Place d’Armes

With its shops, cafés, and restaurants, Place d’Armes is the favorite spot for local demonstrations and the main meeting place for residents. This square both brings Calais to life and keeps it alive. And here’s the fascinating thing – if we go back in time to medieval days, the situation wasn’t really any different. As a key location during the siege of the city in 1347, Place d’Armes has the notable and rather sad distinction of having witnessed several pivotal moments during the English occupation. Most famously, it was here that the Six Burghers of Calais carried out their act of sacrifice—emaciated, barefoot, and wearing nooses around their necks, they surrendered the keys to their city to King Edward III of England. Under English rule, the square was renamed “Market Place” and kept that name until 1558, when Francis, Duke of Guise, reconquered the city and restored its French name: Place d’Armes. Since then, it’s hosted a bustling market twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings—except when it rains, in which case the stalls move to a nearby covered hall. Heavily bombed during World War II, the square was largely rebuilt in the 1950s. Today, its overall look is fairly sober, but two buildings really stand out: the historic Watch Tower on one side, and the futuristic market hall on the other. It’s a real clash of styles—and a perfect snapshot of Calais’s layered identity.