Far Northern France

© Lonely Planet Publications
224
Far Northern France
FAR NORTHERN FRANCE
France’s northernmost bits have more to engage the visitor than many realise. True, a tan is
easier to come by along the Mediterranean, but when it comes to culture, cuisine, shopping
and dramatic views of land and sea – not to mention good old-fashioned friendliness – the
Ch’tis (residents of the far north) and their region compete with the best France has to offer.
In 2008 the film Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (see the boxed text, p51), which debunks grim stereotypes about the far north with high jinks and hilarity, swept France, becoming the biggest
box office hit in the history of French cinema and creating a miniboom in domestic tourism.
Lille is an ideal place to sample Flemish architecture, cuisine and beer. More regional flavour
is on offer in Arras, whose Flemish-style squares are unique in France. Amiens, not far from the
battlefields of the Somme and a number of moving WWI memorials, boasts a magnificent Gothic
cathedral. If you snag a promotional fare on the Eurostar, the region is a superb, reasonably
priced weekend getaway from London – with a much smaller carbon footprint than flying.
The most picturesque of the trans-Channel ports is Boulogne-sur-Mer. Dunkirk (Dunkerque), on the other hand, is so uncomely – much of the city was rebuilt after WWII –
that you actually feel sorry for the locals, though there are still a few attractions. Although
Calais has worthwhile museums and restaurants, not to mention The Burghers (see the boxed
text, p236), most see it only through the window of an accelerating train, boat or car.
The sublime and spectacular Côte d’Opale stretches southward from Calais along the English Channel (La Manche). Inland, you’ll find WWII sites and St-Omer, known for its basilica.
Further south, the Somme estuary affords watery pleasures to humans and birds alike.
Just outside Greater Paris, Compiègne serves up the glories of Napoléon III’s Second Empire;
Beauvais is known for its huge, unfinished cathedral; and romantic Laon offers panoramic
views from its hilltop old town.
HIGHLIGHTS
„ Ramble along the spectacular, windswept Côte
d’Opale (p243), facing the white cliffs of Dover
Côte
d'Opale
Lille
„ Visit Lille’s superb museums (p229) and sample its
restaurants (p232) and nightlife (p233 and p233)
„ Contemplate Amiens’ breathtaking Gothic cathedral
(p256) both inside and out
Amiens
„ Stroll around – and under – the Flemish-style centre
of Arras (p249)
„ Ponder the sacrifices and horror of WWI at the
evocative Battle of the Somme memorials (p252)
„ POPULATION: 5.9 MILLION
Arras
Battle of the Somme
memorials
„ AREA: 31,813 SQ KM
lonelyplanet.com
FA R N O R T H E R N F R A N C E • • H i s t o r y & G e o g r a p h y 225
0
0
FAR NORTHERN FRANCE
Ch
an
To Dover
ne
lT
un
l
24
ap
Strait of Dover
(Pas de Calais)
(p
d
Cô
Wissant
N43
R
N1
D928 PAS-DET
CALAIS
Agincourt
(Azincourt)
Montreuil
-sur-Mer
O
Berck-sur-Mer
I
Tourcoing
Armentières
N
Indian
Memorial
A26
Le TouquetParis-Plage
D
Béthune
Roubaix
N41
La Carvin
Bassée
E
Bruay-laBuissière
Canadian
National
N39
Vimy
Memorial
Arras
Lens
R
NORD
Cambrai
Le CateauCambrésis
N43
N29
To CharlevilleMézières (78km)
St-Quentin
Ham
D
Montdidier
AISNE
TGV
A1
OISE
Beauvais-Tillé
Airport
Clermont
History & Geography
In the Middle Ages, the département of Nord
(the sliver of France along the Belgian border; www.cdt-nord.fr), together with much
of Belgium and part of the Netherlands,
belonged to a feudal principality known as
Flanders (Flandre or Flandres in French,
Vlaanderen in Flemish), which has absolutely nothing to do with Homer Simpson’s
annoying next-door neighbour Ned and
everything to do with John McCrae’s famous WWI poem In Flanders Fields. Today,
many people in the area still speak Flemish –
essentially Dutch with some variances in
pronunciation and vocabulary – and are
very proud of their flamand culture and cuisine. Along with the département of Pas-de-
To Paris
(75km)
To CharlevilleMézières (75km)
Y
Nord
Breteuil
Beauvais
Vervins
R
Roye
Gournayen-Bray
EURE
A2
Péronne
N1
To Rouen
(30km)
Valenciennes
Denain
S
A26
D929
A16
SEINEMARITIME
Jemappes
A23
Hénin-Beaumont
Amiens A
N29
Neufchâtelen-Bray
Maison
des Géants
A1
Albert
C
S
To Dieppe
(10km)
Ath (Aat)
VilleneuveTournai
d'Ascq
(Doornik)
N25
om N1
me
SOMME
To Brussels
(Brussel/
Bruxelles)
(55km)
Ronse
To Reims
(34km)
N44
Noyon
Oise
Château de
Blérancourt
(Musée National
N2
Clairière de de la Coopération
l'Armistice Franco-Américaine)
Aisne
Compiègne
To Paris
(100km)
Soissons
Laon
Calais (www.pas-de-calais.com), the Nord
forms the région of Nord-Pas de Calais
(www.tourisme-nor dpasdecalais.fr).
The area south of the Somme estuary and
Albert, towards Paris, forms the région of
Picardy (Picardie; www.cr-picardie.fr), historically centred on the Somme département
(www.somme-tourisme.com). The area northeast of Amiens saw some of the bloodiest fighting of WWI. The popular British WWI love
song ‘Roses of Picardy’ (www.firstworldwar
.com/audio/rosesofpicardy.htm) was penned
here in 1916 by Frederick E Weatherley.
Getting There & Away
Far northern France is a hop, skip and a jump
from England. On the Eurostar (www.eurostar
FAR NORTHERN FRANCE
I
N28
Mouscron
Lille
Douai
Parc
St-Pol-surHesdin
Ternoise
Ornithologique St-QuentinS
du Marquenterre en-Tourmont Crécy-enPonthieu Au
Rue
thi
Baie de
e
Somme
D939
D928
Le Crotoy
Pointe du
Beaurains
Chinese
Cemetery
Hourdel
(Noyelles-sur-Mer)
N17
St-Valery
Doullens
P
-sur-Somme
N30
See Battle of the Somme
Abbeville
Le Tréport
Memorials Map (p253) Bapaume
Eu
Oudenaarde
Menen
Bailleul
Arques
La Coupole
Aire-surla-Lys
Kortrijk
Ypres
A
St-Omer
N42 Wizernes
A
Boulognesur-Mer
Poperinge
Cassel
L
Clairmarais
Wimereux
ENGLISH
CHANNEL
(LA MANCHE)
A25
NORD
D940
Deinze
Ghent
(Gent, Gand)
BELGIUM
F
M
le
pa
'O Sangatte
te
e
Se
3)
ne
To Dover
50 km
25 miles
Nieuwpoort
De Panne
To Bruges
Veurne (Brugge, 43km)
Adinkerke
Dunkirk
(Dunkerque) MaloDiksmuide
Dewulf and
Loon Plage
les-Bains Marchand
A16
Dunes
N1
Bergues
Calais
Roeselare
To Dover