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The Picardy and Nord-Pas de Calais Regions together make for only
a small corner of France, but will forever be associated with the
First World War. The Battle of the Somme in 1916 was one of the bloodiest
of a horrific war. The British Army lost 19,240 dead in the first
day! The gently rolling fields of the northwest of France saw more
young Australians killed or wounded than anywhere else on earth. More
than 50,000 Aussies died in this area between 1916 and 1918. The names
of Fromelles, Hamel, Pozières, Villers-Bretonneux are part
of Australian military history and there are a number of poignant
memorials throughout the region to Australia’s war dead. Today
it is hard to reconcile the picturesque and peaceful countryside of
Picardie and Nord-Pas de Calais with the gruesome carnage of the Great
War. Every Australian who goes to Europe should pay a visit and reflect
on how lucky they are that they were never called upon to make such
sacrifices. More information on Australian
war memorials.
Lille | Nord | Nord-Pas de Calais | 59000
Lille (pronounced Leel) is France’s sixth largest city and its
most northerly sitting close to the Belgian border. It is a major
transportation hub linking France to Belgium and the Netherlands.
Situated on a plain between the North Sea and the Ardennes Forest,
Lille has seen many invasions. It was captured by the Germans during
World War One and was the route taken by the Nazis in World War Two.
Jacques Chirac is one of Lille’s most famous sons.
Amiens | Somme | Picardie | 80000
Amiens (pronounced Ahm-yen) is the prefecture (administrative capital)
of the Department of the Somme in north western France which was the
site of many horrific battles during World
War One. Now a peaceful regional centre it is a good base for
exploring the Somme based around the river of the same name where
it is possible to hire a canal boat.
Calais | Pas de Calais | Nord-Pas de Calais | 62100
Calais (pronounced Kallay) is known primarily as France’s main
channel port and interface with England. On a fine day the white chalk
cliffs of Dover can be seen across the channel. It is where the majority
of channel ferry traffic comes to and is the French side of the Eurotunnel.
Calais has a well preserved medieval quarter, but these days most
of the action is on the outskirts where massive ‘hypermarkets’
have sprung up to service day trippers from England taking advantage
of France’s lower tax rate on alcohol and tobacco and luxury
foods. Some of the largest supermarkets in the world are located here
and a large proportion of visitors to Calais go no further than the
hypermarkets.
Dunkerque | Nord | Nord-Pas-de-Calais | 59140
Dunkerque (Dunkirk) is a small port city on France’s Channel
Coast that is forever linked with the British Army’s escape
back to England in June 1940 (Operation Dynamo) after having been
routed by the Germans. Dunkerque was once part of the Netherlands
and its name means ‘Church of the Dunes’. The Allied invasion
of France in 1944 by-passed Dunkerque and its German garrison who
had heavily fortified the town. The Germans did not surrender until
the war was over. Much of the town was destroyed by bombing during
the war. There are daily ferry connections to Dover.
Getting
there
By road with Viamichelin.com
routeplanner
By air via Lille, Brussels,
Paris Beauvais
By rail from Paris or London
(Eurostar to Lille)
By ferry to Calais, Dunkerque
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