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Dunkerque

The Dunkirk 1940 Museum — Operation Dynamo

The evacuation of 340,000 men, told from the very place it was commanded

An anti-aircraft gun in front of the museum entrance, in the casemates of Bastion 32

The essentials

Where
Dunkerque
How long
An hour and a half
Price
Charged, with reduced rate and free entry in some cases
  • Bastion 32
  • 350 m of route
  • May–June 1940
  • For a rainy day
What to do in Dunkirk?

In May and June 1940, more than 340,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk and the harbour mole, under bombardment. This was Operation Dynamo, and the museum that tells its story stands exactly where it was directed from.

Bastion 32, built in 1874 for coastal defence, served as the command post for Admiral Abrial and General Fagalde during the battle. The museum occupies its casemates.

What you’ll see

Three hundred and fifty metres of route, within the thickness of the bastion: operational maps, photographs, weapons, uniforms, models. The chronology is followed day by day, the only way to understand how the evacuation managed to last nine days.

Most of the objects on display come from right here: recovered from the beach, the dunes, or the sea. It's not a purchased collection, it's what the battle left behind.

Worth doing before or after

The museum is a few minutes from Malo-les-Bains beach, the site of the evacuation. Walking it after the visit changes entirely what you see: it's a holiday beach, and it's the same sand.

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    3 activities to book

    What activities to do in Dunkirk?

    Our favourite

    For Operation Dynamo

    Le musée Dunkerque 1940

    The museum devoted to the May–June 1940 evacuation, a stone's throw from Malo beach.

    1 h 30 · museum

    For the town seen from above

    Le beffroi Saint-Éloi

    The 1440 belfry, a UNESCO listed site, can be climbed for the view over the harbour and the town.

    45 min · climb

    For the beach

    Le longe-côte et le char à voile à Malo-les-Bains

    Malo beach hosts Dunkirk's 'longe-côte' and sand-yachting clubs.

    Supervised session · booking required

    Our 3 restaurants

    Where to eat in Dunkirk?

    Our favourite

    To eat on the Malo sea wall

    La Cocotte

    A traditional restaurant on digue de Mer, facing Malo-les-Bains beach.

    Restaurant · 55 digue de Mer

    For a bistro-style table

    Wood & Bro

    A restaurant on digue des Alliés, in Malo-les-Bains.

    Restaurant · 3 digue des Alliés

    For fish

    L'Iode

    A fish and seafood restaurant on the Malo-les-Bains seafront.

    Fish and seafood · Malo-les-Bains

    Nearby

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