Highlights of Northern France – NEW TOUR
Remembrance and Much More..................
This tour highlights some of the region’s most beautiful towns, Lille and Arras, and to learn more about WW1 history including some UNESCO listed sites including Vimy Memorial and the Wellington Tunnels in Arras and other important museums that pay tribute to fallen soldiers. There will also be the opportunity to visit a stunning museum ‘La Piscine’ which was formerly a municipal swimming pool!
Dates
2026 on request
Suggested itinerary by coach
Day 1
Depart the UK
Travel to Dover and take the ferry to Calais or Dunkirk. Upon disembarkation continue to Lille or Arras for 3 nights.
Day 2
Arras and WW1 Memorial Sites
Make a tour of Wellington Tunnels, a network of underground barracks that housed up to 24,000 soldiers and located only a few meters from the front line from where they rushed onto the battlefield on 09 April 1917 launching a surprise attack on the Germans. The tunnels were created by New Zealander soldiers to connect the city’s medieval chalk quarries.
After some free time to explore Arras and have some lunch, meet up with a local specialised guide and make the short journey to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Visitor Centre to gain an insight into how some of the world’s most recognisable war memorials are maintained. Watch headstones being engraved and get an overview of the metal and carpentry workshops and visit the exhibition centre. From here, continue to the UNESCO site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, dominated by the statue of Mother Canada, which honours soldiers who lost their lives in WW1 at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. In the visitor centre, the exhibition highlights the daily life during the Great War through personal items, written accounts and sound immersions.
On the return, make a stop at the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette ‘Ring of Rememberance’ – the national cemetery where the names of 600,000 fallen soldiers from all nationalities are engraved on the circular wall. The History Centre gives an understanding of the scale of the conflict with historical object, films and maps and over 300 photographs (many taken by the soldiers themselves).
Day 3
Lille and Art Deco Swimming Pool
Meet up with a local guide in Lille for a walking tour. Starting at the heart of city, the Grand Place, La Vielle Bourse (the old stock exchange) is arguably Lille’s most beautiful building, on the other side is the stunning Opera and the Belfry of the Chamber of Commerce, the landmark of the city. After the tour, explore the old town with its cobbled streets, trendy boutiques and historic buildings and get some lunch.
Make the short drive to Roubaix to a gem of a museum that used to be a municipal swimming pool. This splendid Art Deco building closed its doors in 1985, to be replaced in 2001 by La Piscine – Musée d’art et d’industrie. The highlight is the yellow and orange ‘sunrise’ stained glass window overlooking the sculpture garden set alongside the pool’s water. You can also explore Roubaix’s industrial past through the museum’s collections.
This evening enjoy dinner together in a local ‘estaminet’ – the name given to local restaurants serving hearty Flemish food best enjoyed with a local beer!
Day 4
Return to the UK
Drive to Calais or Dunkirk and take the ferry across to Dover, and home
Optional extras
Local Beer and Cheese Tasting
Taken in the Boves, the limestone quarries of Arras that are over 1000 years old. Includes 3 local craft beers and 3 cheeses from Hauts-de-France region
Louvre Lens
A branch of the famous Louvre Paris museum, opened in 2012 in the middle of a former coal mine site and part of the UNESCO mining basin. Works of art from all parts of the world.
Palais dea Beaux Arts, Lille
A treasure trove of important art including masterpieces by Rubens.
Suggested hotels – Inspected by Greatdays Staff in January 2025
4* Mercure Lille Lesquin
The Mercure Hotel is located a 10 minute drive to the centre of Lille. The hotel has recently been refurbished and offers spacious bedrooms which are well equipped with tea and coffee making facilities, satellite TV and Wi-Fi Internet access and provide a comfortable living space. Also inside the hotel, guests will find 2 restaurants and 1 bar. Choose from traditional and regional French cuisine or from a brasserie menu. The bar, La Lanterne, serves snacks and provides musical entertainment. Other hotel facilities include Free coach parking in the hotel’s large car park.
4* Mercure Arras
Located within walking distance of the centre and recently renovated. Bar, restaurant and lounge area.
Group meals can be arranged on request either at the hotel or in local restaurants.
Departure date |
4 days/3 nights |
Single supplement |
2026 | Price on request | Price on request |
Dates in 2025 may still be available, please ask for details.