France has some great destinations for educational visits and one place that is popular among history students is Picardy.
The northern province is located in the beautiful French countryside and is popular among tourists as it is easy to reach from Calais by ferry or from Paris by train.
Indeed, it takes only four hours to arrive in Picardy from London, which makes it a good place for school trips to France.
And as well as boasting beautiful gardens and parks where you can take in the views, it is home to some of the country's biggest memorials of World War I.
This is where the Battle of the Somme took place, which means that students studying this era of history will be able to see the site of this famous combat.
As well as getting a close experience of this pivotal event, children will be able to visit the wide selection of museums and memorials dotted around Picardy to learn more about the war.
You might want to head to the Dragon's Cavern, an old stone quarry that was occupied by the Germans in 1915. After they moved in, the site was transformed into underground barracks, where soldiers slept, ate and were treated for injuries.
The French also lived here during the war and walking around the underground caves you will be able to imagine what life must have been like for the armed forces at this time.
To learn more, there is a museum in the Dragon's Cavern where you can find details of soldiers' lives, as well as animations of how the men lived here.
School trips often go on battlefield walks and spend a moment looking at the sites where hundreds of people lost their lives.
Picardy is also a good location for students interested in art and architecture as many of its buildings are reminders of the region's vast history.
You'll be able to see Flemish influences in the town of Sainte Quentin, such as the City Hall's pedestrian square, which was built in 1509.
However, much of the region was destroyed by the war, which means that while a lot of older buildings no longer exist, the area has a wide variety of post-war architecture that is worth a look.
Art Deco was favoured as the style choice after the war and you'll be able to see brick, stone and glass buildings with ornate features.
Walking around Picardy, you're likely to come across a selection of historical references, whether it is in its buildings, bridges or museums, which is why schools pick this region as a great location to go on an educational trip for their students.
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