ABOVE: Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Guide to Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Region comprising the départements of
Nord (59) and
Pas-de-Calais (62)
Population: 4 million
Principal city: Lille
Tourist board
With four million inhabitants, this is the most densely populated area of France after the greater Paris region. It is well placed in relation to the rest of Europe, with excellent communications, notably the Lille railway station on the London-Paris Channel Tunnel line. Its traditional major industries, coal and textiles, are no longer the major employers in the region, and the area is increasingly looking to other sources of income, such as tourism, international commerce and light industry.
Some elements of local culture bear recognisable similarities with Britain — even the very origins of the 'English' game of cricket are thrown into question by medieval references to a game called criquet in Liettres, a small village in Pas-de-Calais.
The architecture is also recognisably northern European, and the brasseries are just as dedicated to the making of bière de garde as their British counterparts are to making real ale. Beer is one of the great loves of the region; last century, every village had at least one bar which produced its own beer. Some estaminets are just one room; others have games rooms attached. Do visit a bar or two to seek them out, and try one or two of the huge varieties of beer.
Given the area's proximity to — and hence strategic importance against — Britain, it's no surprise that military memorials from just about every era are found throughout. Anyone who has even passed through Calais will have seen the chain of concrete blockhouses, built by the Nazis during WWII and left as a poignant reminder of darker days. Other important scenes of military activity were Azincourt (Hundred Years' War) or Agincourt, as it is better known to the English; the WWII V2 launch sites at St-Omer and nearby Éperlecques (both must-sees); the memorial at Vimy Ridge (WWI) and the beaches at Dunkerque.
Nord (59)
Population: 2.5 million
Principal city:
Tourist board
The Nordistes are amongst the proudest regions in France . . . and that's saying something! Their tourist board is a great evengelist too — its boundless enthusiasm no doubt attributable to the fact that visitors from the rest of northern Europe usually tear down the autoroutes to warmer climes. The recurrent images people have of the Nord département are its decidedly northern European weather and the industrial north; dark and grim. However, although this area has been overlooked by holidaymakers since time immemorial, it has seen growing success with day-trippers over the past decade.
The Nord readily admits its 'Black Country' image, and even plays on it. There are museums devoted to every facet of industry, including wind and water mills, textiles, masonry and glass-making. The Centre for Mining History at Lewarde (Hainaut) is a reminder of the mining past of the region: with an ex-miner as your guide through 450 metres of galleries, you can appreciate something of what it was like to be a 'black-mouth'.
But this is not an uncultivated wasteland; the art galleries in the region have an international standing. the Museum of Fine Arts in Lille, for instance, is second only to the Louvre in terms of its collection; and the Museum of Modern Art, in nearby Villeneuve d'Ascq, is an equally dynamic showcase for famous modern and new contemporary works. Other valuable collections are found at Valenciennes, Cambrai, Douai, and many other towns.
The north has its own way of celebrating carnival: it features huge figures, often in a family, that parade through the town borne by a gang of (very fit!) porters beneath. There is a particular giant for each town — Gargantua in Bailleul, Jean the Woodcutter in Steenvoorde, Henri le Douanier in Godewaersvelde. Other notable giants are those of Cambrai, Cassel, Douai and Dunkerque. The giants first appeared in the 15th century; several theories have been advanced as to the giants' origins: they could be of Spanish or Scandinavian origin, they may be representations of biblical characters; or they may be connected to the trade guilds of the Middle Ages.
Day-to-day culture is reflected in the estaminet, which fulfils the same social rôle as the British pub. Beer is of course, one of the great loves of the region. Last century, every village had at least one bar which produced its own beer; some estaminets are just one room; others have games rooms attached. The variety of pub games in such a small area is remarkable: they include skittles, giant version of darts, and Flemish boules. Do visit a bar or two to seek them out, and try one or two of the huge varieties of beer. The food of the north is as different to typical French cuisine as it could be: many dishes are cooked in beer, and often go under a Flemish name: try waterzoï, a dish of mixed freshwater fish or poultry in a thick spicy sauce; or pot'je-vleesch, a mixture of cold meats in jelly.
Pas-de-Calais (62)
Population: 1.5 million
Principal city: Arras
Tourist board
Given the département's proximity to — and hence strategic importance against — Britain, it's no surprise that military memorials from several eras are found throughout the département. Anyone who has passed through Calais and its environs will have seen the chain of concrete blockhouses, built by the Nazis during WWII and left as a poignant reminder of darker days. Further inland, near St-Omer, the modern visitor centre of La Coupole takes its name from the dome that was built to protect Hitler's V2 rocket launching station. This is a must-see for young and old alike; the widely commended exhibitions trace the themes of the Nazi Occupation, wartime arms research, and the postwar space race.
The préfecture of Arras was a key Allied stronghold during WWI but certain underground galleries used during the war have only recently been discovered. The town's museum give a fascinating insight into everyday life for soldiers at the time.
Azincourt, or Agincourt as it is better known to the English, will always be associated with the famous battle of the Hundred Years' War. The battle that was fought on St. Crispin's day is of course immortalised in Shakespeare's Henry V. In recent years a visitor's centre has been established in this peaceful corner of a foreign field.
Some elements of local culture bear recognisable similarities with Britain; the architecture is recognisably northern European, and the brasseries are just as dedicated to the making of bière de garde as their British counterparts are to making real ale. Indeed, the tongue-in-cheek Université de Bièrologie has been set up by raconteur and entertainer Ronny Coutteure, who holds forth on his own particular passion: beer. If you can't make his lectures you can always sign up for the home-study course! Even the very origins of the 'English' game of cricket are thrown into question by medieval references to a game called criquet in Liettres, a small village in Pas-de-Calais.
A large proportion of the département's income derives from the sea; Boulogne is the largest fishing port in France, and the largest fish processing centre in Europe. Calais, on the other hand, is the largest passenger port in France.
One interesting feature of the coastline is the improbable legend behind the 'bearded lady' saint of Wissant, south-west of Calais. A statue in its little church shows a bearded figure wearing a yellow dress: Saint Wilgeforte was endowed with a beard by God to prevent her impending arranged marriage to a non-Christian.