Go there and contact
A citadel located in Calais where you can see the moats and curtain walls, the Porte de Boulogne and the Porte de la Ville.
After the reconquest of Calais in 1558, the old medieval castle was razed to the ground, and a vast citadel better suited to the needs of warfare was built between 1560 and 1571, with the help of Vauban. After becoming Spanish from 1596 to 1598, the Citadelle served as the official residence of the governors until 1636. The center of the city's resistance during the German invasion of May 1940, it was forced to surrender after a 36-hour siege. You can still see the moats and curtain walls, the Porte de Boulogne and the Porte de la Ville or Porte de l'Hermitage!
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
Book the Best Activities with Get Your Guide
Members' reviews on CITADELLE DE CALAIS
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
I visited on a sunny February afternoon in 2025 and there were several joggers running the circuit of the ramparts and families walking around the interior so it was a safe place to visit. I didn’t notice any information boards, other than on the Neptune Gate and the path to it from Esplanade Jacques Vendroux, where there were several detailing the 1940 and 1944 events. Calais Citadel is a big fortress so I’d allow a good 30 mins to walk the walls.
Built after the capture of Calais from the English the citadel was remodelled several times before the current structure. Almost all the interior buildings were destroyed in 1940 by the German attack.