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Monument

The Six Bourgeois

Calais, Opal Coast

About this place

As you stroll through the gardens of City Hall, you’ll come across “The Six Burghers of Calais.”

This life-size bronze monument is one of Auguste Rodin’s most famous works. The sculpture depicts six residents of Calais (Eustache de Saint Pierre, Jacques and Pierre de Wissant, Jean de Fiennes, Andrieu d’Andres, and Jean d’Aire).

In 1346, while the city of Calais had been holding out for nearly a year against the English siege, King Edward III of England agreed to let six burghers hand over the keys to the city to him, barefoot, in their nightshirts, a noose around their necks, and be executed in order to restore freedom to the starving inhabitants of Calais. However, the Queen of England, Philippine of Hainaut, was so moved by the sight of these six unfortunate men that she asked her husband for permission to spare them from hanging. And so she saved these six men, who had been chosen to deliver the city of Calais.

The city fell to the English after the second siege by the Duke of Burgundy, but it was thanks to the victory of the Duke of Guise in 1558 that it returned to France.

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What to do nearby?

Upcoming events in Calais.

Culture 19 September → 13 December

De Latour & Maïques Exhibition: Metamorphosis

Calais

To mark the third edition of “Faiseurs de mode,” the Cité de la dentelle et de la mode is presenting the exhibition “Métamorphose” by the Latour & Maïques studio. From September 19 to December 13, 2026, visitors will discover an installation where material takes center stage in the creative process. Vincent Richard de Latour and Claire Maïques blend traditional textile finishing techniques with contemporary processes to create unique fabrics designed for haute couture, ready-to-wear, and interior design. Meet the creators: Sunday, September 20, at 3:00 p.m., during European Heritage Days, the artists will offer a behind-the-scenes look at their work and their approach to textile finishing. Contemporary Patchwork Workshop: A Textile Fusion: On Saturday, November 21, participants can experiment with the textile finishing techniques developed by the studio. Price: €20.
category.Marché 26 September → 27 September

Housing and Real Estate Fair

Calais

Discover the Calais Home and Real Estate Fair, a must-attend event for professionals in the region. Come take advantage of special offers and personalized advice for your real estate project. Furniture, architects, heating, builders, kitchen designers, interior design, renewable energy, windows and doors, insulation, carpentry, landscaping, renovation, financial advisors, roofing… It’s all here!
Music 3 October

Cachemire + Ravage Club

Calais

Cachemire + Ravage Club On October 3, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., at Le Calais, Cachemire will shake things up with their biting guitars, pounding drums, and unfiltered lyrics. Built for the stage, they’ll deliver one song after another without a moment’s pause, driven by raw energy and formidable intensity. Their concert is a true rush of raw adrenaline, to be experienced unfiltered. Ravage Club, a duo from Boulogne-sur-Mer, delivers visceral tracks, carved straight from the heart. With their hearts laid bare, Vinz and Acidula unleash their voices at full throttle over distorted bass and guitar, driven by the searing drumming of Vincent Hernault, a member of Lofofora. Price: €18. Standing-room-only concert.

Other places to discover

Monument

Former Municipal Prison

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.
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Les Fontinettes Boat Elevator

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.
Monument

Bergues Belfry

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.
Monument

Dunkerque Belfry

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.
Monument

Gravelines Belfry

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.
Monument

Temple Tax

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.

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