Travel guide Nord

The best kept secret of the North, some say. A jewel to be protected at all costs say others. A territory where Epicurus would have felt at home, say some locals. All this is true: the Avesnois is the greenest, most pastoral and authentic part of the North. Listed as a Regional Nature Park, the Avesnois is beautiful, protected and worth visiting!

Slag heaps that dot the landscape, once industrial and now family-owned, where nature has reclaimed its rights, as in Douai. Mines that were closed yesterday and have become museums today, to perpetuate the heritage and knowledge of the elders. A UNESCO inscription and the recognition of a unique element of the North, present everywhere.

There are more than a hundred of them, spread all over the North department. They are sometimes the only business in a village or an old pharmacy now converted. However, they all have something in common: the assurance of being welcomed, of finding a hot drink, information and a smile when you arrive.

The one of Dunkerque, known worldwide and which attracts crowds every year. Those of Bailleul or Cassel, which bring families and dancing giants: the Carnival is an essential part of the heritage of the North. We party, we celebrate life, we sing ritual tunes, year after year: this is also the North, popular and joyful.

Louis XIV wanted a line of fortresses to protect France in the North. Vauban, the most brilliant military architect of his time, was given (almost) free rein to satisfy the royal desire: this is how these typical citadels were born, from Bergues to Lille, from Gravelines to Quesnoy. Beautiful visits and discoveries!

City of privateers, city of battles, city of carnival, city of the ocean and port, Dunkirk cannot leave anyone indifferent. Sometimes you come here without really knowing why and you leave wondering how to get back here, quickly! With a great cultural offer, the proximity of Bergues and Gravelines, it is the ideal destination for a citytrip!

From Maroilles to the Tome de Cambrai, including the Pavé bleu, the Boulette d'Avesnes and other marvels to be discovered in each of the territories, the North is a land where cheese is held in high esteem. It is not only tasted: it is also cooked, matched and accompanied. We know how to use it to delight the taste buds!

Several meters high, asleep 364 days a year, they rarely come out. Maybe they are shy? Maybe they don't want to be seen when they are not dressed in their best? In any case, they often live with their families and are sometimes heroes and heroines. They like to dance: they are the Giants of the North!

The northern capital is a leading destination and a major international gateway. It must be said that with the beauty of its old town, its cultural vitality and its crazy energy, there are many things to do! But Lille is also the metropolis and Roubaix, Tourcoing, Villeneuve-d'Ascq where there are many treasures to visit.

Whether it is urban, through fields, a bit steep, along a beach, along a dune or in forests, hiking is omnipresent in the North. From the landscapes of the Avesnois to urban walks, from the beaches of Zuydcoote to the memory trails of the Cambrésis, there is something for everyone, at all levels: come and check it out!

Regional languages still very much alive (Ch'ti, Flemish), a renowned sense of hospitality, age-old festivities such as the carnival, old-fashioned games still played, estaminets that are still alive: the North is proud of its traditions and its identity.

There is the official bike, a paved race with a terrible reputation, which has become a mythical event: the Paris-Roubaix. And then there is the more popular, touristic bike, a little Charles Trenet and a lot Nord. With the formidable network of nodes, there is no need to bother: the route is created almost in real time. Ideal for a nice outing!