The best time to see Dunkerque
There are two main seasons when Dunkerque is really worth seeing. The first is in spring when the town revives itself from the winter dullness by starting spring with the annual carnival. The other season is in summer and the main activities then are held at the beach.
The start of spring
Spring kicks off with the Dunkerque Carnival. There is a big parade through the town center, which features a big figurine called Reuze Papa. The parade also features men wearing women’s dresses and women dressing exaggeratedly fancy. The response of the crowds is of course to look on and laugh, except when they are suddenly sprayed by water or slapped in the face by a wet fish.
Summer fun
The main things to try at the beach in Dunkerque are undoubtedly surfing and windsurfing. There are a lot of beginner and advanced courses supervised by qualified instructors. If you didn’t bring a board you can always choose one of the 35 boards available for rental. If you get enough of surfing you can switch to kayaking anytime or even try speed sailing on the beach, which is a lot of fun.
