Pas de Calais 04 St. Omer to Bethune via La Cupole

After a late start we have 50km to cycle – no hills to speak of.

About 5km along is La Coupole, it is a large concrete bunker built towards the end of WW2 in order to build V2 rockets to bomb the UK. It was a desperate measure. Slave labour was used to tunnel into the hillside and build the concrete dome – to protect the site from bombs. Many bombing raids targeted the site though, with huge bombs. Very few rockets were actually finished in the end.

Inside you can walk through the damp chalk tunnels to the dome where there are exhibitions. The exhibitions cover the history of the site, the rocket design and engineering, the space-race following WW2 with Soviet, French and US rockets on display. The conditions of slave labour at the site are vividly depicted, many died, emaciated and starving while being forced to work. Also there is a Planetarium.

The designer of the rockets, and his team, were transferred to the USA after the war and provided the basis of the rocket technology used in the US space program.

We spent three or four hours here. Then off for a thoughtful 45km to Bethune. Nice place, good food, sleep.