Berck, in the Marquenterre regional park, an ornithological nature reserve, impresses tourists with its population of seals. This marine mammal has even become the mascot of this little corner of France.
It is one of the places in the English Channel where you can admire the most seals that prefer sandy beaches. Food is plentiful there. They can take advantage of the sand banks to rest under a generous sun and also appreciate the presence of deep channels which serve them quickly in the event of imminent dangers.
Berck is home to two species of seals: the marine seal and the gray seal.
Previously Berck was the center of many aeronautical experiences (Gabriel Voisin, the Wright Brothers) then it became the cradle of sand yachting, experimented by Louis Bleriot.
In the 19th century it was also "the school of painters" (Lepic, Boudin, Manet etc ...)
The painters joined 19th-century Parisians in the city and passed the news of their discovery on to their fellow artists in the capital. One of the most notable was Édouard Manet, therefore.
Some of these paintings are exhibited at the Berck museum.
Just before the First World War, the Russian court (including Rasputin himself) stayed in Berck, accompanying Tsarévitch Alexis, a young hemophiliac, on whom we tried new treatments.
In vain, alas ...
Small etymological explanation: Berck comes from the Dutch "Berk-aan-Zee" meaning, roughly "Dunes, heights near the sea"
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