Cambrai, France: travel guide to the historic city of the Nord, the 1917 tank battle and the Bêtises de Cambrai

Cambrai is a historic city in the Nord department of the Hauts-de-France region, in northern France. Long an important religious and trading centre on the route between Paris and the Channel, it combines a rich architectural heritage with a place in twentieth-century military history and a famous local sweet.

For travellers searching for Cambrai France, the Battle of Cambrai 1917, the Bêtises de Cambrai or things to see in the Nord, the city offers cathedrals, a UNESCO-listed belfry and moving sites of remembrance.

History

An ancient archbishopric ruled for centuries by powerful prince-bishops, Cambrai long formed part of the territory of the Holy Roman Empire. It gave its name to the League of Cambrai of 1508 and, in 1529, hosted the signing of the Peace of Cambrai, known as the Paix des Dames or Peace of the Ladies because it was negotiated by Margaret of Austria and Louise of Savoy. In the First World War the city became internationally known through the Battle of Cambrai of November 1917, which marked the first large-scale use of tanks in warfare.

Main sights

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Grâce holds a revered icon of the Virgin and the tomb of the writer and archbishop Fénelon, while the Church of Saint-Géry and the city's belfry, listed by UNESCO among the Belfries of Belgium and France, are further highlights. The town hall is famous for its mechanical figures, Martin and Martine. A short distance away at Flesquières, the Cambrai Tank 1917 Museum preserves the British tank known as Deborah, recovered from the battlefield.

Gastronomy

Cambrai is celebrated for the Bêtises de Cambrai, mint-flavoured boiled sweets traditionally made in the town, and for its andouillette sausage. The nearby town of Le Cateau-Cambrésis, birthplace of Henri Matisse, is home to the Matisse Museum.