Cambrai: Discover Culture and History

For a trip to Cambrai, cultural history takes centre stage: since 1992, the city has been part of the national network of Villes et Pays d’art et d’histoire. Around thirty buildings are listed or classified as historic monuments. This variety offers several themes to explore during your stay. When looking for a hotel in Cambrai, you might first consider whether you are most interested in museums, churches and architecture, or a guided tour.

Museums: City History and Collections

The CambraiScope at the Labo is a free permanent exhibition. It includes models, plans, contemporary and historical photographs, and videos. Highlights include a faithful representation of the model of Cambrai under Louis XIV and a virtual tour of the Château de Selles. The focus is on the city and how it is represented in different media.

The Musée de Cambrai is housed in the Hôtel de Francqueville; its collections span the period from prehistory to the 21st century. They are displayed across four floors and arranged chronologically along a permanent visitor route. The departments cover archaeology, Cambrai’s heritage, fine arts and geometric abstraction. The museum thus offers a broad overview of different periods and themes, while the CambraiScope focuses on city models and views.

Churches, Architecture and History

The religious buildings reveal different architectural and art-historical facets of Cambrai. The Église Saint-Géry is the city’s oldest church; its present-day building combines Dutch Baroque with French Classicism. The Jesuit chapel can be explored through both its architectural history and its interior decoration. It was rebuilt between 1678 and 1694 according to the principles of the Counter-Reformation. The work was funded by a bequest from Monseigneur Vanderburch and based on plans by the architect Jean du Blocq. The choir and nave feature numerous high and low reliefs, as well as paintings by Arnoult de Vuez depicting scenes from the life of Christ.

Cambrai Cathedral also preserves significant works of art: trompe-l’œil paintings by Martin Geeraerts of Antwerp date from 1745. The icon Notre-Dame de Grâce, which has been venerated in Cambrai since 1492, is another highlight. The history of the Church of Saint-Sépulcre takes us back to the revolutionary period: after the Gothic cathedral was destroyed during the Revolution, Saint-Sépulcre was designated the new cathedral of Cambrai in 1804.

Citadel and Walking Tours

The Citadel of Cambrai was built in 1543 on the orders of Charles Quint, at the highest point in the city, Mont-des-Bœufs. The tour “Visite de la Citadelle de Cambrai et ses souterrains” is led by a tour guide and lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. Check availability before your trip. The walking tour “Cambrai, la cathédrale et son quartier” explores the cathedral district along a 1.5-kilometre route. Check the route details before your trip. The two formats are described differently: the guided tour by its duration, and the walking tour by its distance.

Promenades and Other Urban Spaces

The Mail Saint-Martin is a tree-lined space dedicated to strolling, with views towards the Beffroi de Cambrai. The Tour Saint-Martin, also known as the Beffroi, is protected as a historic monument. The public gardens are home to a bandstand built by André de Baralle in 1867. These places bring together different aspects of the city’s history and its public spaces.

Another geographical landmark is the Port de Cantimpré, located at the confluence of the canalised Escaut and the Canal de Saint-Quentin. Together with the museums, churches, citadel and Mail Saint-Martin, it offers a varied picture of Cambrai. When choosing a hotel for your stay, you can consider which of these cultural and historic highlights you would like to explore.

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For the wider travel overview: Nord.