Visits, monuments etc. in Artois

Arras

Primarily famous for its Flemish Baroque town squares, which provide a sumptuous setting for the Town Hall and Belfry (both listed as world heritage sites by UNESCO), Arras has a surprisingly rich heritage but also a surprising lifestyle that can be enjoyed throughout the town.

Worth seeing

The Citadel
Built between 1667 and 1672, from plans drawn up by Vauban, the Citadel was given the sobriquet of ‘pretty but useless’ until it was converted to a military hospital in 1814. The citadel surrounds a small chapel that has been listed as a historic monument since 1927.  The 601st Traffic Regiment is currently billeted in the citadel.

Fine Arts Museum
Housed in the prestigious setting of the St. Vaast Abbey, the museum displays an exceptional collection of mediaeval and Renaissance sculptures. Masterpieces of Flemish painting and the French school of the 18th Century vie with stunning examples of Arras and Tournai porcelain.
 www.musenor.com

Robespierre’s House
Built in 1730, this residence was the home of rich burghers. in 1787, Maximilien de Robespierre lived here until he was elected to the Estates-General in 1789.  His sister and younger brother lived here until 1792.  Today the house contains an exhibition devoted to masterpieces by studio masters throughout history.
 www.compagnons.org

The belfry and town hall
The Town Hall and belfry were totally destroyed during the First World War, but since they were historic monuments they were reconstructed to exact replicas of their former state, and are thus a combination of tradition and modernity: whereas the façades are replicas of the ones that were destroyed, the interior construction was updated and the load-bearing walls are now of reinforced concrete, a revolutionary new material at the time of construction.

Les Boves Caves
12 metres deep! Originally chalk quarries, the Boves were first excavated in the 10th Century and have been used for multiple purposes over the years: warehouses, air-raid shelters and more.
During the First World War, this network of galleries was converted by British soldiers. They transformed it into a proper barracks, capable of housing 24,000 soldiers. The network was also the base point for the surprise attack in the Battle of Arras, launched on 9 April 1917.

The cathedral
An example of Enlightenment architecture
The influence of the Classical era gives the interior of this former abbey church the appearance of a temple of antiquity. The building is awe-inspiring, majestic and beautifully proportioned.
www.ot-arras.fr/

Béthune

This was formerly one of the major towns in the coal basin. The very old town of Buridan expanded considerably during the Middle Ages with the advent of the drapery industry. See also the section devoted to its history to find out more of the secrets of this town through the ages.
Today, the town has fresh political ambitions, driven by some forward-looking projects that signal the new departure and development necessary for the local population and the local businesses active in the region.

Worth seeing

The Grand’Place
90% destroyed in 1918, the town centre was rebuilt between 1920 and 1927.  The only aspect common to all the houses around the edge of the Grand’Place is gabled roofs, and the houses themselves are designed in an eclectic Art Deco style. The private wine cellars of the Delforge family, used as a hiding-place by the residents of Béthune during the wars, are also worth a visit.

The town hall
The town hall, listed as a historic monument, was rebuilt during the 1920s.  Its façade illustrates the titles and glories of the town: the Croix de Guerre and the Légion d’Honneur awarded 1919 for the courage and resistance of the inhabitants of Béthune during the 14-18 War.  The interior of the building is also remarkable for its Art Deco style.

St. Vaast Church
Erected in 1547, it was completely destroyed during the First World War and rebuilt between 1924 and 1927. Besides having the appearance of a cathedral, it houses an organ with an impressive ray of ranks, a statuary by Real Del Sarte, a triptych donated by the Béthune artist René Ducourant and some spectacular stained glass windows depicting historical monuments.
A guided tour with commentary is provided for groups on request. Information is available from the Tourist Office.

Récollets Friary, rue Delisse-Engrand
A former private mansion dating from the beginning of the20th Century, the site of the Récollets friary is packed with history. The park contains the remnants of the Récollets friary, dating from the 14th Century and also classified as a historic monument. The site has been transformed into a fine restaurant, lounges and reception rooms.
The Hôtel de Beaulaincourt, rue du Tribunal
This is the only 18th-Century private mansion in Béthune. Built in 1750 over a walled courtyard, it served as a court from the French Revolution until 1930.  Today, it houses the town’s heritage centre and is used as an events venue. The Hôtel de Beaulaincourt is listed as a historic monument. 
www.ville-bethune.fr/

Other sites

The Canadian Memorial at Vimy
The memorial at Vimy is the most important Canadian monument in Europe. It is located at the precise spot where fighting took place in 1917, near Vimy in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. Erected at the crest of the hill on Ridge 145, the target of the operations launched on 9 April 1917, it dominates the Douai plain.
http://olivier.ct.club.fr/vimy/index.html