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.
Gravelines, Opal Coast
Source : DATAtourisme — Hauts-de-France Tourisme, mise à jour du 2019-03-11. Licence Ouverte 2.0.
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Gravelines
On August 26, 2026, the Museum of Drawing and Original Prints in Gravelines invites you to explore the K-Print exhibition, a collection of Korean woodblock prints. Admission is €3.50.
Gravelines
Explore the moat at Gravelines. The Embarcadère Vauban Promenade tourist site welcomes you inside a guardhouse and offers a variety of water-based recreational activities. You can explore this unspoiled setting at your own pace in a rowboat, pedal boat, or electric boat. Opening dates: APRIL 11 THROUGH JUNE 28 AND SEPTEMBER 1 THROUGH 27, 2026 Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM (last departures: 4:55 PM) JULY 1–AUGUST 30, 2026 Tuesday through Sunday from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM (last departures: 5:55 PM) | Closed on Mondays RATES (ONE-HOUR TIME SLOTS ONLY): > Electric boats (5 passengers): €22/hour> Rowboats (5 passengers): €12> Pedal boats: (2–3 passengers): €12/hour – (4–5 passengers): €18/hour
Gravelines
If you’d like to explore on your own, don’t wait any longer! Starting this year, you can rent a traditional wooden rowboat with an audio guide to discover the walled city at your own pace. Available in French, Dutch, and English. Price: €30 to rent a boat and audio guides (5-passenger boat) – Duration: 1 hour – Reservations required
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.
Bergues
This is the third belfry built on this site. It was rebuilt in 1961 after being destroyed by fire (May 30, 1940) and then by dynamite (September 16, 1944) by the Germans. It largely follows the design of the previous belfry. As you climb the 206 steps, you can visit four themed exhibition halls. At a height of 47 meters, it features a magnificent open belfry housing the carillon’s 50 bells. At its summit stands Nicolas, the lion from the city’s coat of arms, serving as the weather vane. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 15, 2005, and featured in the 2008 film “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis,” the Belfry now houses the Tourist Office, the Espace Beffroi, and vacation rentals. It is open to visitors in small groups of up to 19 people at a time, by scheduled time slot. For those who do not wish to climb the 206 steps, a virtual tour is available. Exceptional closures on the morning of December 2 and the afternoon of December 5.
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.
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.
