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Gravelines

The Vauban fortifications of Gravelines

A star-shaped town, water-filled moats, and a full walk on foot

The fortifications of Gravelines, their moats and their bridge
Photo: Paul.schrepfer, source, CC BY-SA 4.0

The essentials

Where
Gravelines
How long
One hour
Price
Free
  • Vauban
  • Water-filled moats
  • An hour on foot
  • Free
What to do in Gravelines?

Gravelines sits on the Aa, the river separating Flanders from the Calais area. Seen from above, the town traces a star — Vauban's signature, as at Neuf-Brisach.

What makes it rare is that everything is still there: the complete enceinte, the ravelins, the water-filled moats. You can walk it in full in an hour, and it's free.

How to read a fortified town

  • The star The points aren't decorative: they're bastions, allowing fire along the neighbouring walls. No blind spots — that's the whole principle.
  • The moats They're not there to drown attackers but to stop them digging under the walls. Here they're filled with water, fed by the Aa.
  • The ravelins These detached works, set out ahead of the enceinte, forced an attacker to take the town twice.

The walk

The ramparts have been restored, and the green spaces between the enceinte and the moats are maintained. The path is flat, pushchair-friendly for most of its length, and shaded — one of the few walks on the coast that holds up in high wind, since you're sheltered by the walls.

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    3 activities to book

    What activities to do in Gravelines?

    Our favourite

    For the star-shaped town

    Le tour des remparts

    Vauban's fortifications are explored on foot, along the ramparts and beside the moats.

    1 h · on foot

    For Petit-Fort-Philippe lighthouse

    Le phare de Petit-Fort-Philippe

    The black-and-white lighthouse can be climbed for the view over the beach and the harbour.

    30 min · climb

    For kayaking and paddleboarding on the Aa

    Le kayak et le paddle sur l'Aa

    The Parc des Rives de l'Aa watersports base rents kayaks and paddleboards on the lake.

    1 h · rental

    Our 3 restaurants

    Where to eat in Gravelines?

    Our favourite

    To eat in Petit-Fort-Philippe

    Au Beau Rivage

    A restaurant on boulevard Léo Lagrange, on the beach side.

    Restaurant · 7 boulevard Léo Lagrange

    For seafood

    Au Retour d'Islande

    A fish and seafood restaurant in Gravelines.

    Fish and seafood · Gravelines

    For lunch or afternoon tea

    Le Local

    A restaurant-tearoom, place du Polder.

    Restaurant-tearoom · place du Polder

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