Calais
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Calais is a city in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. It is the closest point on the French mainland to England; Dover lies across the English Channel (La Manche) just 32 km (20 miles) away. The town has a major cross-channel ferry port and the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel is nearby. Calais is popular with British day-trippers arriving by ferry or Channel Tunnel shuttle trains, because France has lower taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Large warehouse supermarkets have sprung up on the outskirts of Calais just to serve these British "booze cruisers" who return to the UK with their suspensions groaning under the weight of cheap booze and fags (cigarettes). While most tourists view the town as simply a port there is a little more to the town.
There is about 50 Couchsurfers in Calais, always ready to help, host people. This page show you some important informations and some tips to know in Calais !
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HISTORY OF CALAIS
The origins of Calais are obscure though its site might be expected to be have been inhabited from early times. In Roman times the name was Caletum. In medieval times the town was part of a Dutch speaking area extenndig into present north France; in those times the Dutch name was Kales. It stands on the foreshore of the last piece of solid geology on the south and east coast of the North Sea between France and the UK.
14th and 15th Centuries
Its speciality in the ferry trade with Dover gave it a strategic position which made it of key interest for the growing power of the kingdom of England and the town was besieged and captured by King Edward III of England in 1347, after a siege of eleven months following the Battle of Crécy. Following the death of his uncle, Charles IV of France in 1328, Edward saw himself as the Capetian Dynasty heir to the kingdom of France but the French chose to follow an all male line of descent from his Philip III of France. This introduced the Valois Dynasty, House of Valois to the French throne. Since England was Edward's power base, the English and Welsh were involved in his military sweep through northern France. The town came to be called the "brightest jewel in the English crown" owing to its great importance as the gateway for the tin, lead, cloth and wool trades (or "staples"). Its customs revenues amounted at times to a third of the English government's revenue, with wool being the most important element by far. Maintaining Calais was a costly business that was frequently tested by the forces of France and the Duchy of Burgundy, with the Franco-Burgundian border running nearby.
16th Century
The end of English rule over Calais came on January 1, 1558 when the French, under Francis, Duke of Guise, took advantage of a weakened garrison and decayed fortifications to retake it. When the French attacked, they were able to surprise the English at the critical strongpoint of Fort Nieulay and the sluice gates, which could have flooded the attackers, remained unopened. After that time the Dutch speaking population was forced to speak French.
The town was captured by the Spain|Spanish in 1596 in an invasion mounted from the nearby Spanish Netherlands but it was returned to France under the Treaty of Vervins in 1598.
19th and 20th Centuries
- Calais was also on the front lines of France's conflict with the United Kingdom during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1805, it hosted part of Napoleon's army and invasion fleet for his Napoleon's invasion of England, an aborded mission.
- The British returned to Calais again during World War I, due to its proximity to the front lines in Flanders as a key port for the supply of arms and reinforcements to the Western Front.
- The town was virtually razed to the ground during World War II. In May 1940, it was a key objective of the invading German forces and became the scene of a last-ditch defence — the Siege of Calais (1940) — which diverted a sizable amount of German forces for several days immediately prior to the Battle of Dunkirk. During the ensuing German occupation, it became the command post for German forces in the Pas-de-Calais/Flanders region and was very heavily fortified, as it was generally believed by the Germans that the Allies would invade at that point.
More information about the History of Calais on the wikipedia:Calais !
WHAT TO VISIT ?
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More information about the places to visit in Calais on the wikitravel:Calais !
TIPS
Free Internet/Wifi Access in the City
Here is the list of places where you can get a free Internet/Wifi access:
- CYBER FONTINETTES
Adress: 19 rue des fontinettes 62100 CALAIS Tel: 03.21.17.03.64
- Maison de l'initiative et de l'emploi local
Adress: 14, rue Edouard Manet Bât M14 62100 CALAIS Tel: 03.21.19.79.00
- Médiathèque municipale
Adress: 16 rue du Pont Lottin Tel: 0321190140
- Cyberspace du centre social Fort à Calais
Adress: 2 bis Rue d Ajaccio Tel: 03.21.34.55.33
Nice and Cheap Places to Eat
Here are some places where you can have to eat for some cheap rates:
- Baba ô Rhum - 5, Rue André Gerschell - 62100 Calais - Tel: 03 21 96 51 27
Nightlife
COUCHSURFERS
There are about more than 50 Couchsurfers who live in Calais and the area. You can simply wirte to them directly or see the informations there are and/or leave some comments and questions on the CS Group of Calais.
Meetings
There are sometimes some CS meetings in Calais and in the area. To be informed, don't forget to have a look in The CS Group of Calais.
Here are some pictures of some former CS Meetings in Calais and the area:
- CS Week end for the Discovery of The Opale Coast - April 30th to May 4th 2008
- Photos taken by Sage Po & Bob
Coffee or a Drink
Here is a list of local Couchsurfers who would be happy and ready to show you the city and/or have a drink or a coffee with you:
TRANSPORTATIONS
How to get to Calais ?
- By Boot: There are two companies, Seafrance and P&O Ferries, with which you can reach Calais from Dover/UK.
- By Plane:
- By Car:
- By Train: There is two differents Trainstation in Calais:
- The Main Trainstation, above the Town hall which is more for regional trains (Lille, Arras, even Paris).
- The Station Calais-Frethun, situated in Frethun, 3km from Calais in which there are all international lines: Paris Nord, Brussels, and London St Pancras with the Eurostar.
There are some shuttles to transfer the travelers between these two stations.
Bus
Bicycles
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
- Police Station:
Adress: 15, Place de Lorraine - 62100 Calais
Tel: 03.21.19.13.17
- Health Urgency:
SAMU-SMUR, Tel: 15
- Hospital:
- Hospital of Calais: Tel: 0321463333
- Clinique des 2 Caps - 80 av Longues Pièces - 62231 Coquelles
Tel: 0321466400 - Fax: 0321466401
- Fireman Station:
Adress: Rue Louise Michel - 62100 Calais
Tel: 03.21.34.40.44
- Embassy:
Consulat of Denmark - 1 Place de Suède B.P 851 - 62225 Calais
Tel: 03.21.34.44.00 - Fax: 03.21.34.99.86
Consulat of Greece - 26, rue d'Ostende B.P 450 - 62225 Calais
Tél : 03.21.97.27.00 - Fax : 03.21.97.41.59
Consulat of Great Britain - c/o P&O FERRIES 41 place d'Armes - 62100 Calais
Tél : 03.21.96.33.76 - Fax : 03.21.46.04.49
Consulat of Sweden - 198 rue des Quatre-Coins B.P 261 - 62105 Calais
Tél : 03.21.34.77.34 - Fax : 03.21.96.71.49
Consulat of Netherlands - 12, boulevard des Alliés - B.P 817 - 62225 Calais
Tél : 03.21.96.55.03 - Fax : 03.21.96.84.15
- Emergency Doctor:
Tel: 03 21 71 33 33
LOCAL MEDIA MENTIONS
IMPORTANT LINKS
| CS Group of Calais |
 | CS Group and CS Wiki Page of the Region:
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 | CS Group and CS Wiki Page of the Country:
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