Côte d'Opale

This coastline faces the English Channel and the North Sea, and is situated directly opposite the chalk cliffs of southeast England, which at the closest point are only 34 kilometres (21 mi) away.

The Côte d'Opale is composed of many varied landscapes including beaches, dunes, swamps, estuaries and cliffs.

The coast is marked by the presence of two large promontories situated between Calais and Boulogne: the Cap Gris Nez (literally "grey nose cape" in English), reaching an elevation of 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level, and the Cap Blanc Nez (literally "white nose cape" in English), which reaches 132 metres (433 ft).

From south to north: From south to north: Many artists have been inspired by the coast's landscapes, among them the composer Henri Dutilleux, the writers Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens, and the painters J. M. W. Turner, Carolus-Duran, Maurice Boitel and Eugène Boudin.

It was the painter Édouard Lévêque [fr] who coined the name for this area in 1911 to describe the distinctive quality of its light.