The Calais Lighthouse

A fief, traditions and celebrities... 

So Calais lighthouse is not on the waterfront. It is separated from the sea by the Courgain Maritime quarter, the city’s maritime heart. Outside Calais’ old city walls for several centuries, the quarter developed a rebellious and united spirit. A domain of sea-farers, it has spawned generations of fishermen, lifeboatmen and even pirates, among them Tom Souville, nicknamed “Captain Tom” by the English sailors who were frightened of him. A bastion of tradition, the Courgain Maritime quarter is the venue for events such as the Herring Festival, the Blessing of the Sea and water jousting. The daily fish market is run by local artisan fishermen and is a regular and very popular meeting place for the locals!
A treasure chest of anecdotes, the Courgain Maritime quarter never forgets its famous sons, or its famous visitors.

Stars and crowned heads...

Before the advent of powered flight and then Eurostar, the port of Calais was a transit point for large numbers of monarchs, statesmen, writers and film stars travelling back and forth across the English Channel. The Courgain quarter also boasts a column commemorating an event which marked the beginning of the Restoration of the monarchy in France. In April 1814, Napoleon abdicated. The heir to the French crown, the future King Louis XVIII, returned from exile in England, taking the shortest route, through Calais. He landed on 24 August 1814 and was greeted as future king by the people of Calais, who thronged the quays of the Courgain Maritime quartier.