The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
With miles and miles of sandy beaches, Dunkirk France has blossomed and expanded its maritime offerings as well as establishing new leisure pursuits. Known primarily for Operation Dynamo, the biggest evacuation in military history Dunkirk is now home to France’s third largest dock. Maritime sports remain its biggest attraction with miles and miles of sandy beaches stretching over 15 kilometres into Belgium.
In preparation for the Tall Ships Races taking place in Dunkirk in July 2025, the three mast Duchess Anne Ship is currently in dry dock being renovated.
Learning to sail or just enjoying being in the middle of a large expanse of water can be either exhilarating or relaxing depending on whether a participant or someone who enjoys relaxing, enjoying the wildlife, and the stillness. Seals and cormorants are common sightings. On the shore people fish for shrimp. Out at sea there are ship wrecks to be avoided, while on the shore there are remains of a German plane, left as a remembrance. At sea and perched on top of one of the buoys is a colourful mermaid, a landmark for people to come and throw the ashes of their beloved ones. Rather than a cumbersome life jacket, safety harnesses are used that inflate when they touch the water. Those in wheelchairs are accommodated.
The centre of Dunkirk was bombed and largely destroyed during the Second World War but the surrounding areas, many with elegant buildings from the late 1880s as well as the Belle Époque, have been preserved. Getting around is easy with frequent buses that are free which encourages people not to use cars, and make use of the public transport.
The city centre has been rebuilt. Three buildings, the Belfry, one of 28 original towers; the Gothic facade of the adjoining church; and the ornate town hall adorned with statues that have at its centre one of Louis XIV on his horse, have been preserved.
Take a lift to the fifth floor of the fifteenth century Belfry where every 15 minutes bells chime. On Saturday afternoons, watch the bell ringers as they do this manually. Climb the 65 steps via a very narrow staircase to the top for sweeping views of the city and docks. During the summer, on Friday evenings, enjoy the beautiful vistas with a drink in hand. Open to the public throughout December, the Town Hall is transformed into Santa’s village, with an accompanying Christmas market in the main square. A statue of the pirate Jean Bart sits high on a column overlooking the square, which is named after him. From January to Mardi Gras, the festive day celebrated in France on Shrove Tuesday, villages around Dunkirk take it in turn at the weekend to celebrate the Carnival with their own parade.
In 2022, two new superior four star dog-friendly hotels, the Mercure in the town’s centre and the Radisson Blu in the suburbs at Malo-Les-Bains opened. The 89 bedroom, Mercure overlooks the Port de Plaisance. With floor to ceiling windows, the bedrooms have spectacular views. The breakfast room on the ground floor has views of the harbour which is lined with yachts and various boats.
From my room on the top, fifth floor, a jetty road leads to the water’s edge where the Princess Elizabeth, one of the small boats used in Operation Dynamo, is moored. Within walking distance of the hotel, the boat has now been converted into an atmospheric floating restaurant. It was baptised the Princess Elizabeth in honour of the birth of the daughter of the then King of England, George V, who later became Queen Elizabeth II.
Being on the Belgium border, food has a Flemish influence often with dishes cooked in beer rather than wine. Carbonnade flamande, beef slow-cooked in beer and red sugar, is a popular dish. A lot of produce is sourced locally, and being by the sea, fish particularly shell fish is on a lot of menus. Beers also tend to be popular with a greater choice on menus than those offered for wine.
Dunkirk has two breweries, the larger one Brasserie des 4 Ecluses uses its own recipes, producing 15 varieties of beer. Tours which explain the different malts and hops, how to differentiate between them, and what food is best with a particular beer, can be booked at the local tourist office.
Away from the city centre, Malo-Les-Bains has a pedestrianised promenade over four kilometres long, where locals young and old “faire La Digue”, which when translated means taking a stroll along the promenade, taking your dog for a walk or meeting-up with friends. The Digue borders sandy beaches and the sea on one side, while the other is lined with restaurants and bars. These include Cornet D’Armour, which is known as the best place in Dunkirk for ice-creams with a choice of over 30 flavours.
At the end of the Digue, with an elevated area facing onto the sea, is the 110 bedroom Radisson Blu Grand Hotel & Spa with its own car park. The decor of the bedroom with floor to ceiling windows is shaped as an inverted V at the top, reminiscent of a sail which opens onto a small terrace, overlooking the sea. A big attraction is their spa which has an indoor heated swimming pool with jets, and facilities that includes a Hamam, (wet heat), sauna (dry heat), dripping ice, and a cold water bucket hanging from the ceiling. Particularly exhilarating for anyone standing underneath it!
Outside their ground floor restaurant l’Opale is a monument dedicated to the pilots, sailors and soldiers of the French army and allies who sacrificed their lives in the battle of Dunkerque May/June 1940.
Near the hotel the seafood restaurant L’iode specialises in predominately local food. Enormous platters contain lobster, mussels, large prawns and oysters. Turbot is cooked with artichokes. Wines, only French, comes in half or whole bottles with a small choice of wines by the glass.
Along the stretch of promenade, between the beach and the sea are expanses of sand in which are tufts of grass, bushes, and plants known as the dunes. There is an art to walking on the dunes, particularly in areas where the sand is particularly deep. Guided tours explain about the flora, fauna, and wildlife found there. Dogs are welcome on designated areas of the beach where the remains of German bunkers, one of which is covered in decorative graffiti, have been left as a reminder.
All around are reminders of Operation Dynamo, and a museum in one of the Bastions tells its story. In 1940, over nine days more than 338,000 British, French and Belgium soldiers were evacuated from the beaches and port of Dunkirk. The operation is said to have contributed to convincing their British allies to refuse a compromised peace.
Dunkirk has not stood still. At Malo-Les-Bains, two massive buildings made up of exhibition and relaxation spaces, overlook the sea. FRAC Grand Large is part of a worldwide organisation that keeps an eye on prospective and experimental approaches to art and design, as well as providing support for young artists. An architectural site with a collection of over 2,000 works. Cultural events are also staged here.
A sculpture park with at its centre a very modern building houses LAAC, dedicated to continually changing exhibitions of Contemporary Art and Action from the year 1945 onwards. The park is an oasis of tranquillity with a lake filled with lilies by the building’s entrance. On raised ground sheep, that are sculptures, graze contentedly.
The film Dunkirk has reminded people of the town’s historical associations, but Dunkirk has also managed to move on from its military past while, at the same time, retaining its heritage.
