Northern France

Why go

Hauts-de-France, the region between Paris and Belgium, is the part of France that Americans speed through on the way to somewhere else. That is a mistake. Lille is one of the best food and shopping cities in France, with a Flemish old town of brick and carved stone. Amiens has the largest Gothic cathedral in France. The Opal Coast has chalk and sandstone cliffs looking across to England, and the Bay of Somme has seals and salt meadows.

The region is also full of history. Much of the Western Front of World War I ran through here, and the Somme, Arras and the Aisne hold memorials to millions of soldiers from Britain, the Commonwealth, France, Germany and the US. The 1918 Armistice was signed in a railway carriage in the forest of Compiègne. And for royalty and racehorses, Chantilly and Pierrefonds are among the finest châteaux near Paris.

Distances are short. Lille is an hour from Paris by TGV, and the Eurostar links Lille and Calais to London, so this region fits well at the start or end of a trip that includes England.

Lille

Lille was a Flemish city before it was French, and it feels like it: steep gabled roofs, ornate brick facades, cafés serving Belgian-style beer, and a warm, unpretentious local culture.

The Braderie de Lille

On the first weekend of September, Lille holds the Braderie, the largest flea market in Europe. Around 10,000 vendors and two million visitors fill some 60 miles (100 km) of streets from Saturday morning to Sunday night. Everything is for sale, from antiques to junk, and the tradition is to eat moules-frites; restaurants pile their empty mussel shells into mountains outside. The 2026 Braderie was held on September 5–6; it normally falls on the first weekend of September, which in 2027 would be September 4–5, but confirm the dates with the Lille tourist office before booking. Hotels sell out months ahead and the center is closed to cars.

Amiens

Amiens Cathedral, Notre-Dame d'Amiens, is the largest Gothic cathedral in France, big enough to hold Notre-Dame de Paris twice. It was built mostly between 1220 and 1270 and survived both world wars largely intact. The west front's carved figures were once brightly painted, and on summer evenings and in December a free light show projects the original colors back onto the stone. Check the Amiens tourist office for dates.

Behind the city, the hortillonnages are about 740 acres (300 hectares) of floating market gardens cut by canals, farmed since the Middle Ages. From April 1 to October 31, the association that protects the hortillonnages runs guided tours in traditional flat-bottomed boats, and several smaller operators run electric-boat tours, some of them year-round. The Amiens tourist office lists them all. Amiens was also Jules Verne's home for 35 years; his house, with its tower, is a museum. The waterfront Saint-Leu quarter is the place for dinner.

The Somme battlefields

On July 1, 1916, the British Army suffered nearly 60,000 casualties on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the bloodiest day in its history. By November, more than a million men had been killed or wounded on all sides. Today the rolling farmland between Albert and Péronne is dotted with hundreds of small military cemeteries and memorials. It is easiest to visit by car or with a guide, from a base in Albert, Amiens or Arras.

American sites in the region

American troops fought here in 1918, often alongside British and Australian units. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) maintains these free sites, generally open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except December 25 and January 1. Check abmc.gov before visiting.

• Somme American Cemetery, at Bony, near Saint-Quentin, with 1,844 graves and 333 names of the missing on the chapel walls, mostly from the 27th and 30th Divisions and others who fought with the British in 1918, including the breaking of the Hindenburg Line in September 1918.
• Bellicourt American Monument, a few miles away, built over the Saint-Quentin canal tunnel the Germans used as part of the Hindenburg Line, commemorating the 90,000 Americans who served with the British armies in 1918.
• Cantigny American Monument, near Montdidier, marking the first American offensive of the war, by the 1st Division in May 1918.
• Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Belleau Wood, at Belleau, and the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery at Fère-en-Tardenois, in the south of the Aisne, with the Château-Thierry Monument nearby. Belleau Wood, where US Marines fought in June 1918, is sacred ground for the Marine Corps.

For grave searches and the full list, see our American heritage trail.

Arras, Lens and the Wellington Quarry

Arras has two of the most beautiful squares in northern France, the Grand'Place and the Place des Héros, surrounded by rebuilt Flemish-baroque facades. The belfry of the town hall is a UNESCO site, with an elevator to the top. Under the city, the medieval chalk quarries were extended by New Zealand tunnelers in 1916 and 1917 to hide about 24,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers before the Battle of Arras. The Carrière Wellington (Wellington Quarry) museum takes you 65 feet (20 m) underground on an hour-long guided tour with an audio guide in English. It is one of the most affecting war sites in France. Check the Arras tourist office for this season's hours and prices, and book ahead in summer.

Louvre-Lens

A branch of the Louvre opened in 2012 in a former coal mining town, in low glass and aluminum buildings on an old mine site. The Galerie du Temps shows about 200 masterpieces from the Louvre's collections in one long hall, arranged chronologically from 3500 BC to the 1800s. Entry to the Galerie du Temps and the Glass Pavilion is free; temporary exhibitions cost €12 (about $13), €6 for ages 18 to 25, and are free under 18. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed Tuesdays, January 1, May 1 and December 25. An exhibition on cuteness in art runs until January 18, 2027. Lens is about 1 hr 10 min from Paris by TGV, or 40 minutes from Lille. Nearby, the conical slag heaps of the coal basin are a UNESCO site.

The Opal Coast and the Bay of Somme

Chantilly, Compiègne and Pierrefonds

Suggested itineraries

Two days: Lille and Arras

1. Day 1

   Lille

   Take a morning TGV from Paris Nord (about 1 hr). Walk Vieux-Lille, have lunch at an estaminet, then the Palais des Beaux-Arts. Evening with Flemish beer in Vieux-Lille.

2. Day 2

   Arras and Vimy

   Train to Arras (about 20 minutes on the TGV). Wellington Quarry in the morning and the squares at lunch, then a taxi or pre-booked guide to Vimy Ridge and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. Return to Paris from Arras (48 minutes on the fastest TGV).

Four days with a car

1. Day 1

   Chantilly and Compiègne

   Drive or take the train from Paris to Chantilly (25 minutes from Paris Nord) for the château and stables. Pick up a car and continue to Compiègne for the Armistice clearing. Sleep in Compiègne or Pierrefonds.

2. Day 2

   Amiens

   Morning at Pierrefonds, then an hour to Amiens for the cathedral and an afternoon boat ride through the hortillonnages. Dinner in Saint-Leu.

3. Day 3

   The Somme

   Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel, Lochnagar and the Historial at Péronne, then east to the Somme American Cemetery at Bony and the Bellicourt monument. Sleep in Arras.

4. Day 4

   Vimy and Lille

   Vimy Ridge in the morning, then Louvre-Lens, and on to Lille for the evening. Return the car and take the TGV to Paris or the Eurostar to London. Swap this day for the Opal Coast if you prefer cliffs to cities.

Getting there and around

Lille has two stations a short walk apart: Lille-Europe for most TGVs and the Eurostar, and Lille-Flandres for many Paris TGVs and regional trains. Check which one your ticket uses. Direct TGVs also run from CDG airport to Lille in about 50 minutes, which avoids Paris altogether. Book on SNCF Connect; see our trains guide.

A car is the way to see the Somme battlefields, the American cemeteries and the Opal Coast. Roads are easy and quiet. See driving in France.

Calais, the Eurostar and ferries

The Eurostar stops at Lille-Europe, about 1 hr 20 min from London St Pancras. Calais is also the main ferry port to Dover (about 1 hr 30 min, with P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries), and the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle carries cars through the Channel Tunnel from Coquelles in about 35 minutes. UK border controls take place in France before you board.

Where to base yourself

Lille for city life and train links. Arras or Amiens for the Somme battlefields. Le Touquet, Wissant or Saint-Valery-sur-Somme for the coast. Chantilly or Compiègne for the châteaux. See where to stay.

Budget travelers will find good-value chambres d'hôtes in the Somme villages, often run by hosts who know the battlefields well.

Food and beer

This is beer country, more like Belgium than Bordeaux. Lille's estaminets, cozy taverns with old games and wooden tables, serve hearty Flemish food. See our food guide.

• Carbonnade flamande: beef stewed in dark beer with gingerbread and brown sugar.
• Potjevleesch: cold chicken, rabbit, pork and veal in aspic, served with fries.
• Welsh: a slice of bread with ham, soaked in cheddar melted with beer, baked and topped with an egg. Very rich.
• Maroilles: a pungent washed-rind cheese, also baked in a tart (flamiche).
• Waffles and merveilleux: Méert's thin filled waffles and cream-and-meringue cakes.
• Seafood: moules-frites everywhere, and fish and shellfish in Boulogne.
• Ficelle picarde: a crêpe rolled around ham and mushrooms, baked with cream, from Amiens.

Beer culture

Northern France has a long brewing tradition and dozens of craft breweries. The local style is bière de garde, an amber or blond "keeping beer"; try brands such as Jenlain, 3 Monts and Ch'ti, and newer craft brewers in Lille. Many beers are strong, 6% to 9% alcohol, and are served in 25 cl or 33 cl glasses. Ask for a demi (25 cl) if you want a smaller glass. The Flemish-style Cassel and Bergues area also has breweries and windmills to visit.

Seasons and events

• Spring (April–May): cool, green; hortillonnage boat tours begin in April.
• Summer (June–August): mild, rarely over 80°F (27°C). July 1 Somme commemorations at Thiepval and Lochnagar. Beaches on the Opal Coast fill with Belgian and French families.
• September: the Braderie de Lille on the first weekend.
• November 11: Armistice Day ceremonies at Compiègne, Thiepval and across the region, and remembrance services at the American cemeteries around Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
• December: Christmas markets in Lille, Amiens and Arras, and the Amiens cathedral light show.
• Winter (January–March): gray, damp, around 35–45°F (2–7°C). Lille is lively all year; the coast is quiet.

Tips for Americans

• The battlefields are rural. Plan meals, fuel and restrooms in Albert, Péronne or Arras.
• Bring waterproof shoes: cemeteries and trenches are on grass and mud much of the year.
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries have registers in a bronze box by the gate. Sign the visitors' book.
• The CWGC website lets you search for British and Commonwealth soldiers; the ABMC site covers Americans. See our American heritage trail.
• If you have just come from London on the Eurostar, Lille is a great first stop in France before Paris.
• Combine with Normandy via the coast, or with Champagne via the Aisne battlefields.

Related pages

• Day trips from Paris, including Chantilly
• American heritage trail
• Trains, driving and entry requirements
• Food and festivals
• Normandy, Champagne and Alsace & Lorraine