Site of Operation Dynamo, the mass evacuation of Allied soldiers in May 1940 recently spotlighted by Christopher Nolan’s 2017 film, Dunkirk is awash in wartime history and Flemish-influenced cuisine. Visit the non-profit Mémorial du Souvenir to learn about the evacuation – it’s housed in Bastion 32, a 1874-built coastal defence base, that was Allied and French headquarters during Operation Dynamo. You’ll hear the chiming bells of Unesco World Heritage–listed Le Beffroi before you see its 50 bells for yourself; keep climbing for a view that stretches the English Channel. Nearby is Église St-Éloi and its glorious stained glass and massive pipe organ. If it’s a French beach you seek, head to Malo-Les-Bains for a swim and an appreciation of the shoreline’s history.