Summary
The capital of the historic Artois region features a distinct Flemish character, evident in its names, architecture, cuisine, and artistic expressions.
The gabled structures located on Place des Héros and Grand-Place resemble those seen in Belgium or the Netherlands, while the fine arts museum showcases an impressive collection of Flemish and Dutch Baroque paintings.
The First World War profoundly affected this area, leaving enduring reminders of the conflict more than a century later. Beneath Arras lies an intricate network of chalk tunnels where citizens sought refuge and where Allied forces orchestrated the Battle of Arras in 1917. Additionally, memorials, cemeteries, and insightful museums are situated just outside the city.
Let us examine the most notable attractions in Arras:
1. Beffroi d’Arras
All belfries within the historic County of Flanders are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the prominent tower located on Place des Héros.
Visitors can ascend via an elevator for an extensive view, followed by an additional 40 steps on a spiral staircase to achieve a panoramic perspective from 75 meters above Arras.
This belfry, constructed in a flamboyant Gothic style, has undergone reconstruction on two occasions since its completion in 1554—first in 1840 to address structural defects and again following World War I damage.
Historically, the belfry’s chimes signified the opening and closing of the city’s gates.
2. Place des Héros
The arcaded square adjacent to the belfry and city hall highlights Arras’s historical Flemish influence.
This rectangular area is adorned with cobblestones and bordered on three sides by grand gabled buildings featuring arcades at their base.
A remarkable 52 of these facades are listed as historic monuments in France.
Originally referred to as La Petite Place, it was renamed after World War II to honor the Resistance fighters executed at Arras Citadel.
The archways accommodate various shops and cafés, providing opportunities to relish the ambiance, perhaps with a café au lait or local beer.
3. Grand-Place
Walk through the impressive row of arcaded buildings along Rue de la Taillerie to reach Grand-Place, which bears a striking resemblance to locations in the Netherlands or Belgium rather than France.
A total of 155 structures designed in a Hispano-Flemish baroque style encircle this stunning square, with only one displaying a distinctive feature. The facade of the building at No. 35, composed of red brick, showcases a geometric crow-stepped gable, contrasting with the curved designs prevalent in the surrounding architecture.
During the summer months, the city transforms the square into a large beach, complete with table tennis, volleyball, trampolines, and play areas for younger children.
4. Carrière Wellington
In 1917, the Battle of Arras was part of a British campaign during the First World War that resulted in minimal territorial gain but cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
Preparation for this assault began in late 1916, with allied engineers excavating over 20 kilometers of subterranean tunnels extending from the heart of Arras toward the front lines.
These tunnels included living quarters capable of housing 20,000 soldiers.
The museum located within these tunnels, inaugurated in 2008, vividly illustrates the war’s impact on Arras and the key events of the offensive, where combatants fought fiercely 20 meters underground.
5. Musée des Beaux-arts
The majority of fine art museums in France were established during the French Revolution, a period when the government confiscated invaluable artworks from religious institutions and the residences of the aristocracy.
This loss significantly benefits the public, as institutions like this one, located in the exquisite former Abbey of Saint-Vaast, are filled with remarkable artworks.
Here in Arras, works by Flemish and Dutch masters of the 16th and 17th centuries take center stage, and even those without an art history background can easily recognize notable figures such as Rubens, Nicolas Maes, and Breughel the Younger.
The museum also houses extraordinary medieval artifacts, including the Anges d’Humbert, exquisitely naturalistic wooden angels from the 1200s, along with a morbid death mask.
6. Les Boves
The purchase of a combined day-ticket grants access to both Carrière Wellington and the Belfry.
Les Boves represent the older sections of Arras’s underground tunnel system, first excavated as early as the 900s.
The intention behind these tunnels was to connect all of the city’s cellars, a relatively simple task given Arras’s foundation on soft chalk.
During both World Wars, local residents sought refuge in these tunnels from artillery fire, as you will uncover on a 40-minute multilingual guided tour.
7. Art Deco Heritage
Approximately 80% of Arras was destroyed during the First World War.
Though many historic sites, such as the buildings on Grand-Place, the city hall, and the Belfry, were meticulously restored, many residential areas were redesigned in the new architectural styles that emerged in the post-war period.
This is exemplified on the long thoroughfare stretching south of the center, which begins as Rue Gambetta and subsequently transitions into Rue Saint-Aubert and Rue Ernestale.
At the edge of Place du Théâtre, the Galeries Modernes building features intricate iron railings and dates back to 1926.
8. Quartier des Arts
A short distance from Rue Gambetta lies the Hôtel de Guînes, situated on Rue des Jongleurs.
This splendid 18th-century mansion has been repurposed as a cultural center and performance venue.
The schedule of events in the intimate auditorium includes theater, music, and art installations.
You will find yourself in the heart of Quartier des Arts, a small district encompassing the Hôtel de Guînes, the Fine Arts Museum, and Arras Theatre.
The recently renovated theatre boasts six stages and even houses a cinema.
9. First World War Sites
To the north of Arras, the landscape reflects the scars of the First World War, with areas still designated as a red zone due to unexploded ordnance.
Several poignant sites await your exploration, offering reminders from the city’s past.
The closest is the understated German military cemetery at Saint-Laurent-Blangy, where the Star of David headstones commemorate the Jewish casualties, reminding us of a different chapter in 20th-century history.
Additionally, two mass graves for Canadian soldiers, interred within mine craters (Zivy and Lichfield), are located near Thélus.
Finally, the village of Ablain-Saint-Nazaire features the remains of the 15th-century Church of Saint-Nazaire, which suffered shelling at the onset of the war, alongside a French national cemetery containing 20,000 graves.
10. Citadelle d’Arras
Another UNESCO recognized site, this 17th-century citadel remains one of 12 fortifications designed by military architect Sebastien Prestre Vauban.
These structures represented revolutionary advancements in military architecture, reinforcing France’s borders, though the Arras citadel is affectionately dubbed La Belle Inutile, meaning “The Beautiful Useless One,” as it was never utilized for its intended purpose.
More often, it serves as a cultural venue, hosting events such as the Main Square Festival during the summer.
The citadel’s present form comprises a dispersed arrangement of outbuildings, with the Mémorial du Mur des Fusillés commemorating the site where German forces executed 218 members of the French and European Resistance during World War II.
11. Main Square Festival
As a means of invigorating the local culture, the city initiated the Big Square Festival in 2004. Initially held on Grand-Place, the event expanded in 2010 to be hosted at the citadel due to increased attendance.
The festival has grown significantly, from 14,000 participants at its inception to over 100,000 attendees in recent years.
Taking place during the first weekend of July, the festival has featured performances from notable artists such as The Black Keys, Pearl Jam, Pharrell Williams, Coldplay, and Arcade Fire.
12. Andouillettes and Moules
While they may initially seem unappealing, Andouillettes are a thick and coarse sausage made from pork, chitterlings, onion, pepper, and wine.
These sausages are so deeply integrated into Arras’s culture that the city celebrates them with the Festival of Andouillette, held on the last weekend of August, featuring a large outdoor feast in Place des Héros, complete with processions and marching bands.
Andouilletes pair excellently with French fries, as do the other regional delicacy, mussels.
Prepared either in a white wine sauce or with Provençal herbs and tomatoes, mussels are perfectly complemented by either a glass of pinot blanc or a Belgian-style beer.
13. Louvre-Lens
Located approximately 20 minutes away by car, Lens was selected to host the Louvre’s inaugural satellite museum in 2012. This initiative aimed to extend the reach of France’s cultural institutions beyond Paris.
The museum features an almost ethereal structure made of glass and aluminum and primarily showcases temporary exhibitions derived from the vast archives of its parent institution.
The permanent display resides in the 120-meter-long Galerie des Temps, which narrates the history of global art chronologically, allowing visitors to admire works such as Mesopotamian statues, Egyptian funerary sculptures, Romanesque carvings, and a Rembrandt painting in a captivating historical journey.
14. Lens’ 14 – 18 Centre d’Histoire Guerre et Paix
Incorporating this newly established museum into your exploration of the battlefields north of Arras is advisable.
The museum is constructed from somber, black concrete cubes referred to as “chapels,” which were situated precisely where the front line existed.
Through innovative museological techniques, this interpretation center fosters contemplation regarding the First World War’s impact on the Pas-de-Calais region, drawing on period films, maps, and archival photographs.
Virtually every facet of the war in this region is examined, encompassing the causes, trench warfare, the German occupation of northern France, and the offensives culminating in the war’s conclusion.
15. Beffroi de Douai
Perhaps the belfry in Arras has piqued your interest in the UNESCO World Heritage bell towers throughout the region.
The nearest is located just 25 kilometers away in Douai, dating back to 1380 and regarded as one of the most exquisite belfries.
Victor Hugo certainly agreed, expressing admiration during his visit to Douai in 1837. Its unique design features a whimsical combination of conical turrets, each topped with a blue slate roof and gold weathervane.
The carillon boasts 62 bells spanning five octaves, some of which were cast as far back as the 14th century.
