Frankrijk - France

The city of Arras is well known for its two magnificent Flemish-baroque-style squares: Grand’Place and Place des Héros (also called La Petite Place) which show a monumental architectural complex, spread over 17.000 square meters. This Flemish architecture is not surprising, as the city was once part of the Netherlands, controlled by Spain from 1556 to 1714. Louis XIII reconquered Arras in 1640; the town officially became part of France in 1659. The two squares were initially built to host markets which reflected the prosperous trading economy of Arras. In the 17th century, the municipal magistrates decided to redesign the two squares (and the Rue de la Taillerie) by constructing more harmonious buildings around them. Nowadays the squares have 155 houses, built in the baroque style with typical Flemish gables individually decorated with garlands of flowers, ribbons or horns of plenty. The façades of the houses are made of brick. At street level, arcades are supported by 345 sandstone columns. During World War I the city (and squares) were almost entirely destroyed, but the houses were rebuilt, even if the wood was replaced by bricks and stones. The smallest square, Place des Héros (main image), is overlooked by the majestic Town Hall. This gothic structure is flanked by a 77 meters high belfry, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Jardin de l’Hôtel d'Emonville (Garden of the Hôtel d'Emonville) is an Anglo-Chinese garden suitable for walking and discovering the remarkable trees that have adorned the garden since the 19th century. The garden was created by an important Abbeville family. In 1859, Arthur Foucques d'Émonville inherited this property, which had already been extensively landscaped in the style of the period. He used the garden, measuring around 1.5 hectares, to indulge his passion for horticulture. In 1861, he had an imposing private mansion built in the heart of the plot. This Jardin de l’Hôtel d'Emonville , which was awarded the ‘Remarkable Garden’ label in 2013, features a diverse range of plants: conifers, broad-leaved trees, perennials and annuals. Among the many trees, some of which are over 150 years old, are a dozen rare species.

Petite France (also called Gerberviertel = “tanners district”) is the most charming, beautiful and best preserved parts of the historical centre of Strasbourg with its bridges, black and white timber-framed buildings and winding streets. It is considered being one of the most picturesque places in France. In the early 12th century, Strasbourg began to expand southwards, extending the mediaeval ramparts right up to the delta formed by the river Ill. Petite France grew up around the four arms of the river. With houses built along narrow twisting streets the neighbourhood was markedly different to the much more bourgeois sector around the cathedral. The magnificent half-timbered houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Their sloping roofs open out onto lofts where hides were once dried. The canals built in the Middle Ages brought in fishermen and small industries, including tanneries (the smell of which had to be kept away from the more patrician residences of the city), three flour mills and a lots of other trades. The name Petite-France ("Little France") was not given for patriotic or architectural reasons. It comes from the Hospice des Vérolés, which was built in the late 15th century in the area, to cure persons with syphilis, then called Franzosenkrankheit ("French disease") in German. Petite France is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Grande Île, designated in 1988.

Veules-les-Roses is a charming village - one of the oldest in the region n - along the Côte d’Albâtre. It is called one of the most beautiful villages of France. In 2017 it was even named the most beautiful village in France. It is believed that Veules-les-Roses already existed in the 4th century. The name Veules is probably derived from an old English word meaning “water spring”. In the Middle Ages, the village existed from fishing, which remained remained the main source of income till the 18th century. With the rise of spinning mills, the village became prosperous. In that days the streetscape of Veules-les-Roses was dominated by water mills, fishermen’s houses, farms and wash-houses at that time. Nowadays the main attraction of the village is the river “Veules”. With a length of 1.149 meters, it is the shortest river in France. The Veules rises on the edge of the village and then flows through the centre. Veules-les-Roses offers some half-timbered houses and stately villas.

At the beginning of the 20th century, French actress Madame Thebault had the villa ‘La Roxelane’ and its garden built on the cliff of Amont. The house and garden fell into disrepair over the years. In 2014, landscape architect Alexandre Grivko discovered the neglected complex. A year later, restoration began. It took Grivko 24 months to build hundreds of meters of walls, apply 1,000 tons of earth, build two kilometers of gravel paths and plant more than 30,000 conifers. In 2017, the renovated Jardins d’Étretat (Étretat Gardens) reopened to the public. The garden consists of a mix of English, French and Japanese architectural styles. In this green oasis, landscape, artfully pruned shrubs and trees and modern works of art come together in a unique way. A platform offers stunning views over Étretat and the cliffs.

Étretat's chalk cliffs were formed in the Cretaceous period, millions of years ago, when the region was covered by the sea. The cliffs consist of deposits of light-coloured calcareous marine organisms and skeletons of siliceous organisms. Subsequent movements of the Earth's crust pushed these deposits up and brought them to the surface. Erosion by sea, wind and frost formed the characteristic rock arches and needles in the sea. The cliffs around Étretat seem perennial, yet are fragile and constantly changing: wind, tides, infiltration of rainwater, freezing and then thawing weaken them. As a result, landslides occur regularly and the cliffs crumble. They have become the impressive rock formations that can be seen today, such as the Falaise d'Amont/Cliff of Amont (main image, PiP 1and 2), Falaise d'Aval/Cliff of Aval (PiP 3 and 4), Falaise la Manne Porte/Manne Porte Cliff (PiP 5) and the Aiguille Creuse/Hollow Needle (PiP 6 and 7).

Étretat is a village on the Alabaster Coast. Once a real fishing village, today Étretat relies mainly on tourism. The old centre has winding streets with pretty buildings and a few half-timbered houses. An old covered wooden market hall stands on the central square. Étretat is embedded between tall white chalk cliffs (with three natural arches). Until the 19th century, this place was difficult to access and remained untouched for a long time. The landscape was so special and authentic that many artists flocked to it.

The original building of the Église Saint-Hélier (St. Hélier Church) in Beuzeville dates back to the 12th century. The church has a nave with two aisles and a choir with side chapels. It was once surrounded by a cemetery. The church is dedicated to Saint Helier (a 6th-century monk from Belgium, who became a hermit in Jersey and gave his name to the island's main town). The building, which was modified in the 16th and 18th centuries, has elegant windows, balustrades and buttresses, as well as rare Norman-style half-timbering on the east side. The bell tower houses three bells, the oldest of which was consecrated in 1779. St. Hélier Church is well known for its nineteen colourful stained-glass windows, depicting saints. These windows were designed by François Décorchemont, a master glassblower from nearby Conches. The windows were made between 1960 and 1966.

The Vieux Bassin (Old Harbour) is a picturesque port in Honfleur and the main tourist attraction of the town. The harbour was remodeled in the year of 1681. It replaces the old beaching harbour which was much narrower. These expansion and deepening works required the destruction of the western part of the ramparts of the city. The work ended in 1684. Vieux Bassin has an area of about one hectare, with a length of 130 meters for a width of 70 meters on the south side and 85 meters on the north side. On one side - Quai Sainte-Catherine - the harbour is lined with narrow and tall wooden 17th and 18th centuries houses (up to seven floors) with slate covered wooden façades. The Lieutenance - a former citygate and the residence of the town’s royal governor - dominates the entrance of the old harbour (PiP3).