ton bell named Danièle, Marie, Pauline, Henriette—the first name of the donor’s mother, who funded the belfry’s reconstruction at the end of the 19th century.
Saint-Aubin
This blue stone farmhouse is believed to date from the late 12th century, based on the masonry of its walls, which is similar to that of the church in Dimont and the tower in Saint-Waast-la-Vallée.
Calais
It is across from Parc St. Pierre, on a large sandy area once known as “the Sahara Plain,” that the cities of Calais and St. Pierre decided to build Calais City Hall, a symbol of their reunification. Architect Louis Debrouwer initiated its construction in 1912. He decided to build the structure out of reinforced concrete and clad it with red hollow bricks from Kortrijk, as well as white stone sculptures. Built in the Neo-Flemish style, the building features a majestic 75-meter-tall belfry that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Its magnificent stained-glass windows depict the liberation of Calais from English rule by the Duke of Guise. The town hall is also well known as the venue for the wedding of General de Gaulle and Yvonne Vendroux. It houses the splendid wedding hall, the grand salon, the council chamber, and the ceremonial hall in the belfry.