Berck-sur-Mer was a famous ‘spa’* town in the 19th Century.

The beach at Berck-sur-Mer with a church and the old Sanitorium in the background. The Sanitorium is being torn down to be replaced by seaside condos with a ‘vue sur mer’. The wide expanses of sand and the old buildings tempted me to turn this photo into an old-fashioned postcard. Apparently the tide was tricky – look at all those stranded people waving frantically.On the other hand, further down the beach were sand yachts for rent.It was the first time I’ve ever seen sand yachts in real life. I was hoping to see them race. These ‘drivers’ were hanging about lounging.
*From the old Travel Michelin site which has a new name, and a make-over into a subscription site, I think. At any rate, in 2021, I couldn’t find this page but the info is good: “The jewel of the Opal Coast, Berck is a family holiday seaside resort and a spa (renowned for the treatment of bone conditions and the after-effects of road accidents, due to the high iodine content of the air, which was why it was chosen, in the 19C, as the site for the first seaside hospital inaugurated by the Empress Eugénie). It is appreciated for its immense, safe beach of fine sand, about twelve kilometres long, extending up to the Canche estuary.”

More about our 2015 trip to France.