Fort des Dunes

This fortress from the end of the 19th century still bears the traces of the fighting of 1940 and of the German occupation.

With the buildings hidden under the sand, the Fort des Dunes is an exceptional example of the military architecture of General Séré de Rivières. The fort was built at the same time as the Zuydcoote Battery in 1878 to protect Dunkirk and the harbour from attacks from the east. Due to the development of new weapons, the building quickly lost its strategic role. It then served as a barracks for 450 soldiers.
During the Second World War, the Fort des Dunes played an important role during Operation Dynamo, in which 338,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated during the largest embarkation of all time. During heavy German bombardments, about a hundred soldiers died in the fort, including General Janssen, the head of the 12th Motorized Infantry Division. Other dramatic events also took place here, such as the execution of eight resistance fighters in 1944. After the war, the fort had various functions and stood empty for many years until it was bought by the city of Leffrinckoucke in 1998. This impressive example of 19th century military architecture now has a vocation as a cultural heritage site and as a memorial site of the Second World War.

The Fort der Duinen has since undergone a radical metamorphosis. The educational, interactive and fun exhibition brings the history of our part of Flanders to life, in the extraordinary, historical setting of the Fort. The permanent exhibition extends over an area of 600 square meters. The new exhibition space is set up in the former quarters of the troops. In 6 rooms you will find impressive video installations, models and interactive information panels that trace the history, from "Marshal Turenne in 1658 to Operation Dynamo in 1940".

After visiting the exhibits in the troop barracks, you can explore the exterior of the fortress. With a Dutch-language audio guide, you follow a completely new route along which there are a dozen information boards.
You will discover the military architecture of General Séré de Rivières, the strategic and defensive organization of the fort and the various modifications made during the German occupation.
During the route you will reach the roofs of the fort, where you have a beautiful view over the North Sea, the dunes, the flat coastal strip, the Flemish hills and the city of Dunkirk.

Yvan Vandamme