La Coupole is a massive Second World War bunker complex located in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, approximately 5 kilometres from Saint-Omer. Originally codenamed Bauvorhaben 21 and later known as Schotterwerk Nordwest, this concrete structure was designed by Nazi Germany as a launch facility for V-2 rockets against Allied targets. The site represents one of the most significant remnants of the German V-weapons programme in Europe, showcasing the scale and ambition of wartime military engineering.
The bunker's distinctive dome structure, from which it derives its name, was intended to protect the rocket assembly and launch operations from Allied bombing. Construction began in 1943 but was never completed due to Allied air raids and the advancing front lines. Today, La Coupole serves as a museum and memorial, offering visitors insight into the technological and human aspects of the V-2 programme, as well as the broader context of the Second World War in northern France.