Berck

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Coordinates: 50°24′32″N 1°35′36″E / 50.4089, 1.5933

Commune of Berck
Location
Berck (France)
Berck
Administration
Country France
Region Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Department Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement Montreuil
Canton Berck
Intercommunality Communauté de communes Opale Sud
Mayor Jean-Marie Krajewski
(2008 - 2014)
Statistics
Elevation 0 m–30 m
(avg. 9 m)
Land area¹ 14,88 km²
Population²
(1999)		 14378
 - Density 966/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 62108/ 62600
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.
France
For the Belgian comics author, see Arthur Berckmans.

Berck, sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer is a commune of northern France, in the department of Pas-de-Calais.

Contents

[edit] Etymology

"Berck" is the most southerly town in the Pas-de_Calais to have a name with Germanic roots. Originally called Bierk, possibly after the birch tree; by the 13th century it was spelt “Berc”.

[edit] Geography

Situated just to the north of the estuary of the river Authie, Berck has a huge expanse of sandy beach and impressive grassy-topped dunes facing north onto the English Channel. Berck comprises two parts – to the east, the old fishing town, Berck-Ville and to the west, the seaside area, Berck-sur-Mer.
Berck lies at the centre of the Marquenterre regional park.

[edit] History

A former fishing harbour, Berck took on a therapeutic role in the treatment of tuberculosis during the second Empire. The Maritime hospital was inaugurated in 1869 by Empress Eugenie. Other hospitals and benevolent institutes were soon created to cater for the sick and those in need of rest and recuperation. Today, although the hospital sector remains economically important, the city has turned towards tourism. A seaside bathing station, with an immense beach of fine sand on the Opal Coast, Berck is a paradise for lovers of land yachting and surfboarding.

[edit] Population

Demographic evolution
1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999
12877 13690 14420 14060 14167 14378
Counting started in 1962 : Population without double counting

[edit] Places and monuments

Church of St John the Baptist
Church of St John the Baptist
  • Église Saint Jean Baptiste – Listed choir and belfry.
  • Église Notre-Dame des Sables – Wall paintings on the choir walls.
  • Hôpital Cazin-Perrochaud - Chapel with wall-paintings by Albert Besnard
  • The Lighthouse - In service from 1961, at 45 metres high, its light can be seen from a distance of 24 nautical miles.
Berck - Sailor's Calvary
Berck - Sailor's Calvary

[edit] People associated with the town

  • Empress Eugénie inaugurated l'Hôpital Napoléon on the 18th July 1869 , which became the Hôpital Maritime after the fall of the Empire.
  • Gabriel Voisin, on 15th March 1904, made the first powered flight in France. The plane flew for 50 mètres at an altitude of 5 or 6 metres.
  • Annette Messager, conceptual artist .
  • Christian Morel de Sarcus, author.
  • Jean-Dominique Bauby, author of the French best seller Le scaphandre et le papillon.

[edit] See also

Communes of Pas-de-Calais

Berck – Seaside bathing place

Bathing carriages on the beach at Berck c1910

The Beach

The dunes

Architecture

Institut Calot

A painting from Berck's museum

[edit] External links

Berck on the Insee website (French)