INTRODUCTION


"For this tour, we trace the Western Front with one eye on history and the other on pure holiday pleasure"


In Pas-de-Calais (Hauts-de-


France), the now-obsolete mining industry has yielded to fresh, futuristic projects such as the new Louvre-Lens museum. Aisne (Hauts-de-France) has


architectural beauties to rival any in France, from Art Deco gems in Saint- Quentin to Laon’s medieval streets and Gothic cathedral; and in the Somme, just take a stroll around Amiens’s lively Saint-Leu quarter on a warm summer’s evening or witness the cathedral’s astonishing light show for a truly life-enhancing experience. For this, our south-to-north


Clockwise from top left: A spectacular aerial view from the belfry in Arras; Amiens Cathedral celebrates its 800th anniversary this year; war artefacts displayed at the impressive Caverne du Dragon in Aisne; one of many Art Deco details to be spotted in Saint-Quentin; enjoy a stylish stay at the Belle-Époque Manoir de la Peylouse near Béthune, Pas-de-Calais; the American First World War cemetery at Belleau in Aisne


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tour of the towns, villages, landscapes, museums and key war sites of the four départements, we trace the Western Front with one eye on history and the other on pure holiday pleasures: slow tourism, green escapes, city break ideas, fun activities, superb gastronomy and art and history galore, plus great places to stay. For the true Francophile, the rewards are rich and many...


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