{"id":1645,"date":"2022-04-14T18:16:28","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T16:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/non-classifiee\/must-see-and-unusual-places-in-arras\/"},"modified":"2024-09-27T13:10:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T11:10:17","slug":"must-see-and-unusual-places-in-arras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/activities\/must-see-and-unusual-places-in-arras\/","title":{"rendered":"Must-see and unusual places in Arras"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you decided to spend a weekend in the capital of Artois <\/strong>? If you’re visiting the region, Arras has plenty to offer.
\nSteeped in history, Arras is an attractive city even in the northern rain. Here’s a small selection of places to visit, whether unusual or particularly touristy<\/strong>, and discover the city in a whole new light.<\/p>\n

Climb the Arras Belfry and visit the squares<\/h2>\n

Arras is best known for its Belfry, voted France’s favorite monument in 2015. The Belfry in Arras is an institution, not only because it’s the heart of the town, but also because it’s the venue for public debates. Indeed, in northern France (Flanders) and Belgium, a belfry represents a town’s decision-making power. The 75-metre-high belfry in Arras, rebuilt after the war by Pierre Paquet, is one of the finest in the Hauts-de-France region, with its majestic flamboyant Gothic tower. Climb the dozens of steps leading up to the clock tower, dominated by the city’s golden lion, and you’ll enjoy a superb panorama of the city and surrounding countryside on a clear day.<\/p>\n

If you have time, you can also explore the underground passages known as the Boves, which go all the way up to Mont Saint Eloi!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At the foot of the Arras Belfry<\/strong>, discover the Place des H\u00e9ros and its urban dynamism. It’s the perfect place to go for a drink on a caf\u00e9 terrace and share experiences with the people of Arras. A rectangular square like the Grand’Place, Place des H\u00e9ros<\/strong> is the epicenter of the city and a must-see for visitors to Arras. A little further along, via Rue de la Taillerie, you’ll discover the magnificent architecture of the Grand’Place<\/strong>. The Grand’Place has been the subject of numerous films, and its original Flemish-Spanish<\/a> style makes it unique north of Paris.<\/p>\n

\"place

Place des H\u00e9ros and its caf\u00e9s<\/p><\/div>\n

Getting lost in the Cathedral and M\u00e9aulens districts<\/h2>\n

While you can happily stroll through the squares of Arras on a sunny afternoon, you can also take a stroll through a nearby district known as “le quartier M\u00e9aulens”. This is primarily an artery leading down to the lower part of Arras from the administrative center. Running alongside Arras’ new cathedral<\/strong> (see our article on this subject<\/a>), rue M\u00e9aulens is home to a number of original independent businesses. However, it’s also an opportunity to explore the sides of the street and discover the many alleyways of Arras’ historic old town. Classically, the cathedral also overlooks the Abbaye Saint-Vaast, where you’ll find the city’s museum.<\/p>\n

\"partial

Cathedral (seen from rue M\u00e9aulens)<\/p><\/div>\n

Visit the Arras Museum<\/h2>\n

Between permanent exhibitions and recent collections contributed by French museums, the Mus\u00e9e d’Arras<\/strong> is a particularly interesting place if you like the Baroque periods. The partnerships forged between the town and Versailles bear witness to this (the carriages were a big hit with the public not so long ago). With its interior cloister, the site has a surprisingly refreshing atmosphere after a long walk through the city. If you’re a history buff, head off to the town’s mediatheque<\/strong>, which has managed to achieve a superb alchemy in its renovation between the tradition of the old building and the modernity of concrete. Here, on the second floor, you’ll find the town’s historical archives<\/strong> available for consultation.<\/p>\n

\"exterior

Exterior view of the Arras media library<\/p><\/div>\n

Discover the Arras Citadel<\/h2>\n

Further outside town, you can discover the citadel built by Vauban. It’s an important part of the city’s history, and also a place of remembrance (Le mur des fusill\u00e9s). Today, the citadel is the headquarters of the CUA (Communaut\u00e9 Urbaine d’Arras), and features military buildings that have been converted into offices and local businesses. There’s plenty of room to stroll the cobblestones of the gigantic Place d’Armes. Further afield, enjoy a stroll through the city’s wooded lung, the polygon.<\/p>\n

\"the

The Arras citadel built by Vauban<\/p><\/div>\n

Walking along the Scarpe<\/h2>\n

Looking for a different kind of nature ? The banks of the Scarpe are for you. Here, you can go far out into the surrounding countryside by following the river. We invite you to stop for a few moments near the digital barge you see below, and also visit the Cit\u00e9 Nature, a building entirely dedicated to the environment which has been rehabilitated from a former industrial wasteland.<\/p>\n

\"digital

The Arras digital barge<\/p><\/div>\n

Visit the Wellington quarry south of Arras<\/h2>\n

To make magnificent buildings, the people of Arras used quarries to the south of the town. They were also a refuge for New Zealand soldiers during the First World War. So it’s a place that’s worth discovering as part of the memorial trails organized in the region. You can immerse yourself in a reproduction of the atmosphere of the time. \"wellington X.D.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you decided to spend a weekend in the capital of Artois ? If you’re visiting the region, Arras has plenty to offer. Steeped in history, Arras is an attractive city even in the northern rain. Here’s a small selection of places to visit, whether unusual or particularly touristy, and discover the city in a whole new light. Climb the Arras Belfry and visit the squares Arras is best known for its Belfry, voted France’s favorite monument in 2015. The Belfry in Arras is an institution, not only because it’s the heart of the town, but also because it’s the <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1291,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activities","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2196,"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions\/2196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arrasville.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}