Tour guides France > Hauts-de-France

5 ideas for guided tours in Hauts-de-France

• Dunkerque

  

  Located at the very northern tip of France, the city of Dunkirk offers both relaxation and culture. Take a swim along the “queen of northern beaches” in the seaside resort of Malo-les-Bains. You can enjoy its casino and admire the beautiful Art Deco villas.

  Curious about the port?
  Dunkirk has a port museum that sheds light on its history and the trades that have shaped it. The city also played a key role in World War II, most famously during the tragic “Operation Dynamo,” a painful defeat for the British. The Memorial of Remembrance helps visitors reflect on this pivotal moment.

  And if you visit between late January and early April, you can experience the lively celebrations of the city’s famous Carnival.

• Lille

  

  What strikes you first in the streets of Lille is the mix. A wide square lined with Flemish facades, then suddenly a narrow alley opening onto a packed café. The city is best crossed in fits and starts, without a fixed plan—and maybe that’s when it reveals itself most.

  The Vieille Bourse keeps its inner courtyard where booksellers dig through their piles, the smell of paper mingling with the quiet murmur of readers. Above it all, the City Hall belfry towers over Lille, recalling its working-class past, its factories, its chimneys still visible here and there.

  The Palais des Beaux-Arts offers hushed galleries far from the noise of the street, and in Roubaix, the old Art Deco swimming pool turned museum provides an unexpected setting. Farther south, Arras spreads out its arcaded squares, adding yet another face to this multifaceted north that Lille embodies so strongly.

• Amiens

  

  Along the banks of the Somme, Amiens blends brick, water, and reflections—a city best discovered at the pace of its bridges and quays. You stroll without hurrying, noticing small details: the smell of coffee, a slightly leaning facade, a flash of light on the water.

  The Notre-Dame d’Amiens Cathedral dominates with its sheer size, a stone forest where light climbs the soaring vaults. The facade tells its own story—statues, folds of robes, tiny scenes—and you linger on the square just to take it all in.

  In the Hortillonnages, boats glide between floating gardens and rows of willows. The Saint-Leu district is nearby, with its colorful houses, tight-packed terraces, and laughter echoing over the river.

  The House of Jules Verne opens another chapter—globes, models, spiral staircases that spark a desire to travel again. Later, you look up at the Perret Tower, a vertical landmark, and leave with the image of a city that feels simple and bright, with its blend of water and stone that stays with you.

• Laon

  

  The prefecture of the Aisne department, the old town of Laon stands out for its location atop a hill in the middle of a vast plain. Its medieval city is the densest protected area in France in terms of historical monuments per square meter. Among them, its Gothic cathedral—one of the very first to be built—is the city’s emblem.

  Its canon’s townhouse on Rue Pourrier dates back to the 12th century and is the oldest house in the city. The Museum of Art and History of the Pays de Laon is housed in a former Templar barracks and still has a Templar funerary chapel in its courtyard.

  The fortifications are beautifully preserved and include several remarkable gates, leading you to Henri IV’s citadel, where you can visit part of the city’s underground tunnels through the Tourist Office. In August, the Couleurs d’Été sound-and-light show bathes the cathedral in shimmering colors.

• Compiègne

  

  A favorite city of Napoleon III, Compiègne still boasts the château where he once stayed. While most of the visit focuses on the imperial apartments, a Carriage Museum is also located on the grounds. In the vast forest surrounding the city, you can visit the nearby Wagon of Rethondes, where the Armistice of World War I was signed.

  Compiègne is also home to a Memorial of Internment and Deportation dedicated to World War II. In the town center, you’ll find the magnificent flamboyant Gothic Town Hall and three municipal museums:

  – The Antoine Vivenel Museum, an art and archaeology museum.
  – The Cloister of Saint-Corneille Museum, which houses a lapidary collection.
  – The Historical Figurine Museum, presenting a series of historical scenes created from an immense collection of wooden and lead figurines.