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Northern France Travel Guide

Published 1 July 2026 by Leyla Alyanak — Parisian by birth, Lyonnaise by adoption, historian by passion

Whether you're interested in medieval history, the World Wars or charming market towns, Northern France offers a wealth of destinations beyond the usual tourist trail.

A brief history of the region

Hauts-de-France is France's northern frontier, a territory contested by France, England, Burgundy and the Habsburgs. Towns such as Lille, Arras and Amiens grew through trade and industry. In the 19th century, industrialization transformed the north, particularly through coal mining and textile production.

The modern region was created in 2016 by combining Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. It has five departments: Aisne, Nord, Oise, Pas-de-Calais and Somme.

Aisne

From the historic hilltop town of Laon to the vineyards around Château-Thierry and the battlefields of the Chemin des Dames, the Aisne combines countryside, history and small towns. It is particularly interesting for visitors following the story of World War I.

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Oise

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Just north of Paris, the Oise is known for its royal and aristocratic heritage. Chantilly, Compiègne, Pierrefonds and Senlis offer some of the region's best-known châteaux and historic sites, set among forests and countryside.

Pas-de-Calais

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Pas-de-Calais stretches from the Channel coast through the former coal-mining country around Lens to the historic city of Arras. Its attractions range from beaches and seafood to mining heritage, museums and some of the most important First World War sites in France.

Somme

The Somme combines Amiens, the Bay of the Somme and a largely rural landscape with one of the world's most important First World War battlefields. Around Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel and Péronne, memorials and cemeteries mark the landscape of the 1916 Battle of the Somme.

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The Western Front

World War I left an extraordinary legacy across Hauts-de-France. From the Somme to Arras, Vimy and the Chemin des Dames, you can visit battlefields, underground tunnels, memorials, museums and military cemeteries. It is one of the region's defining historical landscapes and deserves its own guide.

Food specialties of Northern France

Hauts-de-France has a hearty food tradition influenced by both Picardy and neighboring Flanders ᠆ and you'll need an appetite here, whether in summer or winter.

Look for Maroilles (a stinky but delicious cheese), carbonade flamande (a bit like Beef Bourguignon but with beer rather than wine), ficelle picarde (a type of baked rolled pancake stuffed with cheese, ham and mushrooms), flamiche, chicons au gratin and welsh (like Welsh Rarebit), along with the region's beers.

Potatoes, endives, cheese, cream and seafood all feature prominently in local cooking.

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