Arras

Arras (Dutch: Atrecht) is an attractive town in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It was much fought-over in World War I and is mainly visited by tourists travelling from or to the nearby ports of Calais and Boulogne. It is also a good starting point for a visit to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial (see Lens).

By train
There are regular TGV inOui trains from Paris' Gare du Nord. The journey takes less than an hour and tickets become much more affordable when bought more than a week in advance. The train will arrive at Gare d'Arras, which is only a 15-minute walk from the center area of the city.

Get around
Walking is probably the best way to explore Arras given its small size. A car rental is recommended in Hauts-de-France generally, though, due to the relative distance between towns in this region.

See

 * Les places ( et ) - Like many town centres in France, Arras is made of cobblestone. Both main squares measure 17 000 m². The town's two great squares are quite splendid providing a collection of 155 unique façades of Flemish baroque architecture. In 1492 Arras had become part of the Spanish Netherlands and this helps explain the style of the architecture (Arras was only retaken by the French in 1640 at the time of Louis XIII). These large town squares were designed to accommodate large markets which in different periods contributed largely to the prosperity of the city.