Nord Pas-de-Calais names are a roll call of European as well as British and French history, from Julius Caesar to William the Conqueror, Edward 111 and Napoleon. Agincourt’s museum echoes to Kenneth Branagh declaiming Shakespeare and Guines commemorates Henry V111 meeting Francois 1 at the Field of the Cloth of Gold.

World Wars 1 and 11 have left scars, trenches, cemeteries and war museums including the fascinating La Coupole, Hitler's intended V2 launch site. In 1916 Arras 10th century limestone tunnels sheltered 10,000 British soldiers. The 1920's Flemish and Art Deco town centres - Lille, Béthune and Arras - were renovations of devastated areas. The arts scene is thriving, with Lille, European City of Culture in 2004, where the Fine Arts Museum exhibits Goya, Rubens and Donatello. Watteau and Carpeaux were from Valenciennes and some of Henri Matisse may be viewed at the museum in his birthplace, Le Cateau-Cambresis, whilst Van Dyck, Delacroix, Pissaro, Renoir and Sisley hang out in the Chartreuse in Douai.