Berck is a bathing beach and resort town on the English Channel. It is a water sports center and is also famous for the Kite Race held every Easter on the beach.
From medieval times, Berck was a fishing port and town. Destroyed many times during the wars between France and England, it began to develop faster in the nineteenth century. It was then that the beneficial effects of the local climate on health, especially on the treatment of tuberculosis, were discovered. In the second half of the 19th century, several medical institutions for patients with lung diseases were built in Berck and the city became the most important spa town on the northern coast of France.
Unfortunately, little of the old buildings of Berck has survived to this day. During World War II, first the Germans built their fortifications along the coast, and then the bombing of the fighting in Normandy fell on the city. Today, when visiting Berck, you can mainly see the partially rebuilt St. John the Baptist with medieval roots and partially preserved 19th century tenement houses and holiday villas.
Berck's biggest attraction remains the Berck beach. It is sandy, well-developed in the season, and due to wind conditions it is suitable for water sports. In its vicinity there are picturesque dunes, which in the 19th century were immortalized many times in their paintings by Paris artists who came to the city. Some of these works can be seen in the local museum.
