On the road

Lille: Welcome to Lille, a vibrant city where history and architecture reveal themselves at every street corner. Explore the iconic Grand Place, savoring local specialties such as carbonnade flamande or croquettes . For a unique experience, visit the Marché de Wazemmes, a bustling market filled with regional treasures. With its creative energy and warm welcoming spirit, Lille is the perfect destination for culture lovers and urban explorers alike.

NORD (59)

Population: 2,616,909

Prefecture: Lille

Sub-prefectures: Avesnes-sur-Helpe, Dunkerque, Cambrai, Douai, Valenciennes

Surface area: 5,743 km²

Number of communes: 648

Specialities: potjevleesch, waterzooï, hochepot, Flemish carbonnade, Welsh rarebit, petit sale (bacon), moules frites (mussels and chips); desserts and pastries: tarte au sucre (sugar pie) and tarte au libouli, waffles. Local produce: potatoes (30% of national production), beetroot, chicory, smoked garlic from Arleux (PGI); cheeses: Bergues, Boulette d'Avesnes, Maroilles (PDO), Mont des Cats, Vieux-Lille; charcuterie: Lucullus tongue, Cambrai andouille; confectionery: Bêtises de Cambrai, Babeluttes de Lille, Chuques du Nord; drinks: chicory, beer, juniper.

Sports clubs: LOSC, VAFC (football), LMR (rugby), Vélo Club Roubaix Lille Métropole (cycling), BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque, AS Aulnoye-Aymeries, ESBVA-LM, Saint-Amand Hainaut Basket (basketball), TLM, Volley club de Marcq-en-Barœul Lille Métropole, Cambrai Elan (volleyball), USDK, Saint-Amand Handball Porte du Hainaut (handball), Les Corsaires de Dunkerque (ice hockey), Douai Hockey Club, Cambrai Hockey Club, Lille Métropole Hockey Club (hockey)

Competitions: Paris-Roubaix, Grand Prix de Denain, Grand Prix de Fourmies, Lille-Hardelot (cycling), Ch'ti bike tour (mountain biking), Tour Voile (sailing), Play Inn Challenger (tennis).

Festivals: Dunkirk Carnival (February), Nuits Secrètes in Aulnoye-Aymeries (August), Braderie de Lille (September), Name Festival (September), Maubeuge Beer Fest (October).

Economy: automotive industry, transport and logistics, retail, mail order, steel, petrochemicals, agriculture. Seven universities, including the largest in France.

Websites / FB:www.lenord.fr / www.jadorelenord.fr / @departement59 / @nordtourisme

SECLIN (POP: 13,000)

Overview: Home to the Lille-Séclin industrial zone, the largest economic hub in the Lille metropolitan area, Seclin also has a prestigious past, as evidenced by its ancient Saint-Piat collegiate church, its 13th-century hospital and its perfectly preserved 19th-century Séré de Rivières fort, which today houses a historical centre dedicated to the cavalry and artillery, particularly during the First World War.

Personalities: Seclin is the birthplace of tennis player Sarah Pitkowski, a regular in the Tour de France caravan, as well as Ghanaian international footballer André Ayew and paralympic cyclist Jérôme Lambert.

Saint-Piat Church

Construction: 13th century

Style: Gothic

History: Dating back to the 7th century, this former collegiate church is the oldest religious building in the Lille area. Originally, Saint Eligius, bishop of Noyon and Tournai, had a church built over the tomb of Saint Piatus, who was beheaded in 287 in Seclin. The cult of the martyr grew in the 11th century, leading to the development of the collegiate church and its buildings. The current church is a 13th-century reconstruction, renovated in the 15th century, with a bell tower added in 1531 and an 18th-century interior refurbishment.

Characteristics: In the 7th-century Romanesque crypt, the sarcophagus of St. Piatus dates from the 3rd century and is covered with a 12th-century engraved slab. The altar at the back of the crypt and transept columns are also original. The choir was modified between 1705 and 1725, and the 13th-century ambulatory leads to thirteen chapels.

Special features: The 1933 carillon has 42 bells and plays Le Petit Quinquin (on the hour), Le Roi Dagobert (quarter-hour), Mandoline d'Oiseaux (half-hour), and J'ai du Bon Tabac (three-quarter hour).

Listed as: Historic Monument since 1920

Marguerite de Flandre Hospital

Construction: 13th century

Style: Spanish-Flemish Renaissance

History: Founded in 1246 by Margaret of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders, the hospital was originally staffed by Augustinian nuns. It developed around a modest farm but managed an estate of 300 hectares. The last nuns left the site in 2013 after more than 700 years.

Characteristics: The north wing includes the oldest parts: a choir rebuilt between 1340–1360, a chapel from 1533, a 15th-century patients’ ward extended in the 17th century, and an 18th-century sacristy. The square courtyard was added in the 17th century. The east and west wings were built between the 16th and 17th centuries; the south wing includes buildings from 1701 to the early 20th century.

Listed as: Historical Monument in 1932

Carvin (Pop: 18,000)

Description: Formerly a stronghold of the mining industry, Carvin is now a small residential town in the Lille urban area. Its listed town hall is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais coalfield. The town has a large military cemetery where 6,113 German soldiers killed in the First World War are buried. Carvin is the birthplace of table tennis player Jacques Secrétin and several professional footballers (Louis Dugauguez, Maik Walter, Léon Glovacki, Stéphane Walczak and Cédric Berthelin).

Town Hall

Built: 1930

History: owned by a former brewer, Château Delehelle was bought by the town of Carvin in 1930 as its town hall. Architect Emile Benoît designed the plans for the new town hall in 1930. The landscaping of the park was entrusted to landscape architect Georges Van Den Heede in 1931.

Characteristics: this is a two-storey brick and stone building. The central pavilion is topped by a triangular pediment, above which a bell tower belonging to the former alderman's residence, built in 1788, has been added. The interior was decorated by painter and decorator Moïse Massy, with two stained-glass windows depicting miners leaving the mine and the harvest; a portrait of Jean Jaurès; the town's coat of arms; allegorical subjects, liberty, equality, etc.

Listed as: historical monument in 2009. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais coalfield.

Lens (Pop: 32,700)

Description: A former stronghold of the mining industry, Lens is home to the Lens-Liévin conurbation, which comprises 36 municipalities and has a population of almost 250,000. Together with Douai, it forms the Douai-Lens urban unit, with a population of 505,515, making it the tenth largest conurbation in France.

Highlights: As well as its mining past, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lens is also famous for its football club, RC Lens, whose Bollaert-Delelis stadium was built by miners and won the French championship in 1998, and for the annex of the Louvre Museum, which has been based there since 2012.

Personalities: Among the many personalities associated with the town of Lens are all the players and managers who have taken part in the adventure of the Red and Gold jersey of RC Lens. Lens is also linked to the history of the Tour de France, since it was here that its first winner, Maurice Garin, died in 1957. Less well known is José Beyaert, a native of Lens, who was Olympic road race champion in 1948, later moved to Colombia, and returned to France in 1990. He died in 2005.

Louvre-Lens Museum

Foundation: 2012

History: This "second Louvre Museum", inaugurated in December 2012, is an independent institution linked to the Louvre Museum in Paris by a scientific and cultural agreement. The museum was built on the site of the former No. 9 pit of the Lens mines.

Characteristics: The museum features three main exhibition spaces: the Grande Gallery, the Glass Pavilion and the Temporary Exhibitions Gallery. The Time Gallery presents masterpieces from all departments of the Louvre Museum in chronological order. The museum hosts rotating exhibitions and receives around 500,000 visitors per year.

Bollaert-Delelis Stadium

Built: 1933, renovated in 2015

History and characteristics: Built on the model of English stadiums and located in the heart of Lens, this stadium reflects the passion of the city for football. Its capacity exceeds the population of the city, with a record attendance of 48,912 in 1992. It has hosted matches for the football World Cup (1998) and rugby World Cup (1999 and 2007).

Ablain-Saint-Nazaire (Pop: 1,970)

Description: At the heart of the fighting during the First World War, Ablain-Saint-Nazaire is home to several memorials to the Great War, including the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette National Necropolis and the Ring of Memory. Its 16th-century church, listed as a Historical Monument in 1908, was demolished in 1915 and left in ruins as a testimony to the violence of the fighting.

Ring of Memory

Inauguration: 2014

Characteristics: The memorial, designed by architect Philippe Prost, consists of a ring with a perimeter of 345 m, weighing 300 tonnes, with a night-time LED light installation entitled *La grande veilleuse* (The Great Nightlight) by artist Yann Toma. It features 500 golden panels, around 3 metres high, on which the names of soldiers are inscribed in alphabetical order, without distinction of nationality, rank or religion. The park inside and around the ring was designed by French landscape architect David Besson-Girard. The names of 579,620 people, representing 40 nationalities, killed along 90 km of frontline in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais between 1914 and 1918, are included.

Notre-Dame-de-Lorette National Necropolis

Founded: 1925

History: Notre-Dame-de-Lorette hill takes its name from an 18th-century oratory. From October 1914 to October 1915, it was the site of intense fighting between French and German forces. Although only 165 m above sea level, it offers sweeping views over the Nord-Pas-de-Calais coalfield and the Arras plain. In one year, 188,000 soldiers, including 100,000 French, died in the battle for the hill. After the war, it was selected as a central burial site for remains from more than 150 cemeteries across Artois and French Flanders.

Characteristics: Around 43,000 servicemen are buried here, half in individual graves. The necropolis includes a cemetery, basilica, lantern tower, and museum across more than 25 hectares, making it France's largest military necropolis.

Special feature: A plaque commemorates François Faber, the "Giant of Colombes" and 1909 Tour de France winner, killed in May 1915. His body was never recovered, but a pair of giant madder-red trousers with his name inside remain a poignant reminder.

Listed as: UNESCO World Heritage Site since 20 September 2023 (part of 139 WWI memorial and funerary sites).

Béthune (25,340 inhabitants)

Description: At the heart of a conurbation with a population of 275,000, this historically middle-class town and canal town has seen its activities evolve in different directions: textiles in the Middle Ages, mechanical engineering and chemicals (tyre factory) in the late 20th century. Although located on the edge of the coalfield, Béthune has never had a mine on its territory. Half-destroyed at the end of the First World War, then rebuilt, occupied and damaged during the Second World War, the town is now renewing itself once again, with the creation of eco-neighbourhoods and a major urban renewal project. Rich in architectural heritage and history, it is nicknamed the "City of Buridan", after the 15th-century philosopher Jean Buridan. Other local celebrities include Fabien Roussel, the current secretary of the French Communist Party, Olympic fencing champion Eric Srecki and footballers Jocelyn Blanchard and Jérôme Leroy. Béthune has only hosted the Tour de France once, in 1984, for a half-stage won solo by Belgian rider Ferdi Van Den Haute. He thought he had won the Yellow Jersey, but after a recalculation of the bonuses, it finally went to Adrie van der Poel, Mathieu's father.

Belfry of Béthune

Built: 1388

Style: Medieval

History: The first belfry in Béthune was built in 1346. Built of wood, it was destroyed by fire. In 1388, during the Hundred Years' War, Marquis William I of Namur authorised its reconstruction in sandstone. A third floor was added in 1437, and a six-bell carillon was installed in 1546. The surrounding cloth market was destroyed by fire in 1664, leaving the belfry isolated in the centre of the square. In 1773, a new 36-bell carillon was installed. The belfry and carillon were destroyed by bombing in May 1918. It was decided after the war to leave the belfry standing alone in the Grand-Place.

Listed as: Historical monument in 1862. UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 (Belfries of Belgium and France).

Saint-Ignace Tower

Built: 1416

Style: Medieval

History: Dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, this artillery tower was part of Béthune's fortifications. It served as a powder magazine and features a vaulted guardroom from the 16th century.

Listed as: Historical monument in 1969.

Hazebrouck (Pop: 21,800)

History: Hazebrouck came into being towards the end of the first millennium and means the marsh (brouck) with hares (Haze), a marsh probably cleared by monks at that time. In the mid-sixteenth century, Philip II of Spain gave the town its first economic boost when he built a canal that encouraged the expansion of the local textile industry. Three centuries later, the railway consolidated the town's importance, and it became a coveted target during the two world wars.

Location: A peaceful town at the heart of a strategic hub, it is just 40 km from Dunkirk, 43 km from Lille, 56 km from Arras, 62 km from Calais and 16 km from the Belgian border.

Economy: The town has retained its agricultural vocation, with a major fair held every September, while developing its service and industrial sectors.

Famous people: This is the hometown of Cédric Vasseur, manager of the Cofidis team, for which he was also a rider in the 2000s. The son of Alain Vasseur, who won a stage in the Tour de France in 1970, he won two stages in the Tour himself ten years apart, in 1997 and 2007. He has finished all ten Tours de France in which he has taken part.

Steenvoorde (Pop: 4,300)

History: Steenvoorde has always been home to an active market. As early as 1320, written records mention this market, which was held on Saturdays and the products sold there were shipped to Ypres, Lille and Douai.

Economy: Even today, although the markets are no longer as large as they once were, the village's vocation is essentially agricultural (hops, flax, orchards, cereals, potatoes, beet) and, to a large extent, agri-food.

Sport: Alain Vasseur, Cédric's father and winner of a stage in the Tour de France in 1970, opened a cycle shop here after his career in 1974, which still exists today. His brother Sylvain Vasseur took part in six Tours de France between 1970 and 1976.

Saint-Jans-Cappel

Population: 1,610

Overview: Situated at the foot of Mont Noir, the village pays tribute to Marguerite Yourcenar (1903–1987), who spent part of her childhood here. The author of *Memoirs of Hadrian* and *The Abyss*, she won the Femina Prize in 1968, became the first woman elected to the Académie Française in 1980, and the first woman whose work was published in the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade in 1982.

Built: 1824

Opening: 1997

History: Villa Marguerite-Yourcenar, or Villa du Mont-Noir, is a neo-Norman-style manor house built in the 1930s on the grounds of the former Château Dufresne, which was destroyed during the First World War. Owned by the Dufresne family since it was built in 1824 by Amable Dufresne, the novelist and academician Marguerite Yourcenar lived in this château belonging to her mother's family for the first nine years of her life, from 1903 to 1912.

Characteristics: The villa is set in a 40-hectare departmental park on Mont Noir. In 1997, it was converted into a residence for European writers. It has been awarded the "Maisons des Illustres" label, and its grounds are listed as a sensitive natural area. It is linked to the Marguerite Yourcenar museum.

Listed as: Maison des Illustres

Bailleul (Pop: 14,730)

Belfry and town hall of Bailleul

Construction: 13th century for the lower part, 1924 to 1932 for the upper part.

History: The belfry was originally a wooden tower used for warfare and later as a watchtower. In the 13th century, it was rebuilt in stone. Only the Gothic hall remains today. It was destroyed many times by war and fire and rebuilt each time. Its last reconstruction was in 1932 after the First World War by Louis Marie Cordonnier, who preserved the austere facade it had before the war.

Characteristics: The Town Hall was built following the total destruction of the town during the First World War. Reconstruction was entrusted to a team of architects including Louis Marie-Cordonnier, René and Maurice Dupire, Louis Roussel, and Jacques Barbotin. The design aimed to revive the traditional regional image of the town hall with its belfry and create a Flemish art ensemble for the whole town. Features include stone mullions, recessed dormer frames, and a central belfry on a sparrow-roofed gable.

Listed as: Historical monument in 1922 (listed in 1875 and declassified in 1899), listed in its entirety in 2001, and UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011 (Belfries of France and Belgium).

Armentières (Pop: 26,100)

Description: A former flagship of the textile industry, the town is still sometimes called the City of Canvas, a nickname inherited from the 11th century. The river Lys, which flows through the town, was renowned for the quality of its water, which was used to give the thread its fiery colour. From the end of the 19th century onwards, the industrial revolution turned Armentières into a prosperous town, a major centre of the textile industry until the second half of the 20th century. Taking advantage of the presence of the river Lys, numerous weaving and spinning mills were established here, as were industrial activities linked to brewing. The town thus acquired a new motto: "Armentières, city of cloth and beer". Armentières suffered particularly during the two world wars, notably the Battle of Armentières in 1914 and the Battle of the Lys in 1918.

Notable people: Armentières, linked to Line Renaud (see Nieppe), is also the birthplace of actor Dany Boon. Several pro riders hail from the town, including Hubert Samyn, nicknamed the "French Flandrian" even though he was Belgian, who competed in the 1913 Tour de France before going into the manufacture of bicycles and motorbikes. Also notable is rouleur Amédée Fournier, Olympic medallist in the team pursuit in 1932, who won two stages of the 1939 Tour de France and wore the Yellow Jersey for a day.

Belfry of Armentières

Construction: 1925-1934

History: First built in the Middle Ages, the Armentières belfry was destroyed on the orders of Louis XI before being rebuilt in 1510. It was incorporated into the town hall in 1724 after major works undertaken by the aldermen. The belfry became an external symbol of power and prosperity. Destroyed again in 1918 during the First World War, the town hall and belfry were completely rebuilt by architect Louis Marie Cordonnier from 1925 onwards. The new building was inaugurated in 1934 after nine years of work.

Characteristics: Built in the neo-Flemish style, the Armentières belfry also bears traces of its medieval history. Made of white stone and brick, it rises to a height of 67 m and offers panoramic views of the surrounding area for up to 30 km.

Listed as: Historical monument in 2002. UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 (Belfries of France and Belgium).

Motte-Cordonnier Brewery

Built: 1922

History: The first traces of the brewery date back to 1650. Called the Brasserie de l'Étoile at the time, it came into the Motte-Cordonnier family in 1749. The brewery was destroyed during the First World War, so René Motte had it rebuilt in 1922, imagining a factory castle outside Armentières. Architect Georges Forest designed one of the largest modern breweries in northern France. In the 1970s, the Motte-Cordonnier brewery was bought by the Artois brewery. In 2018, following the death of the last Motte-Cordonnier brewer, Bertrand Motte, his family decided to relaunch the brand. At the same time, a conversion project is underway to create 134 flats in two buildings.

Listed as: Historical Monument in 1999 and 2019.

Lompret (Pop: 2,170)

Biography: Lompret is the birthplace of Alain Santy, 9th in the 1974 Tour de France. That same year, Santy won the Critérium du Dauphiné, Paris-Camembert and took second place in Paris-Nice and the French championship. Unfortunately, his career was marked by health problems and this team-mate of Luis Ocana, who was hospitalised in a coma after a crash on the descent of Soulor in the 1972 Tour, had to stop his career at the age of 26 following a series of crashes and injuries. His brother Guy also took part in the Tour de France in 1972 and 1973.