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Cap Gris Nez
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cap Gris Nez (literally "Cape Grey Nose" in English) is a cape on the Côte d'Opale, in the Pas-de-Calais département, in northern France.
It is located between Wissant (Whitesand - originally Witzand) and Audresselles - originally Auderzele, in the commune of Audinghen (Odingham).
The cliffs of the Cap Griz Nez are the closest point of France to England - 34 km (20 miles) from their English counterparts at Dover. Smothered in sea pinks and thrift, the cliffs are a perfect vantage point to see hundreds of ships from oil tankers to little fishing trawlers plying the waters below.
On a clear day, one can see the emblematic white cliffs of Dover on the English shore from the cliffs on the Cap.
On the top of the cliff remain the ruins of an English fortress, built by King Henry VIII, at the beginning of the 16th century.
During the Second World War, the Germans built a blockhouse inside the ruins and the place was liberated by the Canadians in September 1944.
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