Hauts-de-France
La baie de Somme
15 kilometers deep and 5 kilometers wide, the Somme estuary, classified as a "Grand Site de France", is a haven of peace for many migratory birds, and is even home to a colony of seals and sea calves. In April, the Festival de la Nature is an opportunity to discover the local flora and fauna. The little steam train from Le Crotoy to Cayeux-sur-Mer is a great way to discover these unspoilt landscapes. Don’t forget your boots and rain gear, of course.
A wild horse in the Bay of the Somme, ©iStock
Northern novels
The Nord Pas de Calais region is a hotbed of French literature. Proletarian destinies soar above industrial sagas, and the union battles the bank for capital gains. Texts that tell of misery and tragedy, often, but also of the solidarity shown by the "people of the North". From Emile Zola to Victor Hugo, from Georges Simenon to Didier Daeninckx, classic or contemporary, dark and luminous books like the beaches of the North Sea.
The cover of "Germinal", by Emile Zola, ©Gallica
Dunkirk Carnival
A party without end, or almost. For 350 years, the people of Dunkirk and the surrounding region have been greeting Mardi Gras in their own colorful, noisy, joyful, exuberant way. In days gone by, we celebrated the sailors who set sail for the Icelandic fishing grounds; today, it’s you who’ll be dressed as a herring. Parades of brass bands, pub crawls, folk dances, prepare yourself for several days out of this world - in moderation, if possible.
During a parade, public domain
The Nord coalfield listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site
The coalfield, the corons, the tiles, the coal. Coal, in fact. Centuries of extraction of the precious ore have shaped a unique landscape that has been preserved to this day. Huge slag heaps, mining company offices, railroads, headframes, religious buildings, sports facilities - all bear witness to a past industrial model. All 109 sites are [Unesco World Heritage sites>>https://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/1360/gallery/].
Mine shafts, ©Hubert Bouvet, Unesco
Mussels and French fries
Of course, the tradition is Belgian. But here in Lille, capital of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, moules-frites are also at home. The recipe for moules frites, à la marinière, is the most widespread. Cooked in wine, shallots, parsley and butter, they’re a real treat. As for the fries, local shopkeepers know what they’re doing. Convivial, it’s one of France’s favorite dishes, with no fuss or snobbery, just finger-licking goodness.
Mussels and French fries, ©iStock
