Lille to Dunkirk and Bergues: Private day trip

Today, Dunkirk is a picturesque coastal city with a nice historical center. However, as depicted in Christopher Nolan's new film, in May 1940 the city was transformed into a battlefield. Out-manned and out-gunned, Allied forces fell back to the beaches of Dunkirk in a harrowing retreat under heavy fire. While over 300,000 British, French, and Dutch troops managed to evacuate, over 30,000 were left behind and forced to surrender. Today, you can visit the infamous Dunkirk beach and imagine the excruciating moments the young men went through as they waited to be picked up. In the nearby museum, you can learn everything there is to know about the 1940 British evacuation bearing the codename "Dynamo".