Looking for historic villages in Belgium and Northern France

I've always wanted to do an A Distant Mirror trek. That's the title of a fascinating book by Barbara W. Tuchman that traces the history of a 14th-century nobleman called the Sire de Coucy. Many remnants of his life and times still exist in northern France and Belgium, and I think it would be intriguing to explore some of them rather than just reading about them.

Ah yes. A great read. She has a way of making the past come ealive. Almost like reading fiction. We'll be travelling through the battlefield areas of WWI, another subject of Ms. Tuchman's in her Guns of August. That area of the world was faught over constantly. For that matter is seems like most of Europe was.

It depends a little on where you're from but for Australians the villages of Passchendaele (sp?) and Zonnebeke have particular significance for their WWI history - I don't think they are especially picturesque but they have war memorials and cemetaries nearby where Australian troops are buried. A nearby cemetary is Tyne Cot, which is quite awe-inspiring whether you have the WWI connection or not. These are in the direction of Ypres (Ieper) But for picturesque little towns, try the Ardennes. Just driving through you will come across some pretty scenery and sweet little towns.

Lavandula

It depends on your routing of course, but the Luxembourg Province in southern Belgium (NB not the same as Luxembourg the country), is a bit of a hidden gem, and well off the normal tourist track. There are many historic small towns and villages dotted around the hilly forested countryside. I particularly like Bouillon, Bastogne (site of the WW2 battle) and the famous caves at the village of Han-sur-Lesse.

Two world wars have more or less put paid to villages with intact historical appearance, and most villages look rather modern and rebuilt. There are villages with (mostly restored) churches and other monuments, but to find those with intact medieval appearance, you'll have to travel further south and east. In post-war reconstructions, while cities and towns received more attention (and money), villages on the whole were left alone, and only partially restored.
A few that come to mind in Northern France include Montreuil-sur-Mer and Cassel (of grand old Duke of York fame) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Frederick,_Duke_of_York_and_Albany; both have been restored after extensive war damage.

Ypres (Ieper) should be on your list. It was destroyed in WWI built rebuilt in the same style. Also there is an excellent museum there, The Menin Gate Memorial , and if you are there in the evening, Last Post Ceremony.

Actually I second Han-Sur-Lesse for the caves, not so much for the village (which I don't really recall, except for the fact that I had a really good steak-frites at a very unassuming cafe / restaurant).

Lavandula

jntnmir, my suggestion would be La-roche-en-ardenne, Belgium. We spent several hours there, exploring the castle ruins in the centre of town, having coffee by the river, and wandering through a rather quaint war museum on the main street. The museum showed pictures of the village and the severe damage they suffered during the war - made our understanding of life at that time much more real.

Amiens Cathedral is most spectacular and also has an evening sound and light show (in French, then repeated in English).

We plan to visit Ieper (Ypres) this time around, and have an excellent walk of the city that I've seen in the book 'Walking with the Anzacs' by Mat McLachlan. I expect that you could pick up similar information from the visitor centre in the town. The museum in the Cloth Hall sounds fascinating; when you enter the museum you are given an electronic card encoded with the life story of a participant in the war. This you scan at terminals throughout the exhibition to reveal a sequential summary of that person's war experience.

On the same theme, if you are in Alsace-Lorraine area, the Struthof concentration camp is tucked away in the hills to the west of the city (see www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/memorial-sites/memorial-sites-struthof ). It is a very sobering place to visit, but I am so moved to have been able to have this experience. It is in immense contrast to the usual tourist experience most of us seek, and I was very aprehensive about going, but I think this helps to build a comprehension of life in Europe during the war.

I don't know if the Sound and Light at Strasbourg Cathedral will be operating when you are there, but it is also very good. Free entertainment around the Cathedral is also well worth watching out for.

If you are interested in more details of our visit, just click on my screen name to find reports.

Happy travels, Di

For a smaller city in Belgium with beautiful historic buildings, our friend who lives in Belgium recommends Mechelen.
For villages you could check out the destination guide for beer and pick one of the abbeys or villages with a famous brewery.

In Alsace I would visit some of the villages along the Route des Vin--places like Riquewihr and Kaysersberg and Ribeauvillé

For the sort of indepth stuff you're looking for, I've always found the Blue Guides to be best. They may seem a bit dense but they have the best information. They're also usually written following routes, which makes them easy to use as you travel.