Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Encyclopedia
Avesnes-sur-Helpe is a commune
in the Nord department in northern France
. It is a sub-prefecture of the department Nord-Pas Calais. Avesnes-sur-Helpe is known as "the little Switzerland of the north." This region is filled with spacious country parks areas and leisure facilities, including Val Joly, an outdoor sport and nature park, being one of the most popular parks in the region.
played an important role in the low countries, including several Counts of Holland.
The Tour de France
race cycled through town in its 1999 progression around France.
In France, cheese is a part of the culture. In each region of France one will find a different variety of cheeses. The region of Avesnes-Sur-Helpe is best known for its distinctive cheeses: the Maroilles and also the "boule d'Avesnes" (a local cone-shaped red cheese that is coated in paprika).
The high school in the region is the Lycee Jesse de Forest, named for an Avesnes native son who was responsible for the earliest settlement of the Dutch and Huguenots in what is now New York.
The population of the arrondissement is 238,466.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Nord department in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is a sub-prefecture of the department Nord-Pas Calais. Avesnes-sur-Helpe is known as "the little Switzerland of the north." This region is filled with spacious country parks areas and leisure facilities, including Val Joly, an outdoor sport and nature park, being one of the most popular parks in the region.
History
Avesnes was founded in the sixth century. The first known lord was Wedric II of Avesnes (born abt 990), son of Wedric I de Morvois. The house of AvesnesHouse of Avesnes
The Avesnes family played an important role during the Middle Ages. The family has its roots in the small village Avesnes-sur-Helpe, in the north of France....
played an important role in the low countries, including several Counts of Holland.
Culture
Many of the buildings on the main streets in this town are made of stones, like the belfry.The Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
race cycled through town in its 1999 progression around France.
In France, cheese is a part of the culture. In each region of France one will find a different variety of cheeses. The region of Avesnes-Sur-Helpe is best known for its distinctive cheeses: the Maroilles and also the "boule d'Avesnes" (a local cone-shaped red cheese that is coated in paprika).
The high school in the region is the Lycee Jesse de Forest, named for an Avesnes native son who was responsible for the earliest settlement of the Dutch and Huguenots in what is now New York.
The population of the arrondissement is 238,466.