Calais - Framezelle

(S) Starting from the Watchtower, Place d’Armes, head down towards the sea via Rue de la Mer (towards the harbour/beach). Continue in the same direction along the Esplanade des Sauveteurs en Mer. Pass two channels, reach a roundabout, walk past Fort Risban and take the street on the left opposite, which runs past the Rodin residence. You will reach the coast.

(1) Turn left and follow the seafront promenade. At the end of this, ignore the road branching off to the left, walk past a car park, continue along a paved path and then reach the beach.

(2) Follow the beach in the same direction. After the last beach huts, pass a group of two blockhouses partially buried in the sand. Further on, pass a larger, roughly rectangular blockhouse. Two hundred metres further on, look for an access point to the beach.

(3) Off^{the GR®®}: continue along the beach (to follow the^GR®®, turn left and leave the beach). After a radar (or an antenna?), head inland to reach a concrete promenade at the top of a stone sea wall.
(4) Back on^{the GR®®}: continue in the same direction along the seafront seawall. A few metres before the end of the seawall, turn left, leave the promenade and the seafront, and arrive in front of Sangatte church.
(5) Immediately take the RD 940 on the right. On leaving the village, turn left onto the access road to the cemetery. Just past the car park and before the cemetery, take the path on the right which runs alongside the RD 940. Cross a road which joins the RD 940 on the left.

(6) Leave the^GR®®120. Follow the^GR®® 145 and^GRP®®. Opposite, take a track that climbs, gradually diverging from the RD 940. The track runs alongside a fence on the left, overlooks the Fond Pignon mudflat to the left and reaches a junction.

(7) Leave the track which continues straight ahead, turn right and continue climbing. You will reach a junction just before the highest point of the path.

(8) Turn right and continue climbing along a stony path. You will reach a road leading to a viewpoint with an orientation table.
Access is possible via a small, steep path opposite on the right, which leads to the summit of Mont d'Hubert, where there is a car park and a relay mast.

(9) Turn right and follow the road down towards Cap Blanc-Nez along a path running alongside the left-hand side of the road. You will reach a crossroads. Take the driveway to a car park opposite,

(10) Back on^{the GR®®} 120: at the top of the car park, continue straight on along the path leading to the Cap Blanc-Nez monument. After a few metres, take a path on the left that descends along the western slope of the cape. You will reach a car park.

(11) Walk back up the car park towards the inland for a few metres and cross the access road to take the clearly visible grassy path opposite, which overlooks the cliffs. Do not take the path that descends steeply towards the shore. You will arrive at Petit Blanc-Nez.

(12) The path continues overlooking the cliffs and descends gradually. You will eventually reach a beach.

(13) Follow the beach in the same direction to reach Wissant. Head up to the seafront promenade at the top of the sea wall and continue along the coast to the end of the sea wall.

(14) Off^{the GR®®}: return to the beach, keeping in the same direction (to follow the^GR®®, take the sandy path to the left). 500m further on, rejoin the^GR®® which meets the beach.

(15) 500 metres further on (i.e. 1 km after leaving the seafront seawall), look out for a wooden fence on the foreshore supporting the dune.

(16) Leave the beach via the access path just after the fence and head towards a car park. Turn right onto the sandy path that crosses the dunes. Shortly afterwards, you’ll reach a junction with a footbridge on the left.

(17) Pass a path leading to the beach on your right and take the footbridge on the left. You will reach a viewpoint. Further on, pass another path leading to the beach on your right and continue uphill. Further on, the path descends towards a road with a car park.

(18) Turn left and follow the road. Pass the RD 191 on your right, continue in the same direction and arrive at a junction with the RD 191 again at the entrance to Framezelle, opposite a café-restaurant (E).

The route follows the^GR®® 120 with two small detours where I mistakenly followed the beach:
- after Calais (at Fort Lapin), up to the Sangatte sea wall,
- after the Wissant seafront promenade.
A third deviation between Sangatte and Cap Blanc-Nez, taking the^GR®®145

There are no dangerous sections on this hike. However, those with a fear of heights may find it challenging, particularly on the descent from Cap Blanc-Nez and on the path along the top of the cliffs that follows.

When the path follows the beach, there aren’t always many landmarks to help you determine where to leave the beach (especially if you’re walking on the foreshore, as you’ll find yourself quite far from the foreshore and it’s difficult to see the markings). Using a GPS or a smartphone with the Visorando app is surely the best way to avoid making a mistake.

FFRP rating: effort = 3; technical difficulty = 2; risk = 2

(S) In Calais: the Town Hall, the Burghers of Calais, Notre-Dame Church, the Watchtower.
(9) Mont d'Hubert (access to a viewpoint with an orientation table, either by going to the back of the car park or by taking the steep path that climbs to the summit opposite the junction of the path with the access road).
Cap Blanc-Nez
Le Petit Blanc-Nez (beautiful view of the two headlands on either side).
Wissant Bay.
Cap Gris-Nez.
(E) 271, 281 Rue du Sodit, 62179 Audinghen The Cap Gris-Nez café, Les Margats de Raoul.