Dunkerque – literally ‘church of the dunes’ – was originally a small village with a fishing port, established in about 800 AD. Due to its strategic
position, it was fought over by the French, Spanish, English and Dutch. Louis XIV purchased the town from the English in 1662 and it became definitively French. Thanks to the
fortifications created by the great architect Vauban, who transformed the port and the town’s walls, there followed a sustained period of
prosperity. During this time, the hero of Dunkerque, Jean Bart, fought off attempts by the English to seize the town and Dunkerque continued to thrive. However, its flourishing
economy was undermined by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, then the French revolution in 1789, and more recently the First and Second World Wars. Dunkerque was the scene of
Operation Dynamo in May-June 1940, and was also the last French town liberated, on 10 May 1945.
Today, Dunqerque is France’s third largest port, a dynamic city which looks out onto the busiest sea-lanes in Europe and where hospitality and good times are a way of life. As well as its
historical treasures and some fascinating museums, Dunkerque is also only a beach ball’s throw away from the seaside resort of Malo-les-Bains, miles of sandy beaches with a
charming promenade packed with restaurants, pavement cafés, bars and a casino.

Address details: :
Office de Tourisme de Dunkerque Plage
Place du Centenaire
Digue de mer-rdc du Kursaal
59240 DUNKERQUE


How to contact:
Phone : 03.28.58.10.10
Fax : 03.28.58.85.29
Email : eole.dkdunesdeflandre@wanadoo.fr


Opening times:
12/06/2005 - 05/09/2005 On 09:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00