The best walks and hikes in Réserve Naturelle Nationale Du Platier D'Oye

An impressive stone monument with a large cross, located on the edge of the shipping channel of Grand-Fort-Philippe, near Gravelines. The calvary was built in 1947 to protect the fishermen and in memory of those who were lost at sea. Under the stone arch is a small chapel with a statue of the Virgin Mary and memorial plaques. Every year on August 15th, the place really comes to life: after the procession through the streets, the traditional boat parade stops here for the blessing of the sea. A quiet, atmospheric place to pause and reflect on the difficult fishing history of this coast, with a view of the channel and the sea. Feel free to combine it with a visit to the Musée du Sauvetage in the village.

A covered bird hide with a view over the reserve's ponds, ideal for quietly observing birds without disturbing them. Inside, there are large, clear identification charts to help you recognize what you see, including which months each species winters, migrates, or breeds here. On the ponds, you can see all kinds of ducks: dabbling ducks like the common teal, Eurasian wigeon, northern shoveler, gadwall, northern pintail, and common shelduck, and diving ducks like the tufted duck, common pochard, and common goldeneye. Along the banks, waders forage, such as the pied avocet, common redshank, Eurasian oystercatcher, northern lapwing, Eurasian curlew, and bar-tailed godwit. You can also encounter grey herons, little egrets, Eurasian spoonbills, great cormorants, greylag geese, and various gull species. Bring binoculars and give yourself time: the longer you sit still, the more there is to see. Especially during migration periods and in winter, the water is bustling with activity.

This information board shows nicely how the coast here is constantly changing. Where the “plage du Casino” used to be, a regular sandy beach, the area is gradually silting up. Sea currents and wind bring sand and silt, sandbanks form off the coast, and the former beach becomes overgrown. This is how it changes step by step into a salt marsh and polder-like landscape. Old and recent photos on the board make the difference clearly visible. The board also introduces the breeding birds of the high beach, such as plovers and terns, which depend on exactly such a quiet, open beach. From here you look out over the dunes and the reserve towards the sea. A nice stop to understand why the Platier d’Oye is such a special and dynamic nature reserve.

Via a wooden boardwalk, you walk through the dunes to this viewpoint, with a beautiful view over the beach and the sea. An information board tells the story of the “Dunes flamandes”, the Flemish dunes that stretch along the coast from northern France into Belgium. You learn how the dunes are formed: the wind blows sand inland, and pioneer plants like marram grass catch it and hold it in place with their long roots. This way, the dune grows step by step, until shrubs like sea buckthorn and eventually richer vegetation can thrive. Behind the dunes lie the ponds and polders of the reserve. Stay on the boardwalk: the dune vegetation is fragile and it is precisely these plants that keep the dune in place. A nice place to stop for a moment and watch the seabirds.

In the Netherlands called salt marshes or salt marshes

Here on the Opal Coast in France at Oye Plage near Grand Fort Philippe are the historical remains of the German positions from World War II.

Very surprising when you walk past it

On the wide beach of Gravelines