Shopping in Dunkirk and French Flanders

The French way of life on your doorstep.

Shopping in Dunkirk is easy, practical and pleasant ! First of all there are 400 shops in the town centre. The Pôle Marine houses a cinema complex and several restaurants. The Marine shopping centre offers clothing and perfume shops, a supermarket etc. Parking is no problem, with 4800 parking spaces (of which more than 1000 are free) in and near the town centre.

Not to be missed if you do a little shopping: crèmerie “la Ferme”, rue Poincaré, that displays over 300 kinds of cheeses, and the Jean Bart finger (delicious almond biscuit with a coffee cream centre and coated with chocolate), a local speciality created 50 years ago by pastry shop Vandewalle (rue du Sud).

The conurbation boasts a number of impressive hypermarkets. Auchan Flandre Littorale is one of the biggest hypermarkets in the north of France !

Dunkerque is proud to have typical open markets in the centre of town on Wednesday and Saturday.Malo-les-Bains, the Dunkirk seaside resort, has a lively centre. On Tuesday morning, the very nice open market on Place Turenne is a starting point for a stroll to the beach promenade to get some fresh air or to take a meal in one of the many restaurants.
Do not miss the nice centre of the borough of Rosendael, where a traditional open market takes place on Sunday mornings.

Dunkerque and French Flanders have a tradition in the field of flea markets and car boot sales. Don’t miss the annual international Flea market in the Town centre of Dunkerque on Ascension day (2 June 2011).

Eat out and enjoy great food

Thanks to its exceptional location, Dunkerque boasts a unique combination of traditional Flemish cooking and excellent seafood. You’ll find fantastic seafood platters and freshly caught «Fish of the day» alongside traditional waterzoi and potjevleesch. And why not try our latest pride, the excellent locally produced mussels !

From a quick snack to a 4-course gastronomic extravaganza, one thing is sure: Dunkerque’s huge range of restaurants represents excellent value for money !
Throughout the year, Dunkerque celebrates the French way of life, organising three events of main importance: the Gourmet Fair “le Temps des Mets” (from 8 to 10 April 2011), the Oyster festival (from 30 September to 2 October 2011) and the huge Wine and Beer fair, from 28 to 31 October 2011.