Cap Gris-Nez

Cap Gris Nez is a cape on the Cote d'Opale in the Pas-de-Calais département in northern France.It is between Wissant (Whitesand - originally Witzand) and Audresselles (originally Auderzele), in the commune of Audinghen (Odingham).

The cliffs of the Cap are the closest point of France to England - 34 km (21 mi) 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, the emblematic white cliffs of Dover on the English shore can be seen.

The cliffs of Cap Gris Nez are made of sandstone, clay and chalk. They are mainly grey which gives the cape its name ('gris nez' means 'grey nose' in French. It is also a good place to collect fossils, which are mainly from the Jurassic period. One can find bivalves, gastropods and wood. In the sandstone layers with small pebbles, you can find teeth of fish and reptiles. Sometimes larger ammonites are found in the sandstones.