Of bricks and stones
The architecture of the North is like a patchwork, changing according to the regions and the vagaries of history. Thus, if one crosses the department from west to east, from the coast to the Avesnois, one notes important differences, quite logical! Towards Dunkerque and along the coast, one finds low and elongated houses in yellow brick, with a desire to build on one level, this being due to the sometimes capricious weather conditions (wind and rain)!
Going east, towards Hazebrouck and Bailleul, one finds more pastoral scenery, villages and traces of a rich industrial past linked to textiles. There are still typical habitats, small lines of workers' houses but also protected villages that nothing seems to have been able to destroy, like Cassel.
Continuing towards the rising sun, we come to the huge metropolis and the urban ensemble around Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing. Here, urbanism reigns supreme, even joining Tournai and Kortrijk on the other side of the province. However, the cities have managed to preserve their heritage and Lille has many architectural surprises in store, just like Roubaix.
Before arriving in the Avesnois, the most eastern territory of the North, you will have to go along the Douaisis and the Scarpe-Escaut Regional Natural Park. Here again, it is a beautiful mix between surprising cities (Valenciennes, Douai, Cambrai) and a flourishing, protected and preserved nature. We cross belfries, slag heaps, and coalmines before reaching Fourmies, in the foothills of the Ardennes massif, at the very end of the North and the Avesnois. Here, the eyes sparkle and wonder between the magnificent buildings in typical blue stone and the charming villages that make you want to settle down and never leave!
The belfries are hot
At first glance, one might think that the architecture of the North is uniform, dull and unoriginal. What a mistake! Just take the time to walk around and explore the different regions of the department to realize, on the contrary, the extraordinary variety of architectural styles.
The cities, for example, are all different, but have one thing in common: the belfries! These secular towers, once housing bells and then chimes or clocks, are iconic and unavoidable elements of the North. They are so well known that since 2005 they have been listed on the Unesco World Heritage List: "Built between the 11th and 17th centuries, they illustrate the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architectural styles. They are highly significant symbols of the conquest of civil liberties (...). Over the centuries, they have become the symbol of the power and prosperity of the communes." 56 French and Belgian belfries are concerned by this classification, 11 of which are located in the North of France: in Armentières, Bailleul, Bergues, Cambrai, Comines, Douai, Dunkirk, Gravelines, Lille and Loos. If they are all vertical and unmistakable in the urban landscape, each of them has its own style and its particular history: a nice travel theme to discover the North.
Note that if you are not prone to vertigo and you like to see things from above, it is often possible to climb to the top of these belfries. The view from there is breathtaking and allows you to admire the cities from an unusual angle, from which landscapes, roofs and urban characteristics inherent to each city are revealed. Seeing Lille, Douai or Cambrai from above, it's a memory that leaves a mark!
From citadels to fortresses
Fortresses, citadels, battlefields and traces of combat: the North has seen many conflicts and still retains many marks. The cities, destroyed during the bombardments of the two world wars and then rebuilt in the immediate post-war period (through the competition of renowned architects such as Lurçat in Maubeuge and Niermans in Dunkirk) are the most obvious testimony. However, it is not these reconstructions that are the most striking symbol of the conflicts of yesteryear, unlike the fortresses, walls, citadels and other ramparts that dot the department!
Thus, Vauban, architect and tactician of genius, built under the reign of Louis XIV (and with his blessing) many citadels which are still standing today. In Bergues, Lille, Le Quesnoy or Maubeuge, you can find these citadels, now perfectly integrated into their urban environment. They have become a museum, a place for family walks or a city park, and constitute a real green lung and a true historical testimony, protected and preserved for good reason!
There are also many towers in the northern cities, which are just as well integrated, and which have survived the major urban redevelopment work of the late 19th century. If they are not all visited, they are nevertheless worth a detour, allowing you to get an idea of the local history and the points of passage of yesteryear. Thus, do not hesitate to visit the Tour des Arquets and the Caudron in Cambrai, the Saracen tower in Saint-Vaast, the Pont du Guet in Pont-sur-Sambre or, in Valenciennes, the remains of the defensive system, including the Citadel and the Tour de la Dodenne.
And let the wings turn!
They were once as common as a horse in a field or a good beer in a pub, but they are becoming rare nowadays: they are the windmills of the North. With their asymmetrical wings (Flemish type), there were more than 3000 of them around 1900. There are now about fifty of them, restored, valorized and celebrated every year during the windmill day organized by the ARAM (Regional Association of the Friends of the Mills). If you want to discover them with your own eyes, it is possible to visit the museum dedicated to Villeneuve-d'Ascq or to try your luck along the roads, on the Flanders side, towards Cassel, Steenvoorde, Terdeghem or Hondschoote.
