Condé-sur-l'Escaut, commune in Nord, France
Condé-sur-l'Escaut is a small town in northern France near the border, located in the Valenciennes district. Its old streets are lined with stone buildings from different periods, featuring a town hall with a tall bell tower and the neo-classical Church of Saint-Wasnon with original stained glass windows.
The town began around the year 1000 as a trading settlement when canons arrived and established themselves there. Fortifications were built in the early 1100s and later strengthened by Spain in the 1600s before France took control in 1678, after which military engineer Vauban modernized the defenses.
The name comes from its location on the Escaut River and its historical role as a border crossing point. Local residents maintain traditions like regular markets where they buy fresh bread and local products, creating a warm community feeling that visitors can experience while walking through the streets.
The old town is easy to explore on foot, with narrow streets leading to the center and to the fortification remains. The northern and western walls now form a park where visitors can walk and experience the history while observing the surviving bastions and ravelin structures.
Since 2000, archaeologists from the University of Amiens have been excavating the castle area and uncovering new details from medieval times. This ongoing research makes the place an active window into the border history of northern France.
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