Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (; pcd, Ech Toutchet-Paris-Plache; vls, 't Oekske, older nl, Het Hoekske), commonly referred to as Le Touquet (), is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

near Étaples, in the

Pas-de-Calais Pas-de-Calais (, "strait of Calais"; pcd, Pas-Calés; also nl, Nauw van Kales) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of ...

department, northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It has a population of 4,227 (2019), but welcomes up to 250,000 people during the

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

. Located on the

Opal Coast Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms of ...

, south of

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Department ...

, on the shoreline of the English Channel, the seaside resort has been nicknamed the "Garden of the English Channel" (french: Jardin de la Manche), the "Pearl of the Opal Coast" (french: Perle de la Côte d'Opale), the "Sports Paradise" (french: Paradis des sports) or the "Four Seasons Resort" (french: Station des quatre saisons). The city bears the scars of wounds inflicted during World War II by the construction of the

Atlantic Wall The Atlantic Wall (german: link=no, Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defence against an anticip ...

, the planting of mines prior to the German withdrawal and intensive Allied bombings. Nevertheless, part of the architectural heritage of Le Touquet was left intact. A number of unique villas have been preserved that evoke the seaside architecture of the

Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in th ...

and the 1930s. Although nowadays dominated by buildings from the 1950s to the 1980s, Le Touquet also possesses an important architectural heritage of Anglo-Norman style as well as twenty-one buildings protected as historical monuments, which make it the most awarded French seaside resort.

Geography

Le Touquet is located on the left bank of the mouth of the Canche river on the coast of Pas-de-Calais, 23 km south of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It is in a coastal region that is frequently referred to as the 'Côte d'Opale' (the Opal Coast), a name that evokes the iridescent reflections of the setting sun on the sea. The town looks out onto the English Channel. Its beach starts at the mouth of the Canche river in the north and extends more than 12 kilometers towards

Berck Berck (), sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer (, literally ''Berck on Sea''), is a commune in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais. It lies within the Marquenterre regional park, an ornithological nature reserve. Geography Situa ...

in the south. It is a west-facing beach, lined with dunes and with very fine sand. The municipal territory consists of a series of small sandy plains, including some wetlands, which are surrounded by sand dunes, some of which reach a height of 36 meters. A

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respecti ...

site has been designated that covers the dunes, marshes and forests of the commune. Under this programme, Member States undertake to protect the habitats and species in the designated zones.

Origins of the town

The town of Le Touquet was given its full name by

Hippolyte de Villemessant Jean Hippolyte Auguste Delaunay de Villemessant (22 April 1810, Rouen – 12 April 1879, Monte-Carlo) was a conservative French journalist. Life The son of colonel Pierre Cartier and of Augustine Louise Renée Françoise de Launay de Vill ...

(1812–1879), founder and owner of the Paris newspaper ''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...

''. At the time it was an area of wild sand

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

s and forest – part of a hunting estate. Its name came from a Picard word meaning "corner", and was originally applied to the area of coast, where the estuary of the Canche river forms a sharp angle when it meets the English Channel. It became known as "Paris by the sea", and strict building regulations encouraged architects to create imaginative and innovative developments. In 1894

John Robinson Whitley John Robinson Whitley, (13 December 1843, Leeds – 22 March 1922, Condette, France) was a British entrepreneur who inaugurated the Earl's Court Exhibition Grounds in West London in 1887. After four major exhibitions on the site (1887–1892), ...

and Allen Stoneham bought a stretch of coastal land, through their company Le Touquet Syndicate Ltd, and developed the town into a golf and gambling resort.

Resort and the wealthy British

From the outset, Le Touquet proved to be an attractive resort destination for affluent British travelers. In 1909, H. G. Wells and

Amber Reeves Amber Blanco White (' Reeves; 1 July 1887 – 26 December 1981) was a New Zealand-born British feminist writer and scholar. Early life Reeves was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, the eldest of three children of Fabian feminist Maud Pember Re ...

fled to Le Touquet in an abortive elopement. The two returned to Britain after a number of weeks and Reeves later gave birth to Wells's daughter, Anna-Jane Blanco White, after the relationship ended. In the 1920s,

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

and the "smart set" from England spent weekends there, and commissioned more outstanding

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...

designs echoing traditional and ultra-modern domestic styles. The architecture was both eclectic and playful, integrating numerous influences (e.g. anglo-normand, picard and expressionist).^:46 Today the town tourism office offers guided tours to see outstanding examples of 19th- and 20th-century domestic architecture, which are now preserved and protected.

Sayaji Rao III Gaekwar Sayajirao Gaekwad III (born Shrimant Gopalrao Gaekwad; 11 March 1863 – 6 February 1939) was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, and is remembered for reforming much of his state during his rule. He belonged to the royal Gae ...

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...

also owned a house here.

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

lived in Le Touquet from 1934 to 1940 until he was interned by the German army.
"In Defense of P. G. Wodehouse"

World War I

Le Touquet - French war graves from WW I

Le Touquet sheltered thousands of refugees from other parts of northern France and from Belgium during World War I. The municipal services of Ypres and of Dixmude took up residence there during the hostilities. In total, Le Touquet received 6,000 Belgian citizens during the war. The neighboring commune of Étaples was the site of a military base that functioned as an important staging area and training ground for British troops being moved into combat zones. It housed some 60,000 soldiers at any given time, making it the largest military camp in Europe during the conflict. About 2 million soldiers passed through it during the war. It was notorious for its extreme lack of comfort, unsanitary conditions and its poorly designed military training programme. In 1917, the base was the scene of an uprising — the

Étaples mutiny The Étaples mutiny was a series of mutinies in September 1917 by British Army and British Imperial soldiers at a training camp in the coastal port of Étaples in Northern France during World War I. Background Before the war, Étaples, sou ...

. While the British officers were comfortably billeted in Le Touquet, the city was out of bounds for the common soldier. The uprising occurred when a New Zealand soldier was arrested when trying to return from Le Touquet to Étaples after sneaking across the Canches river at low tide. A crowd gathered to support the arrested soldier, and during tensions with the military police, another soldier was shot and killed, leading to further conflict. The uprising was ultimately suppressed and military sanctions included an execution and prison sentences. The Casino, completed in 1913, was converted into a military hospital for wounded British troops — the Duchess of Westminster's (No. 1

British Red Cross Society The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with mor ...

) Hospital. The No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital had the distinction of being the first Canadian Unit to land on French soil during the conflict. No. 2 Stationary opened at the Hotel du Golf at Le Touquet on November 27, 1914. Other hotels were also converted into military hospitals. All of the 142 British Commonwealth war graves in Le Touquet's Communal Cemetery are from the hospitals. The graves occupy a plot by the cemetery entrance. The cemetery also contains French and Italian war graves. In the same cemetery a wooden obelisk was erected by the commune's lifeboatmen in honour of the British war dead.
CWGC Cemetery Report.

World War II

Le Touquet sud ‘le domaine des dunes blockhaus

From end-May1940 to 1944, more than 40,000 German soldiers occupied the town. In 1941, the

Organisation Todt Organisation Todt (OT; ) was a civil and military engineering organisation in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, named for its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior Nazi. The organisation was responsible for a huge range of engineering pr ...

, the German army’s engineering corp, set up operations in Le Touquet, with the primary objective of building the

in the region. Several bunkers are still clearly visible in the adjacent area. In 1943, the Organisation Todt also demolished the prestigious Atlantic Hotel. Valuable construction materials from the demolition were sent to Germany in train cars marked as bearing “gifts from the French for their German friends.” Other hotels and homes were requisitioned to house German officers and troops. Le Touquet-Paris-Plage - CP - L'Atlantic-Hôtel

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage - CP - L'Atlantic-Hôtel

The Atlantic Wall was completed in 1943 and the first Allied bombs hit Le Touquet on October 2, 1943. The children of Le Touquet were evacuated from the city in February 1944; they took refuge in the safer region of Mayenne. In the first days of June 1944, two sets of diversionary bombings (whose purpose was to hide the true target of the D-Day landing) were unleashed on Le Touquet by the Allied forces, causing immense damage and many deaths. Le Touquet was liberated by Canadian armed forces on September 4, 1944. A total of 106,745 mines were identified in and around Le Touquet, making it the most mined city in France. The position of the mines was as follows: 38,620 mines were found in the city itself; 54,125 in the dunes, race track and aérodrome; 13,800 under houses; and 200 in the municipal swimming pool. German prisoners of war participated in the process of identifying and removing the mines, as did French personnel. At Le Touquet, 78 ''démineurs'' died during this operation.^:108-126

Post-WW II reconstruction

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage - Les oyats de la digue-promenade (3)

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage - CP - Le boulevard de la Mer du temps de Paris-Plage 2

The Second World War left its mark on the urban landscape of Le Touquet — it destroyed much of the city, particularly on the seafront. Although badly damaged, the pre-War villas were, for the most part, rebuilt. But in response to market pressures, these relatively small structures were replaced by high-rise buildings offering numerous apartments with sea views. In 1961, the first large scale residence, consisting of nine stories and 20 apartments, was built. Numerous other high-rise constructions followed. This style of development has been criticised. For example, in 1999, the report of the classification commission for the natural site of the ''Pointe du Touquet'' stated: "The disappointing aspect of the latest developments on the seafront, both in their design and in their execution, illustrates what should be avoided from now on." The resort has since undertaken to preserve the quality of its built environment by regulating the construction of high buildings, providing norms for the renovation of existing buildings of architectural interest and promoting high quality modern architecture.

Population

Sport

Motorsport

Every year in February, an

off-road motorcycle The six main types of motorcycles are generally recognized as ''standard'', ''cruiser'', ''touring'', ''sports'', ''off-road'', and ''dual-purpose''. ''Sport touring'' is sometimes recognized as a seventh category or integrated with the ''touring' ...

and quad beach race called (formerly Enduro du Touquet) is held along the beach and through the dunes, with some 1,000 motorbikes, Quad bikes and 250,000 spectators.

Cycling

Le Touquet has been host to four stages of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

. The resort first hosted a stage during the

1971 Tour de France The 1971 Tour de France was the 58th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The race consisted of 22 stages, including three split stages, starting in Mulhouse on 26 June and finishing at the Vélodrome de Vincennes in P ...

, as the finish for Stage 6b, from

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

, on 2 July. Following this, the resort hosted Stage 3 of the

1976 Tour de France The 1976 Tour de France was the 63rd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took between 24 June and 18 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of . It was won by mountain specialist Lucien Van Impe in a battle with th ...

, on 27 June. This was a

individual time trial An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' " stopwatch stage"). There are also track ...

which both started and finished at the resort. The following day, Le Touquet was the departure point for the fourth stage, to

Bornem Bornem (, old spelling: ''Bornhem'') is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the village of Bornem proper, Hingene, and Weert, and . There are also the hamlets of Branst, Buitenland, Eikevlie ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. The

2014 Tour de France The 2014 Tour de France was the 101st edition of the race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The race included 21 stages, starting in Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, on 5 July and finishing on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 27 July. The race ...

began Stage 4 at Le Touquet on 8 July, with the stage taking a route to

Lille Métropole Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nor ...

Tennis

The Le Touquet Tennis Club is the home of international tournaments. It has 33 courts (25 clay courts and 8 indoor courts), 2 club-houses, 1 central court with 900 places, 2 paddle-tennis courts and 4 mini tennis courts.

Gallery

File:Beach changing rooms in Le Touquet.jpg, alt=, Changing rooms at the beach File:Le Touquet - phare.jpg, alt=, The lighthouse File:Le Touquet - A view of the beach at low tide.jpg, alt=, A view of the beach at low tide File:Le Touquet - the open air market.jpg, alt=, The open air market File:Le Touquet - The merry-go-round on the waterfront.jpg, alt=, The carousel on the waterfront File:L'estuaire de la Canche à Marée Basse.jpg, alt=, The estuary of the Canche river at low tide

Climate

Le Touquet has an oceanic climate.

Miscellaneous

Inland from the beach, hotels, a

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

and a

horse racing course This is a list of currently active horse racing venues (Thoroughbred racing and harness racing), sorted by country. In most English-speaking countries they are called "racecourses"; the United States and some parts of Canada use "racetra ...

, a wide range of sports, particularly golf are offered. The Casino de la forêt provided the inspiration for the casino of Royale-les-Eaux in '' Casino Royale''.

Notable people

* Le Touquet was the birthplace of

Christian Ferras Christian Ferras (17 June 1933 – 14 September 1982) was a French violinist. Early years Ferras was born at Le Touquet in 1933. He began studying the violin with his father. He entered the Conservatoire de Nice as a student of Charles Bistesi i ...

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

ist. *

lived at Le Touquet until the German occupation of France.. *

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...

, President of the Republic since 2017, votes in Le Touquet.Macron Country - Brittany: Why this region of progressive, lapsed Catholics was a Macron stronghold.
Jean-Marie Pottier (Slate.fr),

Slate.Com ''Slate'' is an online magazine that covers current affairs, politics, and culture in the United States. It was created in 1996 by former '' New Republic'' editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. In 2 ...

, 2017-05-09

Twin towns

Le Touquet participates in international

town twinning A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

; its current partners are: *

Winterberg Winterberg ( Westphalian: ''Winnenmerg'') is a town in the Hochsauerland district of North Rhine-Westphalia, central Germany and a major winter sport resort of the Wintersport Arena Sauerland. Geography Winterberg is located in the middle o ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

(since September 1966), winter sports town *

Rixensart Rixensart (; wa, Ricsinsåt) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2018, Rixensart had a total population of 22,401. The total area is 17.54 km² which gives a population density of ...

, south of

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

Witney Witney is a market town on the River Windrush in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is west of Oxford. The place-name "Witney" is derived from the Old English for "Witta's island". The earliest known record of it is as ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

* Sidi Bou Said,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, upscale seaside town in the suburbs of

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

Cary Cary may refer to: Places ;United States * Cary, Illinois, part of the Chicago metropolitan area * Cary, Indiana, part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area * Cary, Miami County, Indiana * Cary, Maine * Cary, Mississippi * Cary, North Carolina ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

* Eckbolsheim,

, from

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...

Transportation

Le Touquet is served by Le Touquet - Côte d'Opale Airport. Le Touquet airport is a popular destination for British private pilots due to its geographical proximity to the UK, often becoming the first overseas flight destination. Trains operated by

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffic ...

operate to Étaples-Le Touquet in the adjacent town of Étaples. These operate from

Paris Gare du Nord Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

to Boulogne-Ville; from Boulogne-Ville to

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of ...

( TER Hauts-de-France); from

Lille Flandres Lille-Flandres station ( French: ''Gare de Lille-Flandres'', Dutch: ''Rijsel Vlaanderen'') is the main railway station of Lille, capital of French Flanders. It is a terminus for SNCF Intercity and regional trains. It opened in 1842 as the ''Gare ...

Calais-Ville Calais-Ville station ( French: ''Gare de Calais-Ville)'' is a railway station in the city centre of Calais, France. History Gare de Ville opened in 1849, replacing the temporary St. Pierre station which had opened in 1846 and subsequently beca ...

(TER Hauts-de-France); and from Étaples-Le Touquet to Lille Europe ( TERGV).