The Calais lighthouse is a 59-metre-tall beacon that has guided ships through the Strait of Dover — one of the world's busiest shipping lanes — since 1848. On a clear day, the English coast at Dover is visible from the top with the naked eye. The tower's white form is one of the most visible landmarks in Calais, and the climb to the top offers the best panorama the city has to offer: the port, the old town, the flat hinterland, and if visibility is good, the white cliffs across the water.
The lighthouse is open to visitors during certain periods and the climb involves several flights of stairs, so come prepared. The view from the lantern room looking straight down the Channel gives you an immediate sense of why this 34-kilometre crossing has been so strategically important throughout European history.