Believed to have been established in the 10th century, Wissant is a seaside town and fishing port in the Hauts-de-France region. It is renowned for its flobart - traditional wooden boats that have been used along the coastline for centuries - and is home to a former summer house of French President Charles de Gaulle.
Things to do in Wissant
In the heart of Wissant is the Musee du Moulin, which occupies a beautifully preserved old mill building. Step inside to admire its cast iron wheels and wooden equipment, with an animated model detailing how the mill appeared in 1950. Paintings, fishing equipment and old photos are also on display while traditional flobart fishing boats bob on the adjacent Herlen River.
A short drive north of Wissant is Cap Blanc-Nez, which is dominated by chalk cliffs as tall as 134 metres. The cape is topped by an obelisk dedicated to the Dover Patrol, commemorating the role of the Royal Navy in keeping the English Channel free from U-boats during World War I. Cap Blanc-Nez is an ideal spot to watch the ships coming and going along the Channel, with the white cliffs of Dover visible on a clear day.
Wissant lies at one end of the Sentier de Grande Randonnée 128, a long-distance walking route that connects to Aachen in the Netherlands. Over 678 kilometres, it takes in the Canal de la Haute Colme at Watten before passing through the Belgian town of Roeselare and skirting the urban sprawl of Brussels.
Getting around Wissant
Wissant is a 25-minute drive from Calais and about an hour from Dunkirk. Oostende-Brugge International Airport is 1.5 hours away and has flights to destinations across Europe. Buses travel to Wissant and the town is compact enough to explore on foot.