Arras Buildings

Arras, France: yet another town in which to fall in love with charming building details! I liked the expressive faces. I’ve no idea what this is (it’s affixed to an external wall), but I thought the face was an amusing touch! You can’t beat the intricate Hôtel de Ville roof.

Grand Place, Arras, France

Arras has not one, but two quaint city squares. In medieval times, the squares functioned as markets; farmers and merchants would bring their wares here to sell and trade. These days, there’s a Saturday morning market that offers fresh produce, baked goods, jewelry, fabric and household goods. Thanks to its proximity to WWI’s front line,…

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Les Boves

You would never know that a vast underground circuit of cellars and passages runs underneath Place des Héros! These tunnels originated in the 10th century as limestone quarries. By the 12th century, when extractions stopped, the cool, dark cellars stored merchants’ unsold produce. The miles of tunnels turned out to be useful for other purposes,…

Arras Main Square Festival

The Main Square Festival is one of probably only a handful of summer open-air music festivals at a UNESCO site. In this case, the site is a 17th century military square, La Citadelle Vauban, in Arras, France. Barracks line the perimeter, and there is an arsenal, a 17th-century cathedral, St. Louis, and a memorial, The…