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Wissant

The Wissant flobart festival

The flat-bottomed boat born of a coast with no harbour, celebrated every late summer

  • Free
  • Late August
  • Since 1989
  • Maritime heritage
A tractor hauling a decorated flobart up the beach

Next edition

Dates not yet announced

The event takes place late august, every year.

Where
Wissant beach and village
Price
Free
Crowds
Three days of village festivities
Check the dates on lesdeuxcaps.fr

Between Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, there's no harbour. For centuries, fishermen had to come up with a boat that could be launched straight off the sand and hauled back up the beach on return: the flobart, flat-bottomed, broad and short.

It was the working tool of fishermen in Wissant, Audresselles, Ambleteuse and Équihen-Plage. Only a handful are still seaworthy, and these are what Wissant has celebrated since 1989, on the last weekend of August.

What is a flobart?

A flat-bottomed inshore fishing boat, designed for a coast with no shelter. Its flat bottom lets it beach upright on the sand at low tide; its short, broad hull absorbs the surf when it's launched.

It's hardly elegant from a distance, and that's exactly what makes it a local object: its shape doesn't come from a shipyard fashion, but from the constraints of this one particular beach.

A decorated flobart in the middle of the festival, in Wissant

What's on

  • Flobart procession and launch from the beach
  • Blessing of the sea
  • Craft and maritime trade stalls
  • Concerts and street music
  • Family activities on the promenade
The village square during the flobart festival

Around the festival

Wissant sits at the heart of the Grand Site des Deux Caps: the festival is a good excuse to set aside a whole weekend, between the beach, Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez.

The village is small and parking fills up fast in August. Arrive early, or stay locally and leave the car behind.

Plan your day

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    Our 3 places to stay

    Where to stay in Wissant for the event?

    Our favourite

    To be a hundred metres from the sand

    Hôtel de la Plage

    A hotel address in the village, within walking distance of the sea wall and the shops.

    Hotel · Wissant

    To range between Gris-Nez and Blanc-Nez

    Au cœur des caps

    Wissant is the best base in the area: both capes are a quarter of an hour away.

    Accommodation · Wissant

    For a village stay

    Au Vent Du Kent

    An address in Wissant, facing the bay and the coastal paths.

    Accommodation · Wissant

    Our 3 restaurants

    Where to eat in Wissant?

    Our favourite

    To eat on the sea wall

    Les Sables d'Opale

    On the digue de Mer, facing the bay, between the two capes.

    1 digue de Mer, Wissant

    To stay in the village centre

    La Chaloupe

    Rue du Muret, a few steps from the square and the market.

    1 rue du Muret, Wissant

    For a table in the village

    Le Green Bistrot

    On the same street, in the heart of Wissant.

    4 rue du Muret, Wissant

    On the Opal Coast

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