Hundreds of distinctive belfries and church bells are hallmarks of the region-just one example of a wealth of historical and architectural treasures.

Bustling towns and cities are ideal for shopping-perhaps at one of the 800 neighborhood markets so popular with people in the north.

Music, too, is present everywhere, from the National Orchestra of Lille to the city’s Opera Workshop and the Ballet du Nord. National theater companies, town orchestras and music ensembles, 500 choirs and as many rock groups are all on hand.

Museums including the Fine Arts Museum in Lille, the Nausicaa Aquarium in Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Arts & Industry Museum in Roubaix, and the Louvre annex in Lens. Many towns are celebrated for art and history (Lille, Saint-Omer, Arras and more) reflecting the traditions of Northern France and the region’s strategic appeal through the ages.

• 13 fortified towns and cities, 5 towns classified as heritage sites
• 4 conference centers
• 3 national performing arts centers
• 7 national theaters
• Over 40 theater groups
• 33 national museums, 64 other museum sites and 1 contemporary art collection, plus 119 national heritage chateaux.
• 6 festivals (film, theater, dance, music)
• 1 seaside spa: Le Touquet
• 19 public or private golf courses
• 22 sailing centers
• 13 sand yachting centers
• 5,000 km of marked hiking paths
• Famous beaches at Le Touquet and Hardelot