General Regulations

The town has managed to preserve its charm with its cobblestone streets, typical 17th and 18th-century façades and its heritage of 23 listed historical monuments. As for its natural heritage, it mainly revolves around the waterways that border the town.

The Lys played a decisive role in protecting the city during the various wars that Aire experienced, while the Canal de Neufossé, dug in 1773 to connect the Lys to the Aa, provides an important commercial route for the municipality and allows barges to transport goods. Indeed, with the opening in 1826 of the Canal d'Aire à la Bassée, Aire-sur-la-Lys became a mandatory transit point for goods traffic between the ports of Gravelines and Dunkirk.