Calais

A mere 34km from the English port of Dover (Douvres in French), Calais makes a convenient launching pad for exploring the majestic Côte d'Opale. Beaches extend around the town centre, whose handful of museums are well worth a look.

Explore Calais

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Calais.

Sights

Museum
Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode
Innovative exhibits trace the history of lacemaking – the industry that once made Calais a textile powerhouse – from hand knotting (some stunning samples…
Statue
Burghers of 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…
Beach
Blériot Plage
This broad, gently sloping sandy beach stretching for 8km is safe for swimming and gets packed in summer.
Tower
Hôtel de Ville
Inaugurated in 1925, Calais' Hôtel de Ville (city hall) melds Flemish and Renaissance styles, as does its 78m-high, Unesco-listed beffroi (belfry) topped…
Beach
Plage de Calais
Children can splash in the shallow, clear waters of Calais' cabin-lined city beach (patrolled by lifeguards in summer), while its fine sand is ideal for…
Museum
Musée Mémoire 1939–1945
Housed in a massive concrete bunker built as a German naval headquarters, this WWII museum displays thousands of period artefacts, including weapons,…