Calais Town Hall, Calais, France

One of Calais’ finest landmarks is the Town Hall (1911-25) whose clock towering belfry can be seen for miles around. This magnificent neo-Flemish-style structure built of brick and stone was finally completed in 1925 after being interrupted by The Great War. Its purpose was to commemorate the merging of the cities of Calais and Saint Pierre in 1885 on a piece of barren land between the two towns. Today it dominates the main square and can be visited by tourists. It houses paintings and is adorned with stained-glas windows telling the story of the departing English. The windows also act to diffuse the sunlight around the grand staircase. The interior is renowned for the elaborate décor of the reception rooms.

Attached to the town hall is an ornate brick clock tower and belfry that stands 74m high. It contains one of the most beautiful chimes in the north of France and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Belfries of Belgium and France.

References:

Calais Guide

User Reviews

Diana Hernández (5 years ago)
Entrance is free. It's not that big but it's beautiful.

Mindaugas (5 years ago)
Very beatiful.

Julie Townshend (6 years ago)
Wonderful to see Rodans statues where they were intended to be and what faces

Ĝĭmmįćk4Ļįƒě (8 years ago)
This place is brilliant to see in Christmas its breathtaking and fantastic it's a WOW moment indeed.

justin tremblay (8 years ago)
Great view! However the guided visit is rubbish, expect un interested kids as guides..

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright CONTROTONO

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.

Calais Town Hall

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum