PLUS, Palace of the Universe and the Sciences (Kapelle, France)
Photos - Info - Meteo - Tips - Nieuws - Geo Info -
General information about PLUS, the Palace of the Universe and the Sciences
PLUS, Palace of the Universe and Science, is a center dedicated to science in general and the universe in particular. It has several exhibition halls and is best known for its large planetarium.
It was realized as part of an Interreg project in collaboration with the Astronomical Contact Group vzw (ACG) as the Belgian partner. The chair was (and still is) Philippe Vercoutter. ACG gained recognition at home and abroad through its AstroLAB IRIS Project and Public Observatory. The French partner would focus more on explaining theoretical concepts (through interactive exhibitions, planetarium, etc.), while the Belgian partner would focus more on practical astronomy (building telescopes, developing two observatories, observation programs, etc.). Both projects are therefore complementary to each other and both are worth a visit!
Originally, it was the then mayor of Capelle-la-Grande, Roger Gouvart , who spearheaded the project, but when it became apparent that the project would exceed the financial capacity of this smaller town, it was eventually transferred to the urban community level (Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque, abbreviated as CUD).
This project should be seen as a worthy successor to earlier initiatives by Mayor Roger Gouvart: for instance, when his belfry was being built, he promptly had a full-fledged observatory installed there. It was run by a local club of amateur astronomers. During that same period, he also established a successful, albeit much smaller, planetarium.
Update February 28, 2026: Due to a small fire (on the morning of November 21, 2025), this science center and planetarium is currently closed. Efforts are underway to reopen in April 2026. Please check before visiting the PLUS.
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Visitor tips
Algemene tips:
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3) U kan ook altijd de lokale toeristische diensten raadplegen :
Kapelle / Cappelle-la-Grande, Noorderdepartement, Hauts-de-France, Frankrijk: 7.899 inwoners op 5 km². | ||||
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Samenwerkingsverband: CU de Dunkerque. Parent tourist regions: | ||||
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Geographical information
Address: Rue du Planétarium, 59180 Kapelle, Nord Department, Hauts-de-France, France
Geographic coordinates:
– Google Maps: Latitude = 50.9961868 – Longitude = 2.3635761
– OpenStreetMap: Latitude = 50.996093 – Longitude = 2.366355
– Altitude h = 3 m
Location of PLUS, Palace of the Universe and Sciences at:
Tourist map from Top.Vlaanderen – Google Maps – OpenStreetMap.
Route to PLUS, Palace of the Universe and Sciences: Route via Google Maps
Meteo
14°C
| Day | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
9:00 p.m.
|
 light rain
|
12° | 22°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 26 Km/h | 89 % | 1017 mb |
|
Tomorrow
9:00 p.m.
|
light rain
|
6° | 21°°C | 0.85 mm | 85% | 32 Km/h | 97 % | 1018 mb |
|
di jun 26
21:00
|
light rain
|
10° | 18°°C | 0.94 mm | 94% | 26 Km/h | 88 % | 1020 mb |
|
wo jun 26
21:00
|
light rain
|
7° | 16°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 27 Km/h | 97 % | 1021 mb |
|
do jun 26
21:00
|
light rain
|
14° | 20°°C | 0.2 mm | 20% | 27 Km/h | 96 % | 1025 mb |
| Hour | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
6:00 a.m.
|
cloudy
|
13° | 14°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 14 Km/h | 89 % | 1017 mb |
|
Today
9:00 a.m.
|
cloudy
|
17° | 19°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 17 Km/h | 72 % | 1016 mb |
|
Today
12:00
|
light rain
|
22° | 22°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 24 Km/h | 69 % | 1014 mb |
|
Today
3:00 p.m.
|
light rain
|
20° | 20°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 26 Km/h | 59 % | 1014 mb |
|
Today
6:00 p.m.
|
light rain
|
16° | 16°°C | 0.81 mm | 81% | 21 Km/h | 73 % | 1014 mb |
|
Today
9:00 p.m.
|
 partly cloudy
|
12° | 12°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 17 Km/h | 88 % | 1015 mb |
|
Tomorrow
12:00 AM
|
 slightly cloudy
|
10° | 10°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 15 Km/h | 89 % | 1015 mb |
|
Tomorrow
03:00
|
 cloudless
|
6° | 6°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 13 Km/h | 97 % | 1016 mb |
Online information about PLUS, the Palace of the Universe and the Sciences
PLUS, Palace of the Universe and Science:
Website - Facebook - Instagram - 
YouTube - Wikipedia (NL - FR - EN)
Tourism Department “Dunkerque Tourism”:
Website - Facebook - Instagram
Our photos about PLUS, Palace of the Universe and Science
Our photos, videos, etc. are all (c) 2004-2026, Top.Vlaanderen, Belgium. They may not be copied or used without permission. If you would like to use them for a project, please contact us in advance and we will see how we can work together. If you would like us to photograph your own tourist attraction, B&B, vacation home, etc., that is also possible. Please contact us via our contact form .
Photos from the visit on February 28, 2026
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