Dover - Castle and White Cliffs

In the morning, we arrived at Dover Castle just before opening hours and had to wait briefly until the parking lot opened. We made our way up the hill alongside a line of cars and were assigned a very nice parking spot with a view of the English Channel. Since we spent the breaks between visits in the car enjoying a snack and coffee, the location was ideal for us.

First, we headed towards the “Secret Wartime Tunnels.” Several tunnel systems were carved into the hill beneath the castle, originating from the Napoleonic Wars, World War II, and the Cold War.

During a guided tour, we first visited the casemates from World War II, where the command center was located during the evacuation of British troops from France during the German advance in 1940. In the various rooms, there was a multimedia show, which initially felt more like a history lesson about the course of World War II before it provided detailed information about the role of the rooms in Dover.

We could also view the upper tunnels, which were used as a hospital and underground accommodation, during the guided tour. However, photography was forbidden inside the tunnels.

Back above ground, we warmed up in the sun (and with a coffee) before heading to the oldest parts of the fortress: the remains of a Roman lighthouse and St. Mary-In-Castro Church, built before the 11th century.

A bit further, you can see the “Great Tower,” which was commissioned by Henry II.

An exhibition detailed his conquests (large parts of France were ruled by him alongside England) and family troubles (his sons waged war against him and against each other).

In the rear part of the castle, there was another system of underground tunnels that were created during the Middle Ages and Georgian times to defend the castle.

We strolled along the castle's defensive walls for a bit and then drove our RV into town.

Here we parked it near the ferry terminal, which we planned to take the next morning, and set off on foot toward the cliffs.

The chalk cliffs form a striking white cliff coast visible from afar, from which one can see as far as France.

The path led along the water and had some hills, but the beautiful views made the effort worthwhile.