Discover Northern France
Hauts-de-France, formed by the former Picardie and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, is the northernmost region of France and long underrated for tourism. Its coast, from the Côte d'Opale to the Bay of Somme, offers spectacular landscapes: the cliffs of Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez facing England, the dunes of Pointe du Hourdel, the vast beaches of Berck and Le Touquet. The Bay of Somme, classed Grand Site de France, shelters Western Europe's largest seal colony and offers a patchwork of salt marshes, mollières, sea-meadows and fishing villages (Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Le Crotoy). Inland, Lille and its Flemish centre (Vieille Bourse, Grand'Place, UNESCO belfry) concentrate culture, brasserie gastronomy and festive atmosphere. Amiens and its Gothic cathedral — France's largest, UNESCO — illustrate the medieval power of the north. The Château de Chantilly, its Musée Condé and Grandes Écuries form one of the country's finest heritage ensembles. Twenty-three Flemish belfries in the region are World Heritage-listed. On the terroir side, Maroilles AOP (France's oldest cheese, 10th-century abbey), Mimolette, leek flamiche, Flemish carbonade, welsh, Boulogne crackers, northern beers (Trois Monts, Ch'ti, Cuvée des Trolls) and traditional estaminets enrich the table. Visit from April to September, avoiding the sometimes strong sea winds of autumn and winter.
