Situated a mere 20 miles from the English coast, Calais has been a desirable port since the Middle Ages, leaving today’s transport hub is rich with history. You’ll find the first cast of Auguste Rodin’s Burghers of Calais depicting local leaders surrendering to English forces in 1347 in front of Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), a World Heritage site due to its extraordinary beffroi (belfry). Admire a 13th-century watchtower, 16th-century citadel and 19th-century lighthouse that survived German bombs during World War II before seeing the thousands of objects, documents and photographs at Le Musée Mémoire 39-45, all housed in a former German bunker. A pair of non-WWII museums illuminate the city’s lace industry and fine arts.