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At Hôtel Le Béatus, owner Philippe Gorczynski, a WWI expert, will happily share his passion for the subject. Having spent childhood holidays in the area, he devoted years of painstaking research to locate ‘Deborah’."

From Cambrai you’re an easy drive from other key WW1 sites, including Thiepval British Memorial, Bullecourt Australian Memorial and the Carrière de Wellington underground tunnels in Arras. In Ors, lies La Maison Forestière Wilfred Owen – a modern memorial to the famous British poet who died in the war in November 1918. The Maison recreates the forester's house in which Owen penned his last letter to his mother.

Cultural Discovery in and around Cambrai

Challenge your perspective with a visit to the Cambrai Musée des Beaux-Arts, with works by Ingres and Rodin; the Matisse Museum, with France’s largest collection by the painter; and Musée de la Dentelle in Caudry where the lace on Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was made. Less than an hour’s drive away is the Louvre Lens, with meticulously chosen works from its big sister in Paris. Dining options are aplenty. Do try the Château de la Motte Fénelon’s restaurant Le 109, with dishes that include veal caramelised in Belval Abbey honey, with sand-grown carrots and white-onion sauce. Let yourself be tempted by boulangeries, farmshops and markets, and bring a piece of France home with you from the Halles Cambrésiennes or Bétises de Cambrai Afchain (boiled sweets). Maroilles CheeseIf you fancy a slower pace, Mormal Forest, damaged in the war, is a peaceful walking spot, with roe and red deer and boar. Pretty Maroilles, home to one of France’s most pungent cheeses, hosts a fleamarket in June and a Fête Flamiche in August (flamiche is a tart). Practical Information.

Visit the Matisse Museum, where Henri Matisse himself designed the layout of his works and donated 82 paintings in 1952 © office de tourisme du cambresis
Philippe Gorczynski’s passion for history led him on a long quest to find Deborah D51 © office de tourisme du Cambrésis
Whilst visiting the region, sample local Maroilles cheese © CRT Picardie/ AS Flament