Telephone: +33 (0)3-21342157
Website: not available
Shop: small shop present
Restaurant/refreshments: not available
Size of the museum/site: medium
Year of visit: 2003
Overall rating:
Description: In the middle of the Park Saint Pierre opposite the town hall of Calais, the German navy build an important command bunker. After the war this bunker was turned into a museum dealing with the occupation and liberation of Western Europe, with an emphasis on the situation in France.
The museum's collection is displayed in a very plain manner with not too much frills and innovative design involved. The exhibition is mainly made up of newspaper-cuttings, photos, uniforms and some great scale models of historical sites and military structures. You certainly won't be stunned by the items on display, but the collection gives a nice picture of the events taking place during the start of the war in the west and the actions of the allied airforce above occupied northern-France. A nice feature of the museum is the audio-guide available to visitors, which provides interesting information on the exhibits in French, Dutch, English or German.
There's no need to jump in your car and rush off to Calais just to see the museum, but combine it with a visit to the pubs in the bustling city-centre of Calais and a few other war museums along the French coast, and you'll have a great weekend!
