Cambrai

Cambrai is a city of 30,000 inhabitants, located south of Lille, in the region of Nord Pas de Calais. The region is called the Cambrésis, and the specialty is "Betises", which are peppermint candy or fruit. Its name comes from the Latin word for chalk. There used to be a Gallo-Roman fortress in the fourth century. The city developed particularly during the industrial revolution, but suffered much from the crisis of the 70s when many factories and mines in the region were closed. It's a nice city known for its art and history. The city is less than an hour from Lille and almost two hours from Paris, because it is on the main railway line from Lille to Paris.