Arras Things to Do

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Les places: the markets

Al around the PLaces (principaly on place des Heros, the little one) you find shops and caffes.
For eating and drinking, there is not any problem.

Some are situated in cellar. They are very big al around. In 1914 was made place for plenty of soldiers, with hospital and infirmery...

Local name for the cellars : Les Boves.

Tourist office organice visits.

The Fine Arts Museum of Arras is located inside the abbaye de Saint-Vaast. It shows the history of the town from the Gallo-Roman period to the 19th century.
The opening times are: 9.30-12 and14-17.30; on Thursdays 9.30-17.30. Close on Tuesdays.

The Beaux-Arts Museum

The museum shows differents collections: Archeology, Middle age, peint: most "important" are french , flamich and holland ones.

Important collections ceramiques.

Fame name are Eugene Delacroix, Guérin, Dutilleux, Corot and J Breton.

The museum is located in the old abbey palace (1746-1783)
Every day open from 9.30 til 12.00 am and 2.00 til 5.30 pm Closed on thuesday.

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It dates back to the 11th century with 1600s Flemish-Baroque houses. Look out for their sandstone columns unique in France. The Gothic hotel, Hotel de Ville and the town hall was destroyed during WWI but was rebuilt after the war. You can take the lift to the top of the 75m belfry to have a view of Arras. It will cost about 2.30 euros for adult and 1.60 euros for students. You can also have a tour of the souterrains(cellars that run under place de Heros which were converted to command posts) to have feel of WWI. It will cost you about 4.40euros(A) and 2.40(C). Today, place des heros is the commercial centre of Arras.

A superb museum opened recently made in the tunnels under Arras occupied by the Allies during WW1.

The tour is led and using audiovisual and other modern devices tells the story of their lives in the tunnels and the subsequent attack on the German lines that was the turning point on this part of the Western Front.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauldevall/4531314928/

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Memorial to Battle of Arras 9 april 1917
During the middle ages, these quarries were used to obtain linestone, chalk for buildings in Arras. Starting around the 15th century, abandoned in the 19th century. Resurrected in 1916. In One week in 1917 used to launch the assault on the Germans and that may have sealed the fate of the Germans.
24 000 soldiers were billettedin these caves, when the surrounding town of Arras had only 60 000 people
on april 9th, at 5 am in the morning even before their tea, the soldiers poured out of the quarries and attacked the superior german positions and gunfire, and marched 14 km into the german held lands. they rested on the 11th which might have been a mistake since it gave the germans a time to recoup and gather more troups with which they plundered the commonwealth troups for the next year or so.. until may 1917, on the average, 4000 soldiers yes four thousand soldiers died PER DAY. then a stalemate followed until 1918 and the treaty of versailles was signed on november 11, 1918, letting France Free
The soldiers were mainly from UK, Australia, NZ and India but i am sure that there were others from other commonwealth countries such as RSA, Rhodesia of that time
This followed the Chantilly pact between the French and the British: General Nivelle and General Haig respectively.

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Bours Castle

Proud, indestructible, a such guard it takes care on this beautiful village, nested in his bosky bower.

That stories it could tell us, crossing the fury of the men and time...

Guided tours for the groups on go.

The guided tours are free, they last of 1 hour with 1h15.

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Fier, indestructible à l'ombre des arbres centenaire et garant de la sécurité de se beau village.

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Gauchin-Le-Gal

The “gal” is an ovoid sandstone of form attached by a chain to a borne Le Gal to Gauchin to the center of the village.

According to the legend, it was going formerly to strike the night with the door of the husbands misled.

This is why an American officer Henry Selden Bacon, amused by this history, estimated that this gal had too much roved at the time of the First World War and decided on its sequence in 1925!

The nave of the church dates from the XVI ème century.

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Le "gal" est une pierre de forme ovale attachée par une chaine à une borne au centre de la place du village.

Selon la légende elle allait la nuit frapper aux portes des maisons de femmes infidèles.
C'est pourquoi un officier américain: Henry Selden Bacon, amusé par l'histoire, trouva qu'elle avait assez durée et l'attacha en 1925.

La nef de l'église date du XVIème siècle.

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Les places: the marquets

The flamisch baroque style where preserved when after WWI, the reconstrution was begin in 1920.

Only some houses where preserved from the bombs. Also the oldest one: from 1467 and situeted on number 49 from the grand Place. T

his is the only one who has en other facade (see the pic)
It is an hotel today.

Les places: the marquets

The 2 markets be same 17.000 m2. In XVIth century the sherif decide the rules of urbanisme. But the fact that those rules goes on more than 200 years give the succesful result that you can see today.

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Les deux places ont ensemble une superficie de 17000 m2. Au 15ème siècle on décide des règles d'urbanisme. Mais le fait qu'elles soient appliquées durant plus de 200 ans donne le resultat surprenant que nous pouvons admirer aujourd'hui.

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Les places: the marquets

The place Des Heros and de Grand Place hare twoo marked in city center who's are an unique and amazing view: al the houses are so perfect build in the same style.

The gallery's with al those colums, the facades, the way how the roof are build, and more and more ... make that you go back at the end of the 16th century. It's a pity that the cars may ride and park around. But, it's a big city so...

There 155 houses , al differents but build in the same style.

The city hal

The construction is from 1502 to 1506 is gothic but the south side is from 1572 and is renaissance.The north face is Napoleon III style.

Inside you can see the pics from WW I. Betweem 1914 and 1918 was Arras in the center of the horror. There was no many houses standing up in al the city.

You see also the symbol of traditional foklore : the geants. It is a tradition about everywhere in the old Flanders that those geants going out for fair (in Arras is it last august week and first week of setember)Those have Colas, Jacqueline and son Dede as name.
The tourist office organise interessant visits.

The Belfry

Symbol of the city liberty, the belfry was also employed as a watchingfire tower and bel tower .
The Imperial crown at the sumit is tose of Charles Emporor who was the king of the Netherlands. Indeed, Arras was the capital of the Artois and was bind with the Netherlands them (great part of Belgium and North France also)
In 1914 was the tower a good observation post for the French army for watching the front line situeted on 3 km. Of course the Germains know it and shoot it. In oktober 21th 1914 was the city liberty symbol reduce to ground zero.

The Belfry

The belfry and city hall was destroyed in WW one. From 1924 to 1932 rebuilt in the old style outside.

Inside is it more medieval but they used to much cement for me part.The façade is Gothic and one part of the side is renaissance original. The belfry out 1463 to 1554 by Architect Jacques le Caron is one of the known in the country and is 75 m high .

You can climb it , entry is via the tourist office . You pay 2.6 € for the lift and climb the 43 step. You have a beautiful view around with the two markets and the city behind your feets.

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Le beffroi et l'hôtel de ville furent fortement endommagés pendant la première guerre. La façade est gothique tandis qu'une façade latérale est d'un style renaissance très original.Le beffroi fut construit en 1463 et achevé en 1554 sous la directive de l'architecte Jacques le Caron, c'est un des plus connus du pays et culmine 75 m de hauteur.

Vous pouvez y monter, entrée par l'office du tourisme. Pour 2,6 €pour l'ascenseur et 43 marches. La vue est magnifique sur les 2 places et la ville à vos pieds.

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Arras

We came into Arras after a long walk, a little bit tired but happy to have see so much during our first day there.

This is the first monument we saw when we arrived in Arras: a statue of Neptune, god of the seas

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Nous sommes arrivés à Arras fatigués après une longue marche. Nous étions heureux d'avoir tant découvert durant cette première journée.

La photo représente le premier monument rencontré en arrivant en ville. Neptune, roi des mers.

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