diff --git a/dune/gfe/realtuple.hh b/dune/gfe/realtuple.hh
index c1bcb1800c8a769f16a64b1db1c773c507a032b0..c6a09dac495a7044feb97a5c5b90d9f57a28293d 100644
--- a/dune/gfe/realtuple.hh
+++ b/dune/gfe/realtuple.hh
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ public:
     /** \brief Global coordinates wrt an isometric embedding function are available */
     static const bool globalIsometricCoordinates = true;
 
+    /** \brief The type used for global coordinates */
+    typedef Dune::FieldVector<double,N> CoordinateType;
+    
     /** \brief Dimension of the manifold formed by unit vectors */
     static const int dim = N;