​Cycle, ​Sail, Explore: The Ultimate Tour de France break with DFDS

The Tour de France kicks off with a spectacular Grand Depart in Lille on Saturday 5 July. It is the fifth time the race has started in Hauts de France – a region renowned for its cycling roots and scenic beauty.

The early stages of the Tour take riders through Lille, Boulogne, Dunkirk and Amiens, before west into Normandy, with Rouen, Caen and Bayeux on the itinerary. With three convenient ferry routes to France, DFDS makes it easy to follow the peloton and enjoy the best bits of Northern France.

DFDS has created a stage-by-stage guide to the top sights and cycling routes along the Tour route to help fans plan the perfect Tour-inspired getaway.

The Grand Depart begins in the vibrant city of Lille, the capital of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, which is known for its art, culture and heritage. Among the best things to see and do along this stage of the route are:

· lille3000 brings the city to life with art. Events taking place when the Tour passes through include a celebration of Flemish Festivities at the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille; a photographic exhibition, Electrorama, at the Espace le Carre; and Éclats en échos, three monumental installations by Swiss artist Felice Varini at the Palais des Beaux-Arts.

· Walk the walls of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Vauban Citadel, known as the lungs of Lille. Built in the 17th century the fortification has been transformed into a natural park with 110 hectares of green space to enjoy.

· Cycle the Tour du Grand Lille route for a full day of cycling that takes in the area's heritage, nature and iconic towns. The 50km route is a safe, signposted trail that includes the Citadelle, Musee La Piscine at Roubaix, LAM and a host of street art among its key sights.

· In neighbouring Lens, visit the Louvre-Lens museum, an off-shoot of the prestigious Paris Louvre art gallery. Its collection includes major artworks on exchange from its Parisian sibling, forming a Gallery of Time with more than 200 objects d'art from Antiquity to the 1850s.

· Stop off at the nearby Chateau d'Olhain, one of the best preserved medieval castles in the North of France. Located in the middle of a lake, like Leeds Castle in Kent, this fairytale castle was built by the Olhain family, one of the oldest families in Artois.

Lauwin-Planque sits just five kilometres north of Douai, France’s city of giants. Take a stroll along the banks of the Scarpe and enjoy the area’s green spaces and wetlands for an escape from the bustle of the Tour’s second stage.

Top things to do along the route to Boulogne include:

· The Charteuse Museum and its collection of medieval religious art within the walls of an old convent. Among the exhibits are Gothic masterpieces by Jean Bellegambe, and works by Renoir, Rodin and Rubens.

· The city’s famous Festival of Giants takes place on the first Sunday after 5 July, coinciding with the visit of the Tour. Join the fun as the Gayant family, five wicker giants measuring six-to-eight metres tall, parade through the city's streets in a tradition dating back to the 15th century and recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

· In Arras visit the UNESCO World Heritage listed 75-metre-tall Belfry, which overlooks the Place des Héros. This flamboyant gothic monument took almost a century to build and offers those who climb to the top a breathtaking panorama.

· Underneath the town hall lies Les Boves, the underground galleries of Arras. This labyrinth of former chalk quarries is now a network of 20km of galleries that are best visited in spring and summer, when they are filled with plants and flowers in an extraordinary exhibition of garden designs.

· Another must see in Arras is the Wellington Quarry. The site was the scene of the largest surprise attack of World War One, when 24,000 British troops used the tunnels to attack German defences during the Battle of Arras in 1917.

· See a spectacular summer performance of Les Mis on the citadel ramparts at Montreuil-sur-Mer, where Victor Hugo lived, with 500 locals singing and dancing in an awe-inspiring sound and light show.

· In Boulogne, scale the hill to the Basilica Notre Dame, inspired by St Paul's Cathedral in London. Visit the astounding 100m long crypt, the largest in France, with frescoes and precious relics including an enamel item that contains the blood of Christ.

· The spectacular Nausicaa aquarium is an absolute must-see in Boulogne. A UNESCO Centre of Excellence, this is much more than a sealife centre, with a focus on education and conservation. At its centre is a huge tank holding 10,000 cubic metres of water and a wide variety of marine life including manta rays, sharks, crabs and fish.

The rich cultural heritage of Valenciennes has earned it the nickname 'Athens of the North.' The city is an open-air gallery dotted with street art and sculptures.

· Don't miss the Musée des Beaux-Arts, with its remarkable collection of Flemish Baroque paintings, including masterpieces by Rubens.

· Stroll the streets to see the largest number of sculptures per square kilometre of any French city. Start at the Parc des Prix de Rome, a 16,000 square metre garden-museum. Then follow the tree-and-sculpture-lined Boulevard Watteau to Rhônelle Garden, adorned with numerous bronze and stone sculptures and designed to look like an English Garden.

· Ride the thirty-kilometre Scheldt loop from the Val'Escaut marina along the banks of the Scheldt River. The route takes you through former mining towns to the Ledoux headframe, a preserved mining headframe in Condé-sur-l'Escaut that is now a listed historical monument.

· The small town of Isbergues is best known for hosting the International Grand Priz d'Isbergues, a professional cycling race established in the late 1940s. The race has taken place every September since, welcoming champion riders from across the world.

· Located between the historic town of Esquelbecq and neighbouring Flemish-style village Wormhout, is the Plaine au Bois Memorial site. Commemorated at the cemetery are 30 of the victims of the Wormhout massacre, which took place on 28 May 1940, as British troops tried to stem the Nazi advance toward Dunkirk. The site is now a quiet place for reflection and remembrance of those who lost their lives, and the six servicemen who survived the attack.

· Stop in at nearby Brasserie Thiriez, a small craft farmhouse brewery established in 1996 by Daniel Thiriez. Earthy, rich, hoppy Belgian-style beers are the focus here, with just four natural ingredients used to create a range of eight unfiltered beers. Visitors are given a warm welcome with hour-long tours and tastings available every Friday afternoon.

· In Dunkirk visit the Operation Dynamo Museum, a must-see that charts the incredible story of the 'Miracle of Dunkirk', the dramatic wartime evacuation depicted in Christopher Nolan's 2017 blockbuster Dunkirk.

· Then follow in the wake of the Dunkirk Little Ships on a sailing boat tour of Dunkirk’s East Mole, which enabled hundreds of thousands of soldiers to be evacuated during the nine-day operation.

· Dine onboard one of the little ships, paddle steamer Princess Elizabeth, which crossed the Channel four times in June 1940, saving 1,673 soldiers. This Little Ship is now a spectacular restaurant, moored in Dunkirk harbour.

Explore the coast around Dunkirk by bike through towns, marinas, dunes and beaches on the 53km maritime cycle path through the heart of the Dunes de Flandres between Grand-Fort-Philippe and Bray-Dunes.

Amiens is a green city with the River Somme flowing through its centre to the foot of its vast Gothic Cathedral. It is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, with a wealth of sculpted decorations and stained glass. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the summit of its 302 steps also offers the finest views over the city and the surrounding landscape.

Other interesting sights along this stage of the route include:

· Les Hortillonages, the floating gardens of Amiens. A major heritage site, this unique mosaic of island gardens is best seen on an electric boat tour of its network of canals. Between June and October, a unique art and garden festival takes place at the gardens with major installations by young artists from across France.

· The house of Jules Verne, who wrote Around the World in Eighty Days and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The city marks the 120th anniversary of his death this year and visitors can follow a 90-minute walking tour to discover Amiens as the 'ideal city' he described.

· Officially one of the most beautiful villages in France, the medieval town of Gerberoy inspired impressionist painter Henri Le Sidaner, who persuaded its residents to plant climbing rose bushes in front of their houses, creating a fragrant floral display that remains to this day. Visit the artist's remarkable gardens, inspired by Italian landscapes and works of art and located in the ruins of an ancient castle.

· Rouen is a city of contradictions, much of it having been destroyed by bombing during World War Two, but at its heart is a charming medieval old town with cobbled streets, historic buildings and heritage galore. It's gothic cathedral is the tallest in France and inspired Claude Monet, who painted it more than thirty times. Every summer the exterior of the Cathedral is lit up in a spectacular light and sound show, 'Cathedral of Light', using 3D projection and live musical performances.

· The Historial Jeanne d'Arc is a state of the art museum dedicated to the Maid of Orleans. The self-guided tour tells her story using projections, 3D mapping, and audio commentary based on testimonials from those who knew her.

· Following her trial, Joan was burnt at the stake in the Old Market Place in the centre of Rouen. Today a bronze cross stands at the site to commemorate her life, while the unusually-shaped modern church structure next to it defies the spectacular interior of the Church of Saint Joan of Arc, which functions as a medieval stained-glass filled church honouring Joan and a French civil memorial to her status as a heroine. 

· In 2021 Rouen was recognised as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy thanks to its rich variety of local and regional specialities and its 250 restaurants. A highlight is the chic gastronomic restaurant La Couronne, France's oldest inn which was established in the Place du Vieux Marche in 1345.

Pedal through the streets of Rouen following the Seine a Velo route, which will take you through the Old Market and Cathedral districts, on to the Museum district and the impressionist gardens of Verdrel Square, and on to the Saint Ouen district and its art galleries, antique shops and restaurants.

France is easily accessible with car and bike-friendly ferry crossings from DFDS via its Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk and Newhaven to Dieppe routes. All three are close to departure and stopping-off points along the Tour route. Day trip fares from Dover are from just £45 return for a car and four people. Three day return trips start from £119. On the Newhaven to Dieppe service, prices start from £100 each way for a car and four people. Cyclists can travel on all three routes from £25 per person. For more information or to book visit www.dfds.com.

Michelle Ulyatt / Sandy Fleming

Roch PR Ltd

T: +44 1304 272082

E: dfdsteam@rochpr.com

DFDS provides ferry and transport services in and around Europe, generating annual revenues of EUR 2.3 bn.

To over 10,000 freight customers we deliver high performance and superior reliability through ferry & port terminal services, and transport and logistics solutions. DFDS delivers high reliability to more than 10,000 freight customers through ferry and port terminal services and transport and logistics solutions.

For more than five million passengers, it provides safe overnight and short sea ferry services.

Our 12,700 employees are located on ships and in in offices across 20 countries. DFDS was founded in 1866, is headquartered in Copenhagen, and listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen.

In the UK, DFDS operates passenger ferry services on routes from Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk, Newcastle to Amsterdam and Newhaven to Dieppe.

DFDS has been named ‘Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator’ for 12 years running (2012-2024), as well as the ‘World’s Leading Ferry Operator’ for the last 13years (2011-24).

DFDS currently operates up to 54 sailings a day between Dover and Calais and Dunkirk. DFDS also offers two daily sailings between Newcastle and Amsterdam. In addition, the UK network includes a passenger and freight service between Newhaven and Dieppe, which has four daily sailings and is owned by Transmanche Ferries.

For further information about DFDS, or to find out about the latest sailing times, fares and offers across all routes from the UK, visit www.dfds.com.