Northeastern France in brief
 South
and southwest of Calais, North East France is undulating country,
with small towns like Montreuil sur Mer, lots of rivers, and plenty of
attractive countryside. The central part of the region is flatter and,
near the Belgian border, between Dunkerque (Dunkirk) Lille,
Tourcoing and Valenciennes the area is partly industrial. Yet this is a
region with plenty of history - some magnificent cathedrals and
impressive monuments from the two world wars. It also includes the Champagne-Ardenne region, round the historic cities of Rheims, and Epernay, with its famous vineyards and wine cellars.
The real north east corner of France includes the regions of Alsace and Lorraine.
This is an attractive region with historic cities including Verdun,
Metz, Nancy and Strasbourg, plus plenty of large areas of coniferous
forests on and near the Vosges mountains (which are quite similar to
the Black Forest in Germany).
The southern part of Lorraine is
extremely rural, with rolling hills and lots of old small towns that
look as if time has passed them by. Property in this part of northeast
France can be very cheap.
Alsace, lying between the Vosges
mountains and the Rhine, is a very distinct region, with its hills, its
vineyards and its steep-roofed half-timbered houses, painted in many
colours. The Alsace capital Strasbourg
is seat of the European Parliament. Historically Alsace was a
German-speaking region, and the culture and traditional architecture of
the region have more in common with the German tradition than with
France. The centre of old Strasbourg, located on islands in the Ill
river, is one arguably the most attractive city centre in northeast
France; with its great gothic cathedral, its waterways, its old half
timbered houses, and museums and its world-famous Christmas market, old
Strasbourg attracts visitors throughout the year.
Main cities:
Lille, Dunkerque, Calais, Arras, Valenciennes, Charleville-Mézières, Strasbourg, Reims, Nancy, Metz
Going further: tourist attractions
More detailed information for each region
Photo credit: Alecs-y. Metz cathedral. Licence GNU |
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