Cambrai

Cambrai is a commune and subprefecture in northern France, the capital of the arrondissement of Cambrai, in the Nord department of the Hauts-de-France region. It lies on the Scheldt river, in the historic Cambrésis, and has long served as a regional center for administration, trade, and agriculture.

Historically, Cambrai developed as an important medieval bishopric and fortified town in the Cambrésis. In the early modern period it was affected by successive wars between France and the Holy Roman Empire; the 1529 Peace of Cambrai ended a major conflict and is one of the notable treaties associated with the town. In the 20th century, Cambrai was the site of the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, noted for its large-scale use of tanks by the British; the town suffered extensive damage in World War I and was rebuilt in the interwar years.

Landmarks include the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Cambrai, a Gothic church begun in the 13th century, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Cambrai, which houses a collection of European paintings. The historic center preserves a number of old houses and remnants of the medieval ramparts.

Today Cambrai remains a local administrative and economic hub in northern France, with an economy based on agriculture, small and light industry, and service sectors. It is connected by road and rail to larger cities in the region, and serves as a gateway to the surrounding Cambrai countryside.