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The northern-most region of France is Nord-Pas-de-Calais. For UK tourists it’s the threshold of Europe where they can set off by road or rail north to Belgium, Holland and the Scandinavian countries, east to Germany, Austria and beyond, or south to Paris and the Mediterranean. Indeed it’s a key stop off point for many travellers before journeying onwards so it provides ideal investment opportunities for tourist accommodation. With well over 5m people it is one of the country’s most highly populated regions.
Divided into two departments – Pas-de-Calais and Nord – it was one of the country’s earliest regions to be established after the French revolution. Sadly, too, it was the arena for some of the most devastating battles during the First World War and memorials, such as the one at Vimy Ridge, are a true testament to the great tragedy that took place.
Nord’s main administrative centre is Lille where a lot of money was spent bringing it up to the 2004 Culture Capital for Europe, and Eurostar trains stop here on their way to Paris. Arras is the capital of Pas-de-Calais with its cathedral and mediaeval market centre. The region’s other principal towns include the channel ports of Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk and, inland, Lens, Montreuil and St Omer.
Nord, a long and narrow department tucked up against the Belgium border, once rattled with looms whilst smoke belched from its forest of mill chimneys where a large proportion of France’s cloth was made.
Even today, 30% of French textile manufacturing is still produced in this department but, obviously, new technologies have made it a far more cleaner, quieter process. It was also one of the country’s most prolific coal mining areas.
The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region’s geography is well known for its seemingly endless miles of contrasting countryside. Livestock amble across gentle meadows and marshlands, which are interspersed with forests and woods. There are rolling hills where ancient windmills still exist alongside modern wind turbines producing renewable energy for local communities.
Its varied coastline stretches for many miles and there is an abundance of regional natural parks. Also there’s a fine network of inland waterways that once serviced the industrial revolution but now provide a peaceful network of leisurely boating experiences that grow more and more popular with local people and tourists.
It’s a region renowned for its mouth-watering gastronomy and local delicacies including some very specially brewed beers. And with such a diverse history stretching back many centuries there’s an abundance of museums, monuments and historical sites. It’s also steeped in tradition, which manifests itself through the popular fairs, fêtes and festivals that take place all year round.
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