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Dunkerque

The Musée Portuaire of Dunkirk

A tobacco warehouse, a tall ship, a barge and a lightship

The full-rigged tall ship Duchesse Anne, moored in front of the Musée Portuaire
Photo: Raimond Spekking, source, CC BY-SA 4.0

The essentials

Where
Dunkerque
How long
Half a day
Price
Charged; separate tickets for the museum and the ships
  • Three ships afloat
  • Duchesse Anne
  • Family-friendly
  • Port of Dunkirk
What to do in Dunkirk?

The museum occupies a former tobacco warehouse on the Quai de la Citadelle, and tells the story of a port that has in turn been a privateers' base, a cod port, an industrial port and an oil port.

But the real highlight is outside, afloat: three ships can be visited, and that's what makes it a family outing rather than just another museum.

The three ships

  • The Duchesse Anne A 1901 full-rigged tall ship, formerly a German training vessel. You go down to the decks where two hundred cadets and sailors once lived: the largest French sailing ship open to visitors.
  • The Sandettie A lightship — a floating lighthouse. It held station offshore for decades, with a crew aboard. You can visit the wheelhouse, the cabins and the engine room.
  • The Guilde A canal barge, telling the other side of the port's story: river transport and the life of the bargemen.

Planning the visit

The museum and the ships are paid for separately or with a combined ticket. The ships close in winter and in rough weather — the kind of detail worth checking before you make the trip, especially if you're coming for the Duchesse Anne.

Allow half a day to see everything without rushing, and sturdy shoes: there are a lot of gangways and ladders to climb.

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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

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