Our campsites in Pas-de-Calais

World War I memorial sites near your campsite in Pas-de-Calais

The First World War had a profound effect on the Pas-de-Calais. It must be said that fighting took place there during the 4 years of the conflict. On the frontline that crosses the Pas-de-Calais, it was mainly British troops, with soldiers coming from all over the Common Wealth, and German troops who fought each other throughout the war, which explains the numerous monuments dedicated to the soldiers of the Common Wealth. At Vimy, you can visit the Canadian Memorial to the 66,000 Canadian soldiers who died on the Pas-de-Calais front. Not far away, at the foot of the hill of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, you can visit the history centre of the 14-18 Notre-Dame-de-Lorette Memorial. This museum looks back at the First World War in the Pas-de-Calais through the 90 km of frontline from 1914-1918. With emblematic objects, unpublished photographs, period films and animated maps, this museum helps us to better understand this war.

The Ring of Memory was built on the same site. The ring is 345 metres long, 56 metres of which are in the air. It bears the names of the 580,000 soldiers who died in the Pas-de-Calais between 1914 and 1918. These names are listed in alphabetical order, without distinction of nationality or rank.

Not far away, in Arras, the Carrière de Wellington (Wellington Quarry) recalls an often overlooked episode of the First World War. This quarry lies 20 metres under the cobbles of Arras where, for 6 months, the British prepared their spring offensive of 1917. They had the idea of transforming the city’s chalk quarries into a real underground barracks for up to 24,000 soldiers in order to launch a surprise offensive on 9 April 1917. Guided tours take you 20 metres underground to discover this incredible network of galleries. Allow 1h15 for the visit. Note that the temperature in the galleries is constant: 11°. So don’t forget to take a little wool, even if it’s hot outside! After the visit, if you wish, you can extend the experience by having a real English breakfast 20 metres underground!

World War II sites to be visited from your campsite in Saint-Omer

The town of Saint-Omer played a special role during the Second World War. In Eperlecques, close to your campsite in Saint-Omer, the Germans used a blockhouse as one of the main launching bases for the V1 and V2 missiles that bombed London during the last years of the war. Although bombed several times by Allied troops, the blockhouse has always remained standing. It is the largest blockhouse in Northern France. During your visit, you will learn all you want to know about the V1 and V2 and will be able to see two of these missiles on their launch pads. The Eperlecques blockhouse should have been part of a series of sites in the north of France, since in 1943, not far from Saint-Omer, in Helfaut, the Coupole was built, a gigantic underground bunker, consisting of hundreds of metres of gallery. It owes its name to the half-sphere of reinforced concrete 77 metres in diameter and 5.5 metres thick that covers it.

It was to have become a V2 launch base, but Allied bombing and the Normandy landings delayed and then cancelled its commissioning. Today it is a centre of memory and history that allows you to better understand the war. The former launch complex is now dedicated to the conquest of space. It now houses a 360° bubble which, thanks to 3D technology, plunges you into space for a more realistic journey.

The fortress of Mimoyecques, a stone’s throw from your campsite on the Opal Coast

Discover the fortress of Mimoyecques from your campsite in the Pas-de-Calais. It was also part of the German missile launching network during the Second World War. It is located near the coast, not far from the site of the two Capes. It was built in 1943 to house a new type of weapon, the V3. With its 5 cannons, it was to be able to send 1500 shells per day to London. A visit to the site will delight military history enthusiasts. Especially as the site has a double interest. Carved into a chalky massif, the fortress of Mimoyecques is also a remarkable natural site where over 500 bats nest.

In addition to your discovery of the historical sites of the Second World War in the Pas-de-Calais, make a small diversions to Dunkirk during your camping stay in the Pas-de-Calais. Four years before the Normandy landings, Dunkirk was the site of Operation Dynamo, which evacuated more than 300,000 Allied soldiers from France to England in less than 10 days. The Dunkirk 1940 museum retraces this important episode of the early days of the Second World War. The museum presents a rich collection of military maps, photographs, weapons and uniforms.

Campsites in the Pas-de-Calais around the sites of the First and Second World Wars

A selection of campsites with touring pitches for caravans, tents and motorhomes in the Pas-de-Calais.

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Find the full programme of festivities on the website (only in french, sorry) www.cerf-volant-berck.com.

Campsites in Hauts-de-France near Berck

A selection of campsites with touring pitches in the Hauts-de-France région, near Berck.

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Since 1987, the Deux Caps site has been part of the Grands Sites de France, in the same way as the cirque de Navacelles, the Gorges du Verdon or the city of Carcassonne. It is well deserved. These two Capes make up a magnificent landscape and offer many possibilities for walks, whether on the beach or on the top of the cliffs.

Cap Blanc Nez and its high white cliffs

10 kilometres from Calais, the Cap Blanc Nez awaits you. Its 134 metre high cliff is the most northerly cliff in France. The white cliffs of Dover can be seen in the distance. From the top of the cliff you can enjoy a superb panorama that includes Cap Gris Nez, the English coastline, the green, rolling countryside of the hinterland and the constant flow of boats. The narrow inlet that separates Britain from the continent is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. There are, of course, the ferries that run back and forth between Dover and Calais, but also the many commercial ships that sail between the Atlantic and the northern European ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, etc. Some 200,000 ships pass through the Strait every year. A surprising ballet! The Cap Blanc Nez takes its name from its white colour due to the chalk that makes it up. Some people are content to discover Cap Blanc Nez from the top of the cliff, but it is advisable to go down to the beach. At the bottom of the cliff, it is a completely different landscape, but just as exciting. There are several ways to get to the beach. You can park in the car park at the top of the cliff and walk down a path, or you can choose to park in the car park below, close to the beach. It is possible to walk to Cap Gris Nez from Cap Blanc Nez, which is 12 kilometres away, making a nice 24 km round trip. All along this itinerary, lookouts allow you to appreciate the landscape.

Cap Gris Nez, a stone’s throw from England

England has never been so close. It is indeed here that the strait which separates France from England is the narrowest at only 24 km. Although not as high as its neighbour (45 metres), Cap Gris Nez nevertheless offers beautiful views that include the white cliffs of Cap Blanc Nez, the village of Wissant and large sandy beaches.

Birdwatching

The Deux Caps site is renowned for its natural wealth and for birdwatching. Cap Gris-Nez in particular is a Special Protection Area included in the Natura 2000 network. As the strait between France and England is located on a migration route, the site of the Deux Caps allows the observation of migratory birds as well as many breeding birds. Because of the narrowness of the strait between France and England at the Cape, it is possible to see pelagic species that are usually invisible from the coast. Terns, gravelers, egrets, spoonbills and even storks are just some of the species that can be seen around the Two Capes.

Wissant and its beach

Between Cap Blanc Nez and Cap Gris Nez lies the bay of Wissant with its fine sandy beach. This beach invites to long walks, but also to sports such as windsurfing, paddle and especially sand yachting. With its 12 kilometres, this windy beach is ideal for sand yachting. A real speciality of the northern beaches. In the heart of the bay, the pretty village of Wissant, set against the Boulonnais bocage, awaits you. This fishing village became a popular seaside resort in the 19th century. It has retained the old-fashioned charm of the resorts of that era with a beautiful promenade lined with elegant villas. Wissant is not the only village worth visiting. During your camping holiday near the Deux Caps, don’t miss a walk to Wimereux, due to the Cap Gris-Nez. Its rows of beach huts give you a Belle Epoque atmosphere.

Our campsites near Les Deux Caps

A selection of campsites for caravans, motorhomes or tents near Cap Blanc Nez or Cap Gris Nez.

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