Église Saint-Éloi de Dunkerque

Dunkerque

A mass of brick and stone watching over the port city, witness to the wars and carnivals that follow one another beneath its belfry.

The principal church of Dunkirk, rebuilt in Flamboyant Gothic after the fire of 1558, Saint-Éloi houses the tomb of Admiral Jean Bart, a son of the town. Its belfry, a free-standing tower and not the bell tower of the church itself, has been inscribed since 2005 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The church is closely bound up with the legend of the giant Reuze Papa, since Saint Éloi is, according to local tradition, the one who converted him and now protects him.

Getting there : Church listed as a monument historique; the neighbouring belfry, a rebuilt free-standing 15th-century tower, has been inscribed since 2005 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the Belfries of Belgium and France

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound