CAMBRAI, like Douai 27km to the north, has kept enough of its character to repay a passing visit, despite the tank battle of November 1917 and the fact that the heavily defended Hindenburg Line ran through the town centre for most of World War I.The huge, cobbled main square, place Aristide-Briand, is dominated by the Neoclassical Hôtel de Ville, and still suggests the town's former wealth, which was based on the textile and agricultural industries. Unlike most places, Cambrai's chief ecclesiastical treasure is not its cathedral – the medieval one was dismantled after the Revolution – but the church of St-Géry, off rue St-Aubert west of the main square, worth a visit for a celebrated Mise au Tombeau by Rubens. The appealingly presented Musée Municipal (Wed–Sun 10am–noon & 2–6pm; €3, free first weekend of every month) on rue de l'Épée, a short way south of the town square, is also worth a visit. Paintings by Velázquez, Utrillo and Ingres feature prominently alongside works by various Flemish old masters, plus great twentieth-century artists like Zadkine and Van Dongen. Don't turn down the audio-guided tour (in English and French) and don't leave out the archeological display in the basement, where you can see some fascinating exhibits including elegant statues rescued from the decimated cathedral. Watch for the gourde eucharistique de Concevreux, an amazingly well-preserved sixth-century bronze hipflask. Cambrai's tourist office is housed in the beautifully preserved Maison Espagnole on the corner of avenue de la Victoire, at 48 rue de Noyon (Mon–Fri 10am–12.15pm & 2–5pm, Sat 10am–noon & 2–5pm, Sun 2–5pm; tel 03.27.78.36.15, www.villedecambrai.com). Central accommodation includes Le Mouton Blanc, 33 rue d'Alsace-Lorraine (tel 03.27.81.30.16, fax 03.27.81.83.54; €55–70), which is a convenient and moderately priced hotel close to the station, with a posh restaurant inside (from €18; closed Sun eve & Mon, plus the evenings of public hols & Aug 1–15). Crêperie La Sarrazine opposite the tourist office is the best bet for an economical meal. The nearest campsite is Les Colombes at Aubencheul-au-Bac (mid-March to mid-Oct; tel 03.27.89.25.90), 10km away off the N43 to Douai.
Pages in section ‘Cambrai’: Cambrai 1917.
| 