Surrounded by Flemish Baroque-style houses, they are the pride of Arras residents and are greatly admired by visitors. From a height of 75 metres, the view it offers of the city and surrounding countryside is superb!
Another building worthy of your attention is the old Benedictine Abbey of St. Vedast, whose origins date back to the 7th century. In the 18th century, reconstruction and renovation work was undertaken, resulting in this extremely elegant style, like in the main courtyard. The former abbey church has been converted into a cathedral, whereas the abbey houses the Museum of Fine Arts, devoted to painting and sculpture.
You can also discover Arras from its depths. Located 12 metres underground, the boves are former chalk quarries dug in the 10th century to form a very extensive network of tunnels. They provided shelter for Allied soldiers in the First World War before they valiantly went to fight in the Battle of Arras in April Yet the boves are not the only reminder of that victorious battle.
Continue your tour of the city via the citadel. They can take part in workshops and activities, too. And if you are visiting in March, the carnival is an unmissable event. A city with the highest density of monuments in France, Arras takes place in the Hauts-de-France , in the Pas-de-Calais. Third most populated commune of the department, behind Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, it is about fifteen kilometers from Lens , and about forty kilometers from Lille.
A privileged residence of the Counts of Flanders in the ninth century, Arras underwent an important development between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The city is then known for its drapery activity which extends throughout much of Europe at the time. Burgundy between the fourteenth and fifteenth century, the city of Arras joined the bosom of France in the seventeenth century under Louis XIII. The cloth industry is gradually collapsing, giving way to a craft-oriented activity.
