Nausicaá
Côte d’Opale
At this vast manta ray–shaped aquarium – one of the world's largest – huge tanks with floor-to-ceiling windows make you feel as though you're swimming…
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Côte d’Opale
Stretching 120km from the Belgian border to the Baie de Somme (Somme estuary), the sublimely beautiful Opal Coast – named for the interplay of greys and blues in the sea and sky – features lofty chalk cliffs, rolling green hills, windswept beaches, scrub-dotted sand dunes and charming seaside towns that have been a favourite of British beach lovers since the Victorian era.
Attractions
Must-see attractions for your itinerary
Cap Gris-Nez
Côte d’Opale
Topped by a lighthouse and a radar station that keeps track of the hundreds of ships that pass by here each day, the 49m-high cliffs of Cap Gris-Nez are…
Haute-Ville
Côte d’Opale
Boulogne's hilltop Upper City is an island of centuries-old buildings and cobblestone streets. You can walk all the way around this 'Fortified City' atop…
Cap Blanc-Nez
Côte d’Opale
Southwest of Calais, just past Sangatte, the coastal dunes give way to cliffs that culminate in windswept, 134m-high Cap Blanc-Nez, which affords…
Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode
Calais
Innovative exhibits trace the history of lacemaking – the industry that once made Calais a textile powerhouse – from hand knotting (some stunning samples…
Le Beffroi
Dunkirk
Dunkirk's landmark 58m-high belfry – the bell tower of the original Église St-Éloi before it burnt to the ground in 1558 – was erected in 1440 and has…
Burghers of Calais
Calais
In front of Calais' ornate Hôtel de Ville stands the first cast of Rodin's famous sculpture Les Bourgeois de Calais (The Burghers of Calais; 1889), which…
Église St-Éloi
Dunkirk
Constructed in 1560, the Église St-Éloi was refaced with a neo-Gothic façade completed in 1889. It's dubbed la cathédrale des sables (cathedral of the…
Guidebooks
Purchase our award-winning guidebooks
Get to the heart of Côte d’Opale with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.
