Arras Things to Do

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.

1 more image

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/

4 more images

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.

4 more images

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.

---oooOOOooo---

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

---oooOOOooo---

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.

---oooOOOooo---

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.

---oooOOOooo---

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.