Situated not far from Le Touquet, near the Bay of Authie, Berck, also called Berck-sur-Mer, is the other major seaside resort of the southern Opal Coast. Until the middle of the 19th century, it was a modest fishing village that depended mainly on the trades of the sea. Deprived of harbours by the progressive silting up of the Authié estuary, the sailors adapted by using flat-bottomed beaching boats, the famous flobarts.Then Berck discovered and exploited the benefits of the sea air. Marianne Brillard, nicknamed Marianne-toute-seule, had the idea of giving sea baths to the children in her care. Today she is considered the inventor of thalassotherapy. A first hospital was inaugurated by the Empress Eugenie in 1869. Since then, the city has kept this activity of therapeutic city thanks to the presence of five hospitals and helio-marine centers. People come from all over France and elsewhere to treat bone and joint diseases, as well as the aftermath of trauma caused by road accidents.Tourism is the other important activity of Berck, which is also a seaside resort geared towards sports and family holidays. The resort is renowned for its extensive fine sandy beach - about 12 kilometres, the largest in the region - which allows intensive practice of sand yachting. In addition, every year, the town hosts the International Kite Festival on this magnificent and immense beach, which enjoys international fame and participation. We must add the attraction of the bay of Authié, one of the few remaining wild bays in Europe, where numerous colonies of grey seals and seal calves can be observed at low tide. In the town, which was almost entirely rebuilt after the bombings of the Second World War, there is still a fine collection of houses dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries, which are exceptional for the diversity of architectural styles represented.

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Pictures and images Berck

Festival du cerf-volant sur la plage de Berck. Philippe Turpin
Festival des cerfs volants en Côte d'Opale. Terre de Sienne - FOTOLIA
Chars à voile à Berck. Marc Marin  - stock.adobe.com

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