Cambrai - 35km south-east of Arras lies the old cathedral town of Cambrai, unfortunately badly damaged during the two World Wars. Indeed it’s actually the battleground made famous by Antoine St Exupery’s book “With a machine gun to Cambrai”
It was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting during the First World War, in a battle fought to relieve pressure on the French on their fortress at Verdun. Although little remains of the original city walls, the 14th century Porte de Paris gateway is still well worth a visit.
Nord-Pas de Calais Tourism
Antoine St Exupery "to Cambrai with a machine gun"