Gravelines / Dunkerque
Leaving the fortified town of Gravelines, your Vélomaritime cycling adventure leads you to France's third largest port, Dunkirk. Known to the French as the home of naval adventurer Jean Bart, it has a major maritime heritage, celebrated at its Musée Portuaire and with its tall ship, Le Duchesse-Anne. Also do visit the Musée Dunkerque 1940 - Operation Dynamo, as well, of course, as the town's belfries, part of a regional UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gradients and elevation
Slope breakdown
Road types
- Cycle path
- Routes reserved for cyclists and pedestrians (greenways, cycle tracks, towpaths), separated from cars for maximum safety.
- Shared road
- Quiet minor roads with little traffic (unless otherwise stated in the stage details). Shared with cars (stay alert).
- Not specified
- Data unavailable or being assessed. Please refer to the detailed stage description.
- Provisional
- Section on a road or cycle path awaiting better-quality facilities (see stage details).
Surface
- Smooth
- Asphalt, tarmac or smooth concrete. Optimal comfort.
- Rough
- Fine gravel, compacted stabilised surface or worn tarmac. Less comfortable, vibrations possible.
- Natural
- Dirt, grass, roots or stones. Under 5%: short sections with little impact. Higher percentage: route suited to mountain or gravel bikes only.
- Not specified
- Data unavailable or being assessed. Please refer to the detailed stage description.
The route
The Vélomaritime route from Gravelines to Dunkerque is along segregated tracks (greenways or cycle paths). The stretch at the level of Grand-Fort-Philippe was being laid out at time of writing.
Link
A signposted connection takes you to Bourbourg station (1.5 km).
⚠️ Important! Cycling is difficult between Craywick and Saint-Georges-sur-l'Aa: due to construction work on new businesses, the RD17 between Craywick and Saint-Georges-sur-l'Aa has been turned into a one-way road and the northern section of the RD301 is closed. The regular passage of lorries is making it difficult for cyclists to get around. The Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque has set up a signposted diversion route, shown in red on the map (approximately +2 km).
SNCF
- Nearby train stations: Gravelines Dunkerque (TGV)
