Northern France at a Glance
On a clear day, England's white cliffs of Dover
are visible from the coast of Northern France, marking the narrowest point of
the English
Channel. The obvious choice as the connection point for the revolutionary
Channel
Tunnel, ingeniously bored from the sea floor below the Channel's frigid
waters, millions of travellers disembark at its stations yearly. High-speed
Eurostar
trains leave from central London, reaching the region's capital city of Lille
and nearby Calais
in less than two hours.
The area's attractions are well worth slowing down for, however. The influence
of nearby Belgium is evidenced by examples of Flemish Renaissance architecture,
characterized by the the soaring chimneys and airy arcades of the Vieille
Bourse in Lille, and the Gothic, gabled buildings of Laon.
The people of the Nord are observers of tradition, and a medieval festival,
the Giants
of Douai Festival in Douai,
celebrates a local family of giants. Ever resourceful Romans drained the marshes
around Amiens
for cultivation, lands that are now planted with extensive gardens called the
Hortillonnages.
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