Calais - 673 km

On an island now bordered by canals and harbour basins, Calais originated as a fishing village. It was improved by the count of Flanders in 997 and was fortified by the count of Boulognein 1224.

Calais is only 21 miles from England across the Strait of Dover, making it the French town closest to the UK. Edward III annexed Calais in 1347 and it stayed English until recaptured by France in 1558. The siege ended when Edward III agreed to spare the townsfolk if six of their leaders presented themselves to be executed. Six leaders did so but Edward’s wife, Queen Philippa, persuaded him to spare them. Spain captured Calais in 1596 but gave it back to France two years later.

A part of Napoleon’s army for the invasion of Englandcamped there in 1805. During World War II, Calais was a main objective in the German drive to the sea in May 1940; for three months before its liberation (September 1944), it was a base for launching German flying bombs against Britain. Although the old town around the citadel (1560) was demolished and the industrial zone of Saint-Pierre to the south was badly damaged, the rebuilt town still has its 13th-century watchtower.

Despite competition from the Channel Tunnel, opened in 1994, Calais remains a major cross-Channel port. Its roll-on/roll-off facilities handle millions of passengers (and their vehicles) each year, as well as a large volume of freight. Calais is France’s leading passenger port and one of the largest in terms of the weight of cargo handled. The Channel Tunnel, situated to the west of Calais, has less traffic but is the centre of a large commercial and transport complex.