A beautiful and historic city
Arras, capital of the Artois region in northern France, is best known for its spectacular Grand ‘Place and the small but equally beautiful Place des Heros. One of the most beautiful cities in northern France, its decorated pieces were built in the Flemish Renaissance style. Tall red brick or stone houses surround the Grand ‘Place on four sides, with rounded gables at the top and a series of store-level arcades. The squares look nice, but in fact, the city was almost completely restored after the ravages of World War I destroyed the old heart.
An important city, it was one of the main trading posts in northern France.
Fast facts
- Capital of the Artois region
- In the new Hauts de France region (62)
- 42,000 inhabitants in the city
- 124,200 in Arras majors
How to get to Arras
- By train From Paris Nord, fast TGV trains leave at regular intervals and take 49 minutes to reach Arras. Rates start at 21 euros.
Arras station, place du Marechal Foch, is a ten minute walk down rue Gambetta and then down rue Desire Delansorne to the Hotel de Ville.
For train schedules and reservations, contact SNCF in France at 36-35. From outside France, call 00 33 8-92-35-35-35. SNCF website
From the UK Take the Eurostar to Gare Lille Europe. Then change platforms for regular TGV trains to Arras, taking 30 minutes.
- By car From Paris, take the highway 1 north to exit 14. Take the D937 directly to Arras
- By ferry from the UK
Information about the ferry from Dover to Calais.
From Calais, take the A26 / E15 motorway and then exit 7 directly towards Arras. The journey is 112 kilometers long and takes just over an hour.
Tourist Office
town hall
Place des Heros
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 51 26 95
Website
Where to stay
There is a good selection of accommodation in Arras, both modern and historical.
- Najeti Hotel de l’Univers
3 and 5 Pl de la Croix Rouge
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 71 34 01
Website
Housed in a former Jesuit monastery around a cobbled courtyard, the rooms are comfortable and you’re only a ten-minute walk away from the city center. It is the most elegant hotel in the city and offers cooking classes with its chef. - Read guest reviews, compare prices and book the Najeti Hotel de l’Univers on TripAdvisor.
- Hotel Diamant
5 pl des Heros
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 71 23 23
Website
Right in the heart of Arras, this small two-star, 12-room hotel has been recently renovated. It is friendly and welcoming, but be aware that there is no elevator.
- Read guest reviews, compare prices and book the Diamont Hotel on TripAdvisor.
- Holiday Inn Express
3 rue du Docteur Brassart
Tel.: 00 33 ()) 3 21 60 88 88
Website
Compare prices
Located in the center of the train station, this business hotel is comfortable, with good bathrooms and some spacious rooms. - Read guest reviews, compare prices and book the Najeti Hotel de l’Univers on TripAdvisor.
Where to eat
- The Faisanderie
45 Grand’Place
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 48 20 76
Website
In a red brick winery but with a shady outdoor terrace for summer dining, this is one of the best restaurants in Arras. Its excellent 29 euro menu starts with oysters or foie gras, moves on to the likes of andouillette for the adventurous, magret duck or cod, and ends with goat cheese or mango and lychee crumble. - The Coupole d’Arras
26 bd from Strasbourg
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 71 88 44
The Art Deco interior complete with stained glass windows is a change from the city’s other red-brick brasseries and wineries. Long menu with specialties such as the fruit plateau de mer.
- Le Carnot
Hotel Astoria-Carnot
10-12 pl Foch
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 71 08 14
Website
With a restaurant and a brasserie / bar, this busy restaurant, attached to the Hotel Astoria-Carnot and close to the station, caters to all types. Good regional menu and basic brasserie dishes. - Le Between Terre et Mer
12 rue de la Taillerie
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 3 21 73 57 79
Walk down the steps to a warm and inviting cellar for land and sea dishes (you get the hint with the name) like roast duck with wine pears or salmon with ginger and pineapple. The atmosphere is pleasant and the cuisine is good.
Attractions
Arras has a wide variety of attractions, from Grand’Place to the magnificent Wellington Quarry Museum of the First World War. With a history that goes back through the centuries, Arras is an interesting place.
After Grand ‘Place, head to the Town Hall on the beautiful place des Heros. In addition to the well-equipped tourist office, there is an interesting exhibition of photographs of Arras during the First World War. It is worth fighting to get to the top of the bell tower, via a staircase and an elevator, to see the city.
Underground, you can descend to the ground and to the town hall boves (levels of warehouses that were once used as warehouses). Arras was like a piece of cheese, full of holes and you will see some of the earliest wineries here, dating back to the 10th century.
The 18th-century Abbey of Saint-Vaast is a huge classical-style building that houses the Museum of Fine Arts , 22 rue Paul-Doumer. It is currently a splendid decaying building, although there are great plans for it to be rebuilt as part of a large new cultural project. In the meantime, enjoy the treasures here: a large collection of 17th century paintings; a Rubens and a tapestry made in Arras at a time when the city was a leading tapestry maker.
The Vauban Citadel , just on the western edge of the city, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. A defensive system designed to protect the cities of Louis XIV and built between 1667 and 1672, is interesting to the site.
Don’t miss the British Memorial , the British WWI cemetery that has the names of 35,942 soldiers missing after the Battles of Artois etched into the walls.
Views outside Arras
Arras was a vital part of the Western Front, at the center of the fierce fighting for the nearby coal fields. Go by car, or take a taxi and head to Vimy Ridge, and the war cemeteries of the French at Notre-Dame de Lorette, British and Commonwealth soldiers at Cabaret-Rouge, and the German cemetery at Neuville-Saint-Vaast .
