Arras France Tourism Guide

WELCOME to Arras-France.com website!

This website aims to share interesting information about Arras and its surrounding region in northern France. To enlarge the pictures, just click on them.

The city of Arras is more than 2,000 years old and is located in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. Unlike many French words, the final “s” in the name has to be pronounced!

Photo credit : Jeffrey J. Soulliere

Of Gallo-Roman origin, Arras is famous for various reasons; in the XII century, the city was granted a commercial charter by the crown and enjoyed international importance in banking and trade. By the XIV century, it became a center of wealth and culture, renowned worldwide for its draperies and tapestries, known in Italy as “arazzi”.

The extremely well-preserved military history of Arras and the surrounding Artois region hit you hard when you tour the place. During the First World War, major battles occurred here such as the famous “Battle of Arras”.

The famous underground passages of Arras, called “Boves”, were used to shelter the civilians, and the British soldiers launched a successful attack against the German army from there.

During the Second World War, more than 200 opponents from different nationalities were executed in Arras between August 1941 and July 1944. Their memory is preserved at the ‘Citadel of Arras’, which was classified as part of the ‘world inheritance of humanity’ by UNESCO in 2008.

Today, Arras is famous for its two striking squares, made of 155 houses dating from the XVII and XVIII centuries. The squares were built in a Spanish and Flemish style and are classified as Historical Monuments.

In July 2005, the bell tower of Arras was classified as part of the ‘world inheritance of humanity’ by UNESCO. Visitors can climb it to see numerous sites and monuments around the city.

The bell tower of Arras.

For more beautiful pictures of the Arras’ annual fireworks, please visit Christophe Blanc’s website: http://christopheblanc.free.fr/

Arras is also famous for its beauty and tranquillity. Robespierre and Vidocq, two famous and controversial French personalities were born in Arras. Julius Caesar spent two winters in an oppidum. The city has attracted many over the centuries: writers like the great Victor Hugo, playwrights and political figures.

From the perspective of a foreign visitor, Arras enjoys a strategic position as the city is just 45 minutes north of Paris by TGV train!

The Arras’ houses taken from the bell tower (by Jeffrey J. Soulliere).

We will also share interesting information about other famous regions/sites in France.

If you are coming to northern France, Lorette hill and the Canadian War Memorial of Vimy (near Arras) should be on your list. Indeed, during the First World War, Notre-Dame de Lorette (Lorette hill) represented a strategic point for the German forces. Intense fighting took place on the hill between the French Army and the German Army from October 1914 to October 1915. Over 100,000 soldiers were killed. A national cemetery comprising 20,000 individual graves was erected on 13 hectares (picture below). Lorette hill has seven other ossuaries, located at the corners of the cemetery, in which lie the bodies of more than 17,000 Unknown Soldiers.

Photo credit : Jeffrey J. Soulliere

To know more about this famous site, click on this link :

http://arras-france.com/lorette-hill-northern-france/

As for the Canadian War Memorial of Vimy, it is the most prestigious Canadian monument in Europe. It stands on Hill 145, overlooking the Canadian battlefield of 1917, at one of the points of fiercest fighting and is located about 20 km north of Arras. The Memorial stands as a tribute to all Canadian soldiers who risked or gave their lives in battle during the First World War and commemorates the 9 April 1917 battle.

Photo credit : Jeffrey J. Soulliere

For more information about this site, click on this link :

http://arras-france.com/the-canadian-memorial-of-vimy/

The owner of this website is Emilie Sergent, a native of Arras, who has also lived and traveled in other countries including the UK, USA, Spain, Germany, India and the Netherlands.

Arras-France.com has recently crossed visitors from 200 countries. Don’t hesitate to leave comments and to ask questions about France! I will happily answer them!

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