Tours of the Battlefields of Northern France have long been a staple of school trips. Often an annual event for many schools they are still arguably the most popular overseas destination - in spite of the growing distance in time since the tragic events that define the region took place.

The Nord Region saw significant action in both World Wars of the Twentieth Century – the landscape scattered with more than 650 military cemeteries is testimony to this fact. As a result this area of France has reluctantly played a major role in the shaping of the Europe we live in today.

Most attention, however, is focused on World War One as the area hosted the fiercest hostilities of all on the Western Front. A trip to the Battlefields should leave an indelible impression on any pupil studying the conflict, providing insight to the sheer scale of the carnage that occurred whilst strengthening their human understanding of the experiences suffered by soldiers and civilians alike.

Many schools will look for a personal or local angle to bring the most out of the experience for their pupils by connecting the tour to the classroom - locating the grave of a former pupil or an ancestor of a current pupil are among the most popular ideas. A special wreath laying ceremony can provide a moving interaction for the group whilst attending the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate ‘Memorial to the Missing’ is a poignant and thought-provoking exercise.

Our centre in the Nord region is ideally located in Cambrai. One of the prominent towns in the region occupied by Germans until the latter stages of the Great War, this was the site of two major battles in late 1917 and October 1918. This makes it an excellent base for touring the Western Front from the battle lines in Picardy to the Ypres Salient across the border in Belgium.

We especially recommend a tour of the Circuit of Remembrance and memorial sites of the Somme battlefields, including the towns of Peronne and Albert and the educational Historial de la Grande Guerre. Nearby in Belgium we can visit Ypres for the informative In Flanders Field Museum and Sanctuary Wood with its network of reconstructed trenches and relics.

Nearby Arras is home to the Wellington Quarry, the fascinating new visitor attraction telling the story of subterranean life for the thousands of British soldiers who lived in former underground quarries which were adapted for strategic purposes in 1916. Arras is well worth a visit on its own merits, with three impressive central squares faithfully reconstructed in their original style after the hostilities ended.

Indeed, away from the battlefields, there are plenty of other activities for schools to enjoy in the region that are not focused on war. On the banks of the Somme river, Amiens is a charming Medieval town noted for France’s largest Gothic Cathedral which is the subject of an innovative light show for much of the year. Boat trips on the labyrinth of canals are a very pleasant way of spending an afternoon.

The region’s excellent road network also make a day excursion to Paris a possibility on some tours, providing an opportunity to sample the very best the city has to offer. A guided coach tour of all the main sights followed by a boat trip on the Seine or a view from the Eiffel Tower always prove popular for school trips wishing to get a taste of the capital.

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