Nord, Pas-de-Calais

About the region The Region: The north of the region has huge expanses of white sandy beach (‘The Opal Coast’), accommodating lots of beach and water activities, such as sand surfing. Further south are marshland, fields and forests.

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Le Nord is the most northerly region of France, and borders Belgium. The similar climate and cultures of Belgium and Le Nord are reflected in the landscape of the north of this region, with the numerous windmills and flat land.

For some city excitement, there is always one festival or another going on in one of Le Nord’s towns. It is even known as the carnival region, because of the party atmosphere generated during the cities’ many celebrations, and there is not a single week of the year that hasn’t got a festival going on somewhere in the region.

Weather: Cool, rainy winters, warm summers, with lots of wind all year round. The climate is similar to the south coast of England.

Gastronomy: Fresh seafood reigns supreme, but there are also plenty of fresh products and dishes to discover from the fields and woodlands inland, the most famous being the locally produced beer.

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Lille - A Northern Star

Just a short hop on the Eurostar, Lille is an historic city with a certain famous son, hearty local gastronomy, strong beers and a wealth of cultural sites to visit. Justin Postlethwaite enjoys a perfect French city break more...

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Arras - More to the Town Than Meets the Eye.

Why not visit for a weekend? Arras is a little-known town in the far North of France, near Lille. It is quick and easy to reach by ferry (Calais or Dieppe) or plane (Le Touquet or Lille), and filled with beautiful old houses and interesting architecture. But there's much more to the town than it's buildings, museums and shops... underground tunnels...

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Nord

French Magazine takes a tour around this département Now that Eurostar trains can speed through the Kent countryside at a record-breaking 186 miles per hour, weekenders can reach Lille in 100 minutes flat from Waterloo. This means, of course, that they have more time for the usual urban indulgences ... more...

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