France: All about Hauts-de-France Quiz

Answer: Picardy

Located on the coast of the North Sea, Hauts-de-France was created as a result of the 2014 territorial realignment of France. Hauts-de-France became an official region of the country in 2016.

Answer: Deûle

Lille is located close to France's international border with Belgium. Lille is known for the Lille Cathedral, a Catholic cathedral of neo-gothic style. Construction started in 1854, and took almost 150 years to complete, being finally finished in 1999. Lille is also notable for the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, one of the oldest and largest museums in France. The museum was established at the request of Napoleon Bonaparte, who wished to spread his appreciation of art.

The Deûle River runs through Lille and is known for its picturesque water garden.

Answer: Vimy

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is around 5 miles (8 km) northeast of the city of Arras and overlooks the the Douai Plain, situated on the highest point of the Vimy Ridge. Designed by Canadian monumental sculptor, Walter Seymour Allward, the grounds are also the site of remembrance for Canadians who died during World War I in France, but have no known grave. It took Allward around 11 years to complete the memorial, which was unveiled in 1936 by King Edward VIII of Britain.

There is a collection of human figures near the 24 foot (7.3 m) front wall, and an original design for one of these depicted a soldier stamping on a German army helmet, but this was not used in the end, because of its aggressive and militaristic connotations. Instead the monument's message focuses on peace, with canons draped with olive branches carved into the wall above the human figures, to promote peace instead of war.

Answer: Condette

Established by the Counts of Boulogne in the 12th Century, Hardelot Castle has undergone several maintenance and extensions since its initial building. The castle standing today was constructed under the orders of Philip I, Count of Boulogne and the son of Philip II of France, around 1222 AD. Over the centuries the castle has been captured and recaptured by the French, the Burgundians and the English. By the 17th century, the castle had been turned into a farm by Cardinal Richelieu. The French Revolution did not cause much bother in the remote village of Condette, and the castle has been sold to different people over the years.

Sir John Hare bought the castle in 1848. He renovated the castle in Tudor style and writer Charles Dickens, a friend of Hare's, visited the castle frequently. In 1934 the castle was sold to a priest in Condette who used it to house nuns. Since 1987, it has been the property of the village of Condette.

Condette is around 6 miles (10 km) south of the French coastal city of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Answer: Grand Est

Hauts-de-France does border Normandy, but Normandy lies west. Hauts-de-France also shares a border with Île-de-France, but Île-de-France lies south.

Like Hauts-de-France and other regions of the country, Grand Est was created by the merging of other former regions, with Grand Est being composed of the former regions of Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine.

Answer: Aquarium

Nausicaá Centre National de la Mer is the biggest public aquarium in Europe. It contains around 60,000 animals and the site covers around 160,000 square feet (15,000 square m). The aquarium hosts a variety of sharks, as well as manta rays, clownfish and sea lions.

Boulogne-sur-Mer is located on the coast of the North Sea, in an area named the Opal Coast which is popular with tourists. It is Pas-de-Calais' second-largest city, second only to the city of Calais.

Answer: White cliffs of Dover

Calais is by the Strait of Dover, which is the scantest part of the English Channel, at only around 20 miles (35 km) wide. Out of all the towns of France, Calais is the closest one to England. At around 350 feet (110 m) high, the White cliffs of Dover are visible from Calais depending on weather conditions. Calais is around 150 miles (235 km) north of Paris, and around 20 miles (40 km) west of the city of Dunkirk, Nord, Hauts-de-France.

Answer: Dunkirk

Situated in the Nord department of Hauts-de-France, Dunkirk is known for the Battle of Dunkirk, which took place between May and June of 1940. Dunkirk is France's third-largest harbour, behind only Le Havre and Marseille. Dunkirk is around 6 miles (10 km) away from France's international border with Belgium.

The original Church of Saint-Éloi was built in the middle of the 15th century, but the church was burned down under the orders of Paul de Thermes (1482-1562) a French marshal. The tower survived however, and the church was rebuilt over the years, with the new church being separate from the tower. The gap between the new church and the belfry was made into a street in the 1730s. The church suffered a lot of damage during both world wars, and reconstruction was only completed by 1985 (despite being opened to the public again in 1977).

The Church of Saint-Éloi contains the remains of French commander, Jean-Bart (1650-1702) who became famous for his success and bravery during the Battle of Texel (1694) during the Nine Years' War. He recaptured several ships that had previously been captured by the Dutch.

Answer: Amiens Cathedral

Amiens Cathedral is situated around 75 miles (120 km) from Paris, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. The cathedral's maximum height is just under 140 feet (40 m) and has been standing since 1220 - 1270 AD. Amiens Cathedral is so huge, it could fit two cathedrals the size and scale of the Notre Dame of Paris inside it.

Amiens Cathedral was inflicted with a lot of damage during the French Revolution. Much of the furnishings was looted from the cathedral and religious statues and iconography were vandalised. By 1802 renovation and restoration work was undertaken on the cathedral, however the west of the building was not fully restored until 2001. The wife of Philip I, Count of Flanders (Elisabeth, Countess of Vermandois) is buried at Amiens Cathedral.

Answer: Boulogne-sur-Mer

Often simply called "Boulogne," Boulogne-sur-Mer was once the main port for the Romans to make contact with Roman Britain, and trade with their province, when Britain was occupied by the Romans from 43 - 410 AD. Roman Emperor Claudius used Boulogne-sur-Mer as his base before his invasion of Britain, and the town was known as "Bononia" in the 4th century. In 1805 during Napoleon's plot to invade Britain, Boulogne-sur-Mer was where Napoleon's troops resided. Now over 100 boats use this port daily and over 70 species of fish are typically caught.

Boulogne-sur-Mer is also notable for the Cathedral basilica of Notre-Dame de Boulogne, which possesses one of France's largest crypts.

Answer: Tourcoing and Roubaix

Lille, the capital of Hauts-de-France, is also located close to the border with Belgium, as is the city of Dunkirk. Tourcoing is located northeast of Lille, and Roubaix is close by.

Located in the Nord department, Tourcoing is the fourth largest city of Hauts-de-France, and is notable for the Saint-Christophe church, a striking neo-Gothic church with over 60 bells. Tourcoing's history includes the Battle of Tourcoing of 1794 during the French Revolution, in which the French were victorious against English and Austrian combatants. Tourcoing is also known for its textile history and industry, with over 35,000 people working in the textile industry by 1865. By 1906, Tourcoing had opened its International Exhibition of Textile Industries.

Answer: Laon

Located in the Aisne department, Laon is notable for Laon Cathedral, with its present building standing since around the 12-13th centuries. The cathedral was damaged in 1870, when the Germans invaded and exploded a power magazine, killing 500 people.

Laon is split into two districts, with a cable car called the "poma" connecting them both. Laon has a museum that displays an extensive collection of medieval and Roman jewellery and trinkets. Leon is around 85 miles (140 km) from France's capital, Paris.

Bertrada of Laon was born in Laon between 710-727 AD, and married Pepin the Short. She was the mother of Charlemagne, Gisela and Carloman as well aa five other of Charlemagne's siblings who died young.

Answer: Scarpe

Located in the Nord department, Douai is situated around 25 miles (40 km) south of Lille, and around 15 miles (25 km) from Arras. Once known for its coal mining industry, modern Douai is now known more for its automobile industry, as well as for its food industry and manufacturing of railway equipment. Douai is also known for its gothic belfry, standing at 130 feet (40 m) high. During the invasion of France in World War I, the Germans intended to melt the bells down for metal, but they were later taken back. New bells were later installed for a better sound. Douai was inflicted with serious damage during World War II.

The Scarpe is a left tributary of the Scheldt, which runs through the north of France, the southwest of Belgium and the southwest of the Netherlands. The Scarpe is around 60 miles (95 km) long, and was the site of notable conflict during World War I.

Answer: Peter

Between 1569 - 1573 AD, Beauvais Cathedral was the highest building in the world, with its tower stretching just over 500 feet (150 m). The cathedral has suffered two collapses in its time, in the 13th and 16th centuries. The cathedral remains not fully constructed.

It also features the striking Beauvais Astronomical Clock, which is around 40 feet (12 m) high and around 20 foot (6 m) wide. It displays the time of 18 cities across the world, and features Jesus and his 12 apostles on its face.

Answer: Plailly

Plailly is a commune located in the Oise department.

Parc Astérix is the second-largest theme park in France, second only to Disneyland, Paris. Its theme is based on the "The Adventures of Asterix" comic book series created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The theme park is located around 20 miles (35 km) north of Paris, and is renowned for its variety of rollercoasters, many of which contain historical themes from the times of the Romans, the Gauls, the Ancient Egyptians, etc. Parc Astérix was opened to the public in 1989.