Cambrai Property Insight

Cambrai is a 33,000-inhabitants town situated in the Nord department, in the Nord Pas de Calais region. This town is famous for its bêtises de Cambrai, delicious mint sweets.

Overview

The area around the town is called the Cambrésis. Cambrai is located between many hills: hills of Thiérache and Avesnois can be found to the east of the town, Artois’s hills to the north-west. Cambrai houses an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was vast during the Middle Ages. At the same period, the town is very prosperous thanks to the textile industry (especially woolen and linen cloth) and fertile soils. In 1917, a battle took place in Cambrai, which was occupied by the German soldiers.

Nowadays, Cambrai has a great potential as it is situated on the major fluvial and motorway axis of the region. Cambrai is located close to several important towns of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region: only 26km from Douai, 32km from Valenciennes, 36km from Arras and 39km from Saint-Quentin. The belfry, Notre-Dame de Grâce cathedral, town hall and vestiges of the citadel are just a few examples of the places of interest that the town boasts.

Cambrai Immobilier & Property Market Trends

The Nord department offers properties at affordable prices: €2,595/square metre against €3,197/square metre for the national average. Property prices in Cambrai are pretty low for the department. In 2008, an apartment cost between €1,520/sq m and €2,040/sq m. The range of prices for a new 3-room apartment was €2,700/sq m - €2,770/sq m. People who invested in a 5-room house in Cambrai paid between €108,000 and €155,000.

Price for houses to buy in the town has been decreasing since March 2008, going from €2,000/square metre at that time to €1,650/square metre in May 2009. 60% of the properties are detached houses and almost 40% of the dwellings have 5 rooms or more. There may be opportunities in the rental market as 50.5% of the inhabitants rent their property.

To get updated info about the property prices in the Nord department, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

4 Reasons to Buy a Property in Cambrai

• Culture, art and historical heritage: Cambrai has kept numerous vestiges from the Middles Ages and its fortifications: towers and gates testify the medieval past of the town. The Tour des Arquets, Tour du Caudron, Tour des Sottes, gates of Notre Dame, as well as the citadel attract many history lovers. Only a little part of the 16th-century citadel remains, but it is worth visiting it. The town houses many monuments which are listed as historical monuments. Notre-Dame de Grâce cathedral, Saint-Géry church, the belfry (listed by UNSECO, symbol of local council freedom), town hall, chapelle du Grand Séminaire and 13th-century castle of Selles are amongst the most beautiful monuments of the town. Cambrai is also home to a Fine Arts Museum and a Military Museum from 1871 to these days.

• Good food: as said before, Cambrai is famous for its sweets: bêtises de Cambrai, mint sweets with a line of caramel on one side. They were invented in the late 19th century. Nowadays, many flavours exist: apple, orange, lemon, raspberry, etc. Other local specialties are the andouillette, tripes, liver paté with plum, hare cooked with raisins, etc. The local gastronomy is rich and delicious so the easiest way to discover it is to visit the area and have lunch or dinner in a typical ‘brasserie’.

• Events: the town is an important cultural centre, especially as regards music. Already in the Midlle Ages famous composers came to study music in the town (Guillaume Dufay, Johannes Tinctoris, Ockeghem…). Several music festivals are held in the town: festival of Juventus classical music, ‘BetiZFest’, etc. In June, Les Féodales bring people back to the Middle Ages during two days. Actors and musicians perform and transform the town as a medieval city. On the 15th of August, a big fun fair is organized during 10 days, during which ‘Martin and Martine’ - the giant puppets, symbols of the town - can be seen.

• Location – transport infrastructure: the town is not far from European major cities: Lille is 62km, Brussels 122km, Paris 173km and London 265km from Cambrai. The motorways A1, A2 and A26 pass close to the town, which enable an easy access. There are direct trains to Lille, Douai, Valenciennes, Saint-Quentin and Reims, and also trains to Paris via Douai or Saint-Quentin (about 2 hours).

Property Styles and Architecture in Cambrai

• Town houses: located in the town centre, these properties are close to all amenities. As the majority of houses in the north of France, they are built in red or brown bricks. They have a sloping roof constructed of tiles, red or brown too. Kind of decorations made with the bricks or stone surround the windows. Town houses may be narrow but spread in length or have large dimensions. They often come with a garden and a garage or car park in front of the house.

• Detached houses: these properties can also be located in the town centre, but they are more likely to be found in the countryside. They have large dimensions and come with an important piece of land. They offer great views over the area and quietness but they are close to the town which enable their owners to access all amenities in a few minutes. Detached houses can be Longères, farmhouses but also luxury properties such as manors, maisons de maitre or castles.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Nord-Pas-de-Calais.