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The Belfry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ... the first World Esperanto Congress was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where the historic Declaration of Boulogne was ...
World Heritage partnerships for conservation. Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world, where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development, unsustainable tourism practices, neglect, natural calamities, pollution, political instability, and conflict.
The Boulogne-sur-Mer belfry is a symbol of communal freedoms and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site along with 22 other belfries in the Hauts-de-France region. It alone has borne witness to eight centuries of history.
- Boulogne Old Town
- Napoleon and The Imperial Town
- Nausicaa National Marine Centre
- Boulogne Beaches
- Attractions Nearby
The old town is small and interesting to explore, and many of the properties have been extensively restored in recent years. Within the old town it is the Basilica of Notre-Dame that will first catch your attention - or at least the cathedral dome which dominates the skyline and is one of the largest in Europe. The cathedral was built in the middle...
Some of Boulogne's most impressive buildings date from the time when Napoleon was based here in Boulogne: his 'grand army' were based here in readiness for the conquest of England) The buildings from this period include the Imperial Palace, which can be found inside the fortified old town; the poudrière Napoléonienne, or gunpowder building which si...
Boulogne-sur-Mer is now home to the French National Marine Centre, the impressive Nausicaa sea-life centre, and is very worth visiting to see a wide range of marine wildlife and also to learn about the impacts of over-fishing and pollution on the sea - Nausicaa has an impressive focus on the environment, sustainable development and the impact of to...
Boulogne-sur-Mer sea front has a long flat sandy beach. Because of the docks it is not one of the prettiest beaches in the world but the large size and golden sand is a big attraction in the summer. Look across the sea and you can see the 'white cliffs of Dover' gleaming in the sunshine. You can visit a typical fishermans house, 'La Maison de la Be...
Other nearby towns which also have belfries listed by UNESCO include Aire-sur-la-Lys and Cambrai. There are various and varied places of interest near Boulogne including the popular seaside resort of Le Touquet, the natural scenery of the Cap Blanc-Nez and the Cap Gris-Nez and traditional towns such as Montreuil.
- Nausicaá. It’s fitting that France’s National Sea Centre should be in Boulogne, where ambitious seaborne invasions have been plotted and where France’s most productive fishing port is located.
- Boulogne Cathedral. As happened to many cathedrals Boulogne’s strictly ceased to be a true cathedral in 1801 when the Concordat restructured France’s dioceses after the Revolution.
- Cathedral Crypt. When work started in 1827 the workmen happened upon a crypt of astounding dimensions that had been sealed up for as much as 300 years.
- Ville Fortifiée. Encasing the upper town where the Boulogne Cathedral and the Château Comtal are found is an intact wall, roughly in the outline of a large rectangle.
The belfry: listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – this is the keep of the original castle of the Counts of Boulogne and the oldest monument in the city. The castle-museum: this 13th century building is one of the first fortified castles without a dungeon. It now houses the city's museum, alongside a range of art collections.
The town’s beautiful domed Basilica (which bears a striking resemblance to St Paul’s Cathedral in London) boasts one of the longest crypts in France. Julius Caesar took off from the shores of Boulogne-sur-Mer to invade England in 55BC. Napoleon mustered an Armada for the same purpose centuries later. The history of Boulogne-sur-Mer is long ...
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