Name and Location

Tour du Leughenaer is a historic harbour tower located on the Place du Minck, at the head of the Quai des Américains, in the city of Dunkerque (Dunkirk), Nord department, Hauts-de-France, northern France. The address is 13 Place du Minck, 59140 Dunkerque, France.

Construction and History

The Tour du Leughenaer is a medieval structure, part of Dunkerque's original harbour fortifications, with a probable construction date in the 15th century. Its exact date of construction remains unrecorded. The tower was originally used as a harbour watchtower and daymark, later fitted with a light for shipping guidance.

Architecture and Materials

The Tour du Leughenaer is a simple conical tower built using local brick and dressed stone, topped with a slate roof lantern. Its height above ground is approximately 30 meters per cadastre.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse is no longer an active aid to navigation; its light range and characteristic are not recorded. It has been decommissioned.

Accessibility and Visiting

The Tour du Leughenaer can be admired from the Place du Minck and the adjacent Quai des Américains. The interior is not regularly open to the public, but visitors can approach on foot via the pedestrianized Place du Minck, just off Dunkerque's Grand'Place.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the tower's base, visitors enjoy wide-open views along the harbour basin, across the modern container terminals to the North Sea, and on clear days, toward the Belgian coast. The Place du Minck remains an open plaza, preserving sight-lines to the tower.

Anecdotes and Folklore

The name "Leughenaer" is derived from a Flemish word meaning "look-near" or "vigilance", an apt description of its original watchtower role.

Technical and Operational Details

No specific technical details are recorded for this lighthouse. It has been listed as a Monument historique (French Historical Monument) since 1995, managed by the City of Dunkerque in partnership with the French Ministry of Culture.

Further Information

For deeper historical context, consult the local archives of Dunkerque or the Base Mérimée dossier held by the French Ministry of Culture.