2 days in Dunkirk What to see and do for a weekend of heritage, seaside fun and great food

First stop: the belfry, an absolute must during your stay!

A lift takes you straight up to the 5th floor, where you’ll discover the carillon’s 50 bells, ringing out local tunes every fifteen minutes.

From there, there are just 65 steps left to reach the panoramic terrace, 58 metres above the ground. The climb is manageable – the view is anything but ordinary! The whole city unfolds before you.

Just a stone’s throw from the belfry, head to the market stalls to discover local produce, flavours and, above all, the local atmosphere. The market takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 8am to 2pm.

Then continue your food adventure with lunch at the Halles des Sœurs Blanches. This food hall celebrates local, fresh and quality produce, with plenty of ways to enjoy a meal in a friendly atmosphere. The perfect place for lunch when you don’t want to choose between “quick” and “good”.

Next, follow the quays of the marina towards the Musée Maritime & Portuaire, located in the historic Citadel district.

This museum can be explored both indoors and outdoors. Inside a former tobacco warehouse, you’ll discover the daily life of fishermen who sailed to Iceland and learn about the many professions connected to the sea through unique collections.

Outside, you can climb aboard the museum’s historic ships, including the Duchesse Anne, a fully restored three-masted sailing ship.

After a busy day, there’s no need to look far for your final activity.

In Dunkirk, the sunset is sometimes the best show of the evening. From your room, facing the sea, simply sit back and watch the landscape change.

So… still wondering whether you made the right choice by daring to come to Dunkirk?

Day two is all about the open sea.

After a coffee overlooking the water – because a little poetry never hurts – lace up your trainers. Just 276 steps now stand between you and the top of Risban Lighthouse.

The lighthouse is only open to visitors on Sundays from 10am to noon, so this is your chance!

We won’t pretend your legs won’t feel it afterwards, but the view from the top – bringing together the city, the port and the sea – is more than enough to make you forget every single step.

Now it’s time for one of the favourite activities of the people of Dunkirk: going for a stroll along the seafront.

As you walk along the promenade, you’ll discover the elegant, slightly eccentric seaside villas inherited from the Belle Époque, when Malo-les-Bains became a fashionable seaside resort for Parisian artists and intellectuals.

Continue as far as the East Pier for a lovely walk overlooking the sea.

But this beautiful setting also carries a powerful history: this is where a major episode of Operation Dynamo took place, when thousands of Allied soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940.

After exploring the city centre, it’s hard to imagine that more than 80% of it was destroyed during the Second World War.

And while Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk brought the story of Operation Dynamo to audiences around the world, the cinema obviously only tells part of the story.

The Dunkirk 1940 Museum tells the extraordinary story of the Battle of Dunkirk and the evacuation of more than 330,000 Allied soldiers in less than ten days.