With the issues we had experienced to date and a reasonably tight schedule to make it down to Paris that could go pear shaped should further issues occur, intending further trips down this way, the decision was made to only have a quick look around Douai.
It’s a city with in excess of two millenia of written history. First records denote it commenced its life as a Roma fortress – Duacum – in the 300’s.
Replacing a much earlier tower, the Gothic belfry, constructed in 1380, is a massive 80 metres in height and holds a carillon of 62 bells – some dated to 1391 – that cover five octaves.
Interesting facts:
A textile market centre during the Middle Ages.
Once a coal mining centre, Douai is now an automobile led industrial centre.
First university founded in 1562 and was once the education hub for English Catholics escaping persecution taking place in England.
Much of town destroyed 17170, 1712, 1918 and WWII.
