Northern France  

"English and American tourists are apt to confine their interest in Northern France to the districts through which they are whirled by the express-trains from the N. seaports to Paris: but the more leisurely traveller will find much to arrest his attention and employ his time pleasantly in various parts of the country coming within the scope of this Handbook. Though N. France is less richly gifted with natural beauty than those parts of the country which border on the Alps or the Pyrenees, it still affords much attractive scenery in Normandy, Brittany, the valley of the Seine, the Vosges, and the Ardennes. On the other hand it is extremely rich in architectural monuments of the greatest importance, containing an unparalleled series of magnificent Gothic churches at Rouen, Amiens, Beauvais, Caen, Chartres, Tours, Rheims, Bourges, Orleans, Troyes, and Laon, while the Romanesque style is well illustrated in the abbey-churches of Caen and in many smaller examples. The ancient Abbey of Mont St. Michel is, perhaps, the most picturesque edifice in France. Among secular edifices may be mentioned the magnificent Palais de Justice at Rouen, the Renaissance chateaux of Blois and Chambord, the mediaeval castles of Pierrefonth, Coucy Chateau Oaillard, and Rambures, the mansion of Jacques Cceur at Bourges, and the quaint old houses of Lisieux, Rouen, etc. The art collections of Lille are worthy of a great capital, and those of Douai, Caen, Valenciennes, Rennes, Nantes, Dijon, and Besancon are also of considerable value. The busy commercial harbour of he Havre and the military ports of Cherbourg and Brest deserve a visit, while Nancy, the ancient capital of Lorraine, has a special interest for the histonca student. Lastly, mention must be made of the imposing antiquarian relics of Carnac."--Northern France, from Belgium and the English channel to the Loire, excluding Paris and its environs : handbook for travellers (1889) by Baedeker