Cambrai, Historical city in Nord department, France
Cambrai is a town in the Nord department of northern France that spreads along the Scheldt River and today counts around 32,000 residents. The historic core connects cobbled streets with remains of medieval fortifications and a 14th-century belfry now listed as World Heritage.
In the fifth century the settlement became capital of the Gallo-Roman Nervii tribe and developed from the sixth century into an important spiritual center with its own diocese. Over the following centuries the town changed hands several times between Burgundian, Spanish and French rule until it was definitively annexed to the French kingdom in 1678.
The settlement takes its name from the Roman Camaracum and served for centuries as a bishopric with far-reaching ecclesiastical authority. Today the cathedral and several chapels recall this long religious influence that still shapes the townscape.
The old quarter is easily walkable, with the belfry serving as a landmark and most sights within short distance of each other. Visitors find cafés and small shops along the main streets where regional specialties such as Betises de Cambrai can be tasted.
In November 1917 the first large-scale tank offensive in history took place here, with over 400 British tanks deployed simultaneously. This event fundamentally changed military strategy and turned the site into a turning point in twentieth-century warfare.
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