Côte d'Opale

The Côte d' Opale ( " Opal Coast " ) is the French coast of the English Channel from Dunkirk in the north to the mouth of the Somme in the south. The name is derived from the blue - green water color.

It is characterized by a change long stretch of sandy beaches with the estuaries of several rivers and the cliffs of the chalk cliffs. Especially in the south, close to partly high dunes. The coast is in the sphere of influence of the tide. While the sea surges at high tide to the dunes, formed at low tide up to several hundred meters wide, sandy tidal flats from. In the estuaries of Somme, authie and Canche large salt marshes are exposed at low tide. At the chalk cliffs the layers of chalk emerge from the water. There, the beach is also formed of flints, which were weathered out from the chalk layers. The most important landmarks in the chalk cliffs are the Cap Blanc -Nez south of Calais and Cap Gris -Nez lying further south.

Along the coast of opal there are many seaside resorts, which have developed in part from fishing villages, were rescheduled to another, such as Stella Plage. The largest coastal towns from north to south are:

• Calais
• Boulogne -sur -Mer
• Called Le Touquet- Paris -Plage, known as the Pearl of the Côte d' Opale
• Berck
• Saint -Valery -sur -Somme in the Somme estuary

50.51.5833333333333Koordinaten: 50 ° 30 '0 " N, 1 ° 35' 0" E