In Helfaut, about ten kilometers from Saint-Omer, a former V2 launch base has now been transformed into a war museum dealing with the occupation, the Second World War, and the invention of the V1 and V2. This museum is also dedicated to the conquest of space and has an incredible 3D planetarium!
For the record, the Coupole d'Helfaut bunker was built by Nazi Germany between 1943 and 1944 to serve as a launch base for V2 rockets targeting London and the South of England. The part that can be visited is a reinforced concrete dome several meters thick.
The complex was designed to house a large arsenal of rockets, fuel and ammunition and was to be able to launch V2s at an industrial rate. Fortunately, the Allied bombardments within the framework of Operation Crossbow prevented the Germans from
complete the work. The blockhouse will be abandoned and partly destroyed on the orders of Churchill.
The site will be transformed in 1997 into a museum and opened to the public. The themes are diverse: the war, of course, but also the occupation and the Shoah. Being a former V2 base, the Dome also highlights the history of space conquest and the invention of rockets by Wernher von Braun. It also houses a 3D planetarium showing films in 10 K. Thanks to this equipment, the Dome of Helfaut can boast of having the highest definition planetarium in the world in 2021!
