Château d'Esquelbecq walks

Thirty-seventh stage from the Jura to Hauts-de-France, via the Francigena. This flat stage follows the waterways as you explore Maritime Flanders and the network of waterways that criss-cross the landscape. You walk alongside the Canaux de la Haute Colme and the Canal de Bourbourg before reaching the outskirts of Dunkirk. After passing through Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, you discover the city of Dunkirk. France’s third-largest port, here you don’t need to have your sea legs to set off and discover the history of the Iceland fishermen, walk in the footsteps of the famous privateer Jean Bart, or simply stroll around the Place du Mynck, through the marinas or along the Malo-les-Bains seafront.

After Dunkirk, theGR® 120 takes a detour inland. Once out of Dunkirk, the route passes peacefully through the Bois des Forts and reaches the pretty fortified town of Bergues with its canals and medieval ruins. The stage is fairly short, leaving plenty of time to wander around Bergues.

Thirty-eight and final stage from the Jura to Hauts-de-France, via the Francigena. For this final stage, you leave Dunkirk to cross the Bois des Forts, before arriving at the foot of the Vauban Fortifications. You walk along the ramparts before entering Bergues, a charming and picturesque fortified town, nicknamed the ‘little Bruges of the North’, and now world-famous since the filming of the movie “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis”! It is at the foot of the belfry, topped by the Lion of Flanders, that this journey ends.