Although often bypassed by tourists rolling off the ferries and heading south, the town of Dunkirk and its surrounding are a worthy destination in their own right.

We packed reporter Rhys Griffiths off on a DFDS ferry for the short hop across the Channel to find out what this region of northern France has to offer.

The name Dunkirk - or Dunkerque, to our Gallic cousins - is one etched into our island's story in the darkest days of the previous century.

Thanks to newsreel footage of thousands of stranded Allied soldiers, and the little boats dispatched to save them from the German encirclement, our mental picture of the place tends to be rendered in black and white.

And while there are of course still reminder of the events of 1940, in the here and now I experienced my short stay in this welcoming coastal region as a riot of colour.

Striking modern art in a gallery sprung up in the old shipyards, bold and bright flags fluttering on the sands for a music festival, an incredible sunset over the North Sea - these are memories I took away from my time spent in Dunkirk and exploring its hinterland beyond.

After enjoying breakfast on our two-hour crossing from Dover to Dunkirk's port, we headed away from the coast and, following a pit stop for coffee in the shadow of the cathedral of Saint-Omer, we soon arrived at Brasserie Goudale.

A brewery with more than 100 years of history, it is now operated from a state-of-the-art facility in Arques which produces beers sold all over France and beyond.

Our tour beginning in a screening room, where we are shown a short film outlining the brewery's history and the process they use to make their products.

From here we are taking to the cavernous production facility where workforce of 160 toil away developing and perfecting a range of beers, both under their own labels and for other brands.

A highlight is seeing the remarkable machinery whirring away, with thousands and thousands of bottles clattering past as they are labelled and packed ready for distribution to all corners of the land.

Our visit to the brewery ends, most fittingly, with a chance to taste a selection of their delightful drops.

In the tasting room we are greeted by an array of colourful beer taps - reflecting changes in the market as new styles of beer gain traction alongside typical varieties - and the guide who took us around the brewery turns barmaid as she pours frothy glasses of the beers we request to taste.

The trip is off to a grand start, and we depart Arques with our appetites whetted ahead of dinner on the beachfront in the Malo-les-Bains neighbourhood of Dunkirk.

Arriving by the long, flat beach where the evacuation of 1940 was carried out, we have a moment of reflection at the memorial to those who were killed during the battle for the town.

It is a reminder that we are walking in the footsteps of thousands of men who enduring terrifying days and nights not knowing if they would ever see home again.

But this is not a trip for looking backwards - even if we will always remember the name 'Dunkirk' for those terrible times.

Here on the promenade the mood is full of joy, with the terraces of bars and restaurants packed with families and friends enjoying the evening sun, a bite to eat or an aperitif.

On the sands there are people busy readying the beach for a music festival which is due to start the next day. The town feels relaxed, happy and hopeful - life returning to normal after the pandemic.

Our host, from the local tourist board, explains to us that the lengthy lockdowns brought a number of natives back home from jobs in the big cities, like Paris, where previously they had relocated for work.

The ability to work from home had brought many back north, and plenty are now considering making the switch permanent.

After a pleasant stroll along the seafront we sit down for dinner, and after rising from the table we walk outside to be greeted with a spectacular sunset over the sea.

Our first day complete, we head to our hotel on the main square of the nearby walled town of Gravelines, where in the morning we'll be taking to the water for a guided boat trip around its fortifications.

Fought over and passed between empires down through the centuries, the town is situated at a strategically important location at the mouth of the River Aa, where trade from the countryside flowed towards the sea.

We depart the jetty aboard a boat powered by an electric motor, which means we enjoy a beautifully quiet hour-long voyage around the 'moat' of the town fed by the Aa.

The only sounds come from the wildlife living on the banks and from our guide, who points of places of interest as we glide gently through the water.

It's a lovely way to see the town from a different vantage point, and during the summer there are boats for hire to those who want to circle the walls at their own pace.

Back on dry land and we are off, rather bizarrely, to see an even bigger boat.

At the Tourville Association, a group of seafaring enthusiasts are engaged in the somewhat quixotic endeavour of reconstructing - at full scale and with traditional techniques - a 17th century French naval vessel.

The building of the ship, which will be christened the Jean-Bart in honour of a famous Dunkirk sailor, is the dream of Christian Cardin.

A diver with a passion for maritime history, he founded the association in 1992 and construction of the 57-metre vessel began in 2002. It will take decades for the team to complete the build, a task which would have taken as little as two years in a working shipyard in the 17th century.

Clustered around the hull of the ship, which is gradually reaching up towards the sky, are a series of traditional workshops and a small museum which it is hoped will form part of a tourist attraction for years to come.

Christian guides us around the site, explaining the history of the project and showing us inside the hull of the ship.

Although the sides of the vessel are already towering above us, it will be an event more impressive sight once the build is complete and the Jean-Bart is able to be explored in her full glory.

Departing Gravelines, we head into the heart of Dunkirk for our final stop of the trip: the Operation Dynamo Museum, just a short walk from the beaches of Malo-les-Bains.

It is located inside Bastion 32, the headquarters of Allied forces during the battle for the town, and tells the story of the evacuation through an incredible collection of artefacts recovered from the battlefield.

Weapons and uniforms fit with the grand narrative sweep, but the most moving items are the everyday items - razors, packets of cigarettes, match books, small notebooks filled with the handwriting of men who never came home.

It's a museum worth visiting and, judging by the weekday crowds speaking numerous languages, it is a popular stop for visitors to the town.

Of course it is important to honour the memory of the past. But I left Dunkirk invigorated by the spirit of a town and its people with their sights firmly on the future.

Getting there

DFDS offers up to 24 daily sailings from Dover to Dunkirk, with crossings taking two hours. Fares start from £68 each way for a car and four people. Book at dfds.com.

Rhys Griffiths travelled as a guest of DFDS