From the cobbled streets of Vieux-Lille to the windswept cliffs of the Opal Coast, Hauts-de-France offers one of the most diverse regional experiences in the country. Book sustainable stays across Flanders, Picardy, and Artois — and earn 5% cashback in IMPT tokens on every booking while removing 1 tonne of CO₂.
Hauts-de-France — the northernmost region of France — is a land of dramatic contrasts that defies every lazy stereotype of industrial grey. Created in 2016 from the merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy, it stretches from the sandstone cliffs of Cap Blanc-Nez on the English Channel to the rolling agricultural plains of the Somme, from the Belgian border's beer-brewing Flemish villages to the royal hunting forests of Compiègne. This is a region shaped by geography and scarred — but also defined — by history.
The landscape tells the story. Along the Opal Coast (Côte d'Opale), chalk cliffs rise 134 metres above the sea at Cap Blanc-Nez, while the neighbouring Cap Gris-Nez is the closest point of France to England — just 34 kilometres across the Strait of Dover. On a clear day, you can see the White Cliffs of Dover with the naked eye. Inland, the flatlands of French Flanders give way to the gently rolling hills of the Avesnois bocage, dotted with traditional farmhouses built in the local blue stone.
Historically, this is one of Europe's most fought-over corners. The fields of the Somme bear witness to the defining tragedy of the First World War — the 1916 battle claimed over one million casualties in four months. The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, visible for miles across the gently undulating fields, commemorates 72,337 British and South African soldiers with no known grave. At Vimy Ridge, the Canadian National Memorial's twin pylons rise from the reconstructed battlefield where Canadian forces achieved a pivotal victory in April 1917.
But Hauts-de-France is far more than its battlefields. Lille, the regional capital, is a vibrant city of Flemish-baroque architecture, cobbled squares, and one of France's finest art museums outside Paris — the Palais des Beaux-Arts. Amiens houses the largest Gothic cathedral in France, a UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece whose nave rises to 42 metres. Arras boasts two magnificent baroque squares — the Grand'Place and Place des Héros — lined with 155 Flemish-style gabled houses. And across the region, 23 belfries share UNESCO status as a collective heritage site, their carillons ringing out across market squares from Dunkerque to Douai.
The region's food culture, deeply influenced by Flemish and Picard traditions, is hearty and distinctive: carbonnade flamande (beef braised in beer), moules-frites along the coast, the pungent Maroilles cheese, and the region's famous gaufres — thin, filled waffles unique to Lille. And then there is the beer. Hauts-de-France is France's beer capital, home to hundreds of breweries producing everything from traditional bière de garde to modern craft IPAs, best sampled in one of Lille's countless estaminets — traditional Flemish taverns with crackling fireplaces and communal tables.
Strategically positioned between three capitals — Paris, Brussels, and London — Hauts-de-France is remarkably accessible. The Eurostar whisks you from London St Pancras to Lille Europe in 1 hour 22 minutes; TGV trains from Paris Gare du Nord take exactly 1 hour. Calais remains a major ferry gateway. A sustainable hotel booking in Hauts-de-France means you are staying in one of Europe's most historically rich and culturally distinctive regions — all while earning 5% cashback in IMPT tokens and funding the removal of one tonne of CO₂, at exactly the same price you would pay on Booking.com.
Départements: Nord (59), Pas-de-Calais (62), Somme (80), Oise (60), Aisne (02). Capital: Lille.
The old town of Lille is a miracle of Flemish-baroque preservation. Start at the Grand'Place (officially Place du Général-de-Gaulle, after Lille's most famous son), dominated by the ornate Vieille Bourse — a 1652 quadrangle of 24 identical Flemish houses enclosing a courtyard that fills with chess players, book stalls, and tango dancers. From here, wander the pedestrian lanes of Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise, past high-end boutiques and artisan chocolate shops, to the neo-Gothic Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille Cathedral with its translucent marble façade by Peter Rice. Do not miss the Palais des Beaux-Arts — France's second-largest art collection outside Paris, with masterpieces by Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya, and Delacroix.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens is the largest Gothic cathedral in France — so vast that two Notre-Dames of Paris could fit inside it. Built between 1220 and 1270 in a breathtakingly short 50-year construction period, its 42-metre-high nave is the tallest completed Gothic nave in France. The west façade features three deeply carved portals depicting biblical stories in exquisite detail — the central portal's Beau Dieu statue is one of the finest examples of 13th-century sculpture. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981, the cathedral also houses a remarkable polychrome light show on summer evenings and during the Christmas market season, projecting the cathedral's original medieval colours onto its façade.
The twin headlands of Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez form the most dramatic stretch of the Côte d'Opale. Cap Blanc-Nez, rising 134 metres above the sea, is a sheer chalk cliff that mirrors the White Cliffs of Dover visible across the Channel on clear days. A network of walking paths traces the cliff edge, with views stretching from the industrial silhouette of Calais to the sandy expanse of Wissant Bay. Cap Gris-Nez, 10 kilometres further south, marks the closest point of continental France to England — a lighthouse, German World War II bunkers, and a nature observatory for migratory birds crown the headland. Between the two caps, the long sandy beach of Wissant is one of the finest wild beaches in northern France.
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial — designed by Walter Seymour Allward and unveiled in 1936 — is perhaps the most powerful memorial on the Western Front. Its twin pylons, representing Canada and France, rise 30 metres above the reconstructed battlefield of Hill 145, where the four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together for the first time and captured the ridge at a cost of 10,602 casualties. The memorial site preserves shell craters and trench lines, and young Canadian guides lead free tours through preserved tunnels and trenches. The white stone figure of Canada Bereft, gazing down at a symbolic tomb, is one of the most moving expressions of grief in 20th-century public art.
The Château de Chantilly, set within 7,800 hectares of forest and formal gardens designed by André Le Nôtre (who also designed the gardens of Versailles), is a Renaissance and 19th-century masterpiece. Rebuilt after the French Revolution by Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale — the richest man in France at the time — it houses the Musée Condé, the finest collection of Old Master paintings in France after the Louvre. Here you will find three Raphaels, works by Botticelli, Poussin, and Ingres, and the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry — one of the most important illuminated manuscripts in existence. The neighbouring Great Stables, built in 1719, are a masterpiece of 18th-century architecture and now house the Museum of the Horse.
The Baie de Somme, one of France's most important estuaries, is a Ramsar-protected wetland spanning 70 square kilometres. It is home to the largest colony of harbour seals in France (over 600 individuals) and a crucial stopover for 300 bird species on the East Atlantic Flyway. The best way to experience it is aboard the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme — a heritage steam railway running 27 kilometres between Le Crotoy, Noyelles-sur-Mer, Saint-Valery, and Cayeux-sur-Mer, crossing the salt marshes and offering incomparable views of the bay. The medieval citadel town of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, where William the Conqueror's fleet assembled in 1066, is the perfect base for exploring the estuary on foot, by bike, or by kayak.
Opened in 2012 on a former mining site, the Louvre-Lens is a satellite of the Musée du Louvre in Paris and one of the most innovative museum buildings in Europe. Designed by SANAA (the Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese firm), its low-slung glass-and-aluminium pavilion sits on a 20-hectare landscaped park. The permanent Galerie du Temps displays over 200 masterpieces from the Louvre's collection in a single chronological sweep — from Mesopotamian statuettes to Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People — with no dividing walls. Temporary exhibitions are world-class, and the museum has been a catalyst for the regeneration of the Lens-Liévin mining basin, itself a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Lille is the beating heart of Hauts-de-France, a dynamic university city of 230,000 (1.2 million in the metropolitan area) with Eurostar and TGV connections, a legendary dining and nightlife scene, and a beautifully preserved Flemish-baroque old town. Stay in Vieux-Lille for cobbled streets and boutique shopping on your doorstep, or near Lille Europe station for maximum connectivity. The Grand'Place, Palais des Beaux-Arts, and the Braderie de Lille (Europe's largest flea market, every September) are all within walking distance.
The Opal Coast stretches 120 kilometres from Calais to Berck-sur-Mer. The glamorous resort of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, with its pine forests, art-deco villas, and wide sandy beach, has been a Parisian weekend escape since the 1920s. Further north, Wimereux offers belle-époque charm with colourful seafront villas and excellent seafood restaurants overlooking the beach. Calais itself has the striking Town Hall (with its 75-metre belfry), Rodin's Burghers of Calais, and the Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode lace museum.
Amiens anchors the Somme Valley with its sublime Gothic cathedral and the delightful floating gardens of Les Hortillonnages — 300 hectares of market gardens criss-crossed by 65 kilometres of canals, best explored by flat-bottomed boat. The Somme battlefields fan out northeast of the city: the Thiepval Memorial, the Lochnagar Crater (the largest man-made crater on the Western Front, 91 metres wide and 21 metres deep), and the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial with its preserved trench system.
Arras is one of France's most underrated cities. Its two magnificent baroque squares — the Grand'Place and Place des Héros — are unique in Europe, lined with 155 Flemish-style houses with distinctive crow-stepped gables. From Arras, the Wellington Quarry (Carrière Wellington) tells the story of the underground city where 24,000 British soldiers lived in the lead-up to the 1917 Battle of Arras. Nearby Lens offers the dual attraction of Louvre-Lens and the UNESCO-listed mining basin with its distinctive slag heaps, pit-head frames, and mining villages.
Every hotel below is bookable via IMPT. Same price as Booking.com — plus 5% cashback in IMPT tokens and 1 tonne de CO₂ éliminée par réservation. You also receive a 5 € de crédit gratuit when you sign up.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Vieux-Lille
A 5-star boutique hotel in an 18th-century mansion, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and private garden.
Amenities: Gourmet restaurant, bar, garden terrace, valet parking
From: €210/night
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Lille Centre
A landmark 5-star on Place du Théâtre, blending belle-époque grandeur with contemporary luxury.
Amenities: Spa, fitness centre, cocktail bar, room service
From: €175/night
⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Côte d'Opale
A romantic château hotel in the walled town of Montreuil-sur-Mer, 10km from Le Touquet.
Amenities: Fine-dining restaurant, walled garden, pet-friendly
From: €145/night
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Amiens Centre
A luxury 5-star in a beautifully restored 19th-century mansion, 500m from the cathedral.
Amenities: Spa, champagne bar, courtyard garden, concierge
From: €195/night
⭐⭐⭐ | Arras Centre
Modern, efficient hotel steps from the Grand'Place and 1km from the Wellington Quarry.
Amenities: Free breakfast, bar, business centre, bike storage
From: €85/night
⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Le Touquet
An art-deco hotel overlooking Le Touquet's historic golf course, 2km from the beach.
Amenities: Golf course access, terrace restaurant, heated pool, spa
From: €160/night
The GR120 coastal path traces the entire Côte d'Opale from Calais to Berck-sur-Mer, covering over 200 kilometres of dunes, cliffs, and sandy bays. The most spectacular section runs between Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez, a 17-kilometre stretch with constant sea views, wartime bunkers, and migratory birdlife. The Wissant to Audresselles section passes through some of the most unspoiled coastal landscapes in northern France, with excellent seafood restaurants at village harbours along the way. The path is well-waymarked and accessible year-round, though sections can be muddy in winter.
The Forest of Compiègne is the third-largest state forest in France, covering 14,000 hectares of oak, beech, and hornbeam. Once the hunting preserve of French kings from Francis I to Napoleon III, it is criss-crossed by 1,000 kilometres of marked trails and forestry roads. Key sites within the forest include the Clairière de l'Armistice — where the 1918 Armistice was signed in a railway carriage, and where Hitler forced the French to sign their surrender in 1940 in the same carriage — the Château de Pierrefonds (a fairytale castle restored by Viollet-le-Duc), and the Beaux-Monts viewpoint, designed under Napoleon III's orders to reveal a perfectly framed vista.
The Baie de Somme offers gentle, flat walking across one of Europe's great wetlands. The 12-kilometre loop from Saint-Valery-sur-Somme to the Pointe du Hourdel takes you through salt meadows, past sheep grazing on the mollières (salt-grazed pasture unique to the bay), and to the seal colony at the tip of the spit. The Maison de la Baie de Somme at Lanchères offers guided walks with naturalists who can help you spot avocets, shelducks, and marsh harriers. For a longer adventure, the GR du Littoral connects the Somme estuary to the Authie estuary, linking the bay to the Marquenterre ornithological park.
In the Thiérache region of the Aisne department, 17 fortified churches stand as a unique architectural heritage, built during the 16th and 17th centuries when the area was ravaged by Spanish and French armies. These brick-and-stone churches feature defensive towers, arrow slits, and rooms above the nave where villagers could shelter during attacks. A signposted driving and cycling circuit links the best examples, including the churches of Parfondeval, Jeantes, and Plomion. The surrounding bocage landscape — small fields enclosed by hedgerows — is some of the most tranquil countryside in Hauts-de-France.
The best areas in Hauts-de-France depend on your travel style: Lille and its Vieux-Lille district for urban culture, Flemish architecture, and gastronomy; the Côte d'Opale (Wimereux, Le Touquet, Hardelot) for coastal stays with dramatic chalk cliffs and sandy beaches; Arras for baroque squares and WWI history; Amiens for the largest Gothic cathedral in France and the floating hortillonnages gardens; and the Somme Valley for peaceful countryside, battlefield memorials, and bird-rich wetlands.
IMPT partners with 8M+ hotels globally, with eco-certified and sustainable properties available across Hauts-de-France. From 5-star boutique hotels in Lille's Vieux-Lille to charming seaside stays on the Côte d'Opale, from countryside manoirs in the Somme Valley to modern city-centre hotels in Amiens and Arras. Every booking removes 1 tonne of CO₂, earns 5% cashback in IMPT tokens, and costs the same as Booking.com. New users receive 5 € de crédit gratuit.
May to September offers the best weather for exploring the Opal Coast, WWI memorials, and cathedral towns. Spring (April–May) brings blooming landscapes across the Somme Valley. Summer (July–August) is ideal for beach days at Le Touquet and Wimereux, with the Braderie de Lille (first weekend of September) being Europe's largest flea market. Autumn (October) is perfect for forest walks in Compiègne and Chantilly. Winter brings the famous Lille Christmas Market and Arras Christmas Market, among France's largest, plus the Main Square Festival in Arras during July.
Must-sees across Hauts-de-France include: Lille's Vieux-Lille, Grand Place, and Palais des Beaux-Arts; the UNESCO-listed belfries of Arras, Calais, and Lille; the Château de Chantilly (art collection second only to the Louvre) and its gardens; Amiens Cathedral (the largest Gothic cathedral in France, UNESCO-listed); the Baie de Somme (one of Europe's finest estuaries for birdwatching); the Arras underground tunnels (Carrière Wellington) and Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial; the Cité Europe shopping centre in Coquelles; and the dramatic Opal Coast cliffs at Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez.
Hauts-de-France is France's best-connected region from the UK and Benelux. Lille is 1h from Paris, 1h20 from London via Eurostar, and 35min from Brussels. Calais receives ferries from Dover (90min) and Eurotunnel shuttles from Folkestone (35min). Charles de Gaulle Airport is 50min from Lille by TGV. The region is criss-crossed by the A1, A16, A26, and A25 motorways. Regional TER trains connect all major towns efficiently.
The best areas in Hauts-de-France depend on your travel style: Lille and its Vieux-Lille district for urban culture, Flemish architecture, and gastronomy; the Côte d'Opale (Wimereux, Le Touquet, Hardelot) for coastal stays with dramatic chalk cliffs and sandy beaches; Arras for baroque squares and WWI history; Amiens for the largest Gothic cathedral in France and the floating hortillonnages gardens; and the Somme Valley for peaceful countryside, battlefield memorials, and bird-rich wetlands.
IMPT partners with 8M+ hotels globally, with eco-certified and sustainable properties available across Hauts-de-France. From 5-star boutique hotels in Lille's Vieux-Lille to charming seaside stays on the Côte d'Opale, from countryside manoirs in the Somme Valley to modern city-centre hotels in Amiens and Arras. Every booking removes 1 tonne of CO₂, earns 5% cashback in IMPT tokens, and costs the same as Booking.com. New users receive 5 € de crédit gratuit.
May to September offers the best weather for exploring the Opal Coast, WWI memorials, and cathedral towns. Spring (April–May) brings blooming landscapes across the Somme Valley. Summer (July–August) is ideal for beach days at Le Touquet and Wimereux, with the Braderie de Lille (first weekend of September) being Europe's largest flea market. Autumn (October) is perfect for forest walks in Compiègne and Chantilly. Winter brings the famous Lille Christmas Market and Arras Christmas Market, among France's largest, plus the Main Square Festival in Arras during July.
Must-sees across Hauts-de-France include: Lille's Vieux-Lille, Grand Place, and Palais des Beaux-Arts; the UNESCO-listed belfries of Arras, Calais, and Lille; the Château de Chantilly (art collection second only to the Louvre) and its gardens; Amiens Cathedral (the largest Gothic cathedral in France, UNESCO-listed); the Baie de Somme (one of Europe's finest estuaries for birdwatching); the Arras underground tunnels (Carrière Wellington) and Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial; the Cité Europe shopping centre in Coquelles; and the dramatic Opal Coast cliffs at Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez.
Hauts-de-France is France's best-connected region from the UK and Benelux. Lille is 1h from Paris, 1h20 from London via Eurostar, and 35min from Brussels. Calais receives ferries from Dover (90min) and Eurotunnel shuttles from Folkestone (35min). Charles de Gaulle Airport is 50min from Lille by TGV. The region is criss-crossed by the A1, A16, A26, and A25 motorways. Regional TER trains connect all major towns efficiently.
