A rather humid and cool climate
If you complain about the weather during your stay, the inhabitants of Hauts-de-France will often reply that "the sun is in our hearts". In any case, the figures don't belie the region's reputation for being wet and cool! In Lille, for example, the average for 2023 is +5°C in January (the coldest month) and +19 to +20°C in July and August (the hottest months). Only the Thiérache hills experience harsher winters, with frequent frosts. Very cold spells can occur, as can heatwaves, with temperatures approaching 35°C and even 40°C, particularly in June and July.
Rainfall is abundant in the west of the region, particularly along the coast and on the Ponthieu and Vimeu plateaus. However, contrary to popular belief, Hauts-de-France is not the rainiest region in France. In 2023, Pas-de-Calais ranked 25th among the wettest regions, while Nord was 44th. In any case, it's a good idea to always have something to protect yourself from the rain when you take a trip to the Nord.
Multiple reliefs and landscapes
The Hauts-de-France region offers tourists a multitude of landscapes. Mountains, hills and slag heaps punctuate the landscape of bocages, plains, marshes, jagged coastlines and bewitching dunes. If Hauts-de-France is nicknamed "le plat pays" (like its neighbor Belgium), it's because most of the territory is occupied by vast plains. However, the terrain does rise on occasion, notably in the Thiérache region of the Aisne, but also in the Avesnois, Soissonnais, Noyonnais and Boulonnais regions.
Flanders is also known for its mountains: Mont des Cats, Mont Cassel and Mont Noir are all popular with cyclists, runners and other outdoor sports enthusiasts. Similarly, in the south of the Nord département, the extreme south-east of the Avesnois park boasts a number of peaks, the highest of which is : Anor (272 m). In the Pas-de-Calais department, coastal cliffs rise to over 200 meters. Aisne is the highest department of the two regions, and the highest point is in the Ardennes massif, at Watigny (285 m). Mining also gave rise to the terrils, hills resulting from the accumulation of mining waste.
Northern France is also one of these highly irrigated regions. The area's waterways were put to use very early on, with the rapid creation of river ports in towns that would later grow in importance, such as Saint-Omer. There are 680 km of navigable waterways, spread over almost all the rivers, such as the Aa, the Deûle, the Escaut, the Lys... and of course all the canals, some twenty in the whole of the Hauts-de-France region. Numerous pedestrian and cycling itineraries enable you to discover these long-flowing waterways: the Véloroute de la Deule in the Lille Metropole, the Vallée Un'Escaut in the Valenciennois, the Véloroute de la Lys in Flanders...
After a period of prosperity in the 19th and early 20th centuries, river transport now accounts for only a small proportion of traffic, but it nevertheless retains all its relevance in these "wet" regions, close to major coastal ports such as Dunkirk, Antwerp and Rotterdam. What's more, river transport is seen as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to overland transport.
Beautiful natural areas to explore
If you enjoy exploring, you'll find what you're looking for in the region. Lovers of caves and caverns will be fascinated by the boves d'Arras, dug out from the 10th century onwards and which today are converted underground tunnels. In the same style, visit the underground city of Naours, used as a hiding place during the world wars.
There are many large forests in the Oise (Chantilly, Halatte, Compiègne...) and the Aisne (Saint-Gobain, Retz...), but the Somme has only one large forest: Crécy. In the Nord region, the forests of Mormal, Saint-Amand and Nieppe account for over 1,000 hectares, while the Pas-de-Calais region relies mainly on those of Hesdin, Clairmarais and Boulogne.
Several small lakes dot the region. These include Lac de l'Ailette in Aisne (160 hectares), Lac d'Amaury (Saint-Amand forest, Nord) and Valjoly, the largest north of Paris. There are also numerous marshes and peat bogs, such as the Marais Audomarois, the Marais de Guînes or the Marais d'Isle in the heart of Saint-Quentin. The hortillonnages of Amiens add to this picture of interlacing marshes and peat bogs.
A region bordered by the coastline
Bordered by the North Sea and the English Channel, the Hauts-de-France region enjoys a temperate oceanic climate. The seafront plays a fundamental role: holidaymakers flock to the various seaside resorts that have sprung up on the long beaches of fine sand and, more rarely, pebbles (in the southern part of the coastline, bordering Normandy).
Three major ports stand out: Dunkirk (France's third largest port), Boulogne-sur-Mer (France's largest fishing port) and Calais (France's largest passenger port). Opposite these three giants, a number of small marinas dot the coastline, including Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery in the Somme, and Le Touquet in the Pas-de-Calais.
For hiking, the Côte d'Opale between the Belgian coast and the Baie de Somme is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful coasts in France. It's here that you can admire Cap Gris-Nez, just 28 km from England (the shortest distance between France and England), named after the clay rock that forms the cliffs, just as Cap Blanc-Nez takes its name from the chalk that makes up the coastline. The Picardy coast is also remarkably varied, stretching from the Authie Bay to the cliffs of Mers-les-Bains. The dunes of the beaches in the north of the region are followed, south of the Baie de Somme, by chalk cliffs (up to 70 meters high).
