Fortified city of Gravelines

Gravelines (Dutch: Grevelingen) is a small historic town and commune on the northern coast of France on the river Aa 15 miles (25 km) south west of Dunkirk, in the Nord département. Population: 12,482.

In the early 12th century, Saint-Omer was an important port in western Flanders. However silting gradually cut it off from the North Sea, resulting in the construction of a canal to the new coast at what is now Gravelines. The name is derived from the Dutch Gravenenga, meaning Count's Canal. The new town became heavily fortified as it guarded the western borders of Spanish territory in Flanders.