Name and Location

The Phare de Berck, also known as Berck Plage Lighthouse, stands tall at 12 Avenue du Phare in Berck-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France, France. The lighthouse's official name is Phare de Berck, with Wikidata ID Q2886510 and a Wikipedia page available in French.

2. Construction and History

The Phare de Berck was built as a 45-meter-high reinforced-concrete lighthouse after World War II. Although the exact year of construction is not recorded, it is believed to be an early-to-mid-20th-century design. The lighthouse has been classified as a Monument historique since December 30, 2010.

3. Architecture and Materials

The tower is cylindrical with a gallery and lantern, constructed from cast or reinforced concrete. It features horizontal bands of green, red, white, and red markings, standing at an impressive height of 45 meters above ground level. The focal plane is 44 meters above mean sea level.

4. Light and Navigation

The Phare de Berck emits a flashing white light every 5 seconds (Fl W 5s) with a nominal range of 23 nautical miles. It is officially referenced by the French ANFR, Admiralty A1202, ARLHS FRA-159, NGA 114-8828, and Seamark tags.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

Visits to the lighthouse are possible only by prior appointment on weekends. Guided tours can be arranged through the town's tourism office or cultural affairs department. The facilities are limited to a stair-well and gallery level, with no permanent visitor center.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The Phare de Berck is situated on the dunes of Berck-sur-Mer beach, overlooking a long sandy shoreline popular with wind-sport enthusiasts. From its vantage point, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the English Channel, the Picardy coast toward Le Touquet, and the bay of the Somme estuary.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

According to local lore, former keepers would climb the staircase daily to trim the wicks of an earlier oil lamp, remnants of which survive in the municipal archives. During storms of the 1960s, waves were said to wash against the base of the tower, leading to temporary closure of the beach.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse serves as a microwave link installation and mobile-phone antenna site, utilizing its strategic height and location atop the beach dunes.

9. Further Information

For further reading and references, please consult OpenStreetMap way/132169637, Ministère de la Culture (MHS PA62000112), ANFR ref. 862738, ARLHS World List of Lights – FRA-159, UKHO Admiralty List of Lights – A1202, NGA List of Lights – 114-8828, and French Wikipedia: fr:Phare de Berck.