Take a break from everyday routine and grey skies with a couple’s break in this romantic French city just a short hop from the Channel ferry ports, rich in Flemish architecture and atmosphere.
Arras UNESCO listed belfry
The best place to start is Arras’ UNESCO-listed 15th-century belfry, next to the Town Hall. A lift and then stairs take you up 75 metres for stunning views of the bell, the clock-face, the Place des Héros – famed for its 155 Flemish baroque facades dating from the 17th and 18th centuries – and the rest of this compelling city. The gothic Town Hall is worth touring in its own right. No visit to Arras is complete without visiting the cathedral, Musée des Beaux-Arts and Carrière Wellington, an underground museum in tunnels dug by the British in WW1, which in turn link with medieval and Roman tunnels and quarries.
Taste a french cuisine with traditionnal and local dishes under vaults and columnes at la Bulle d'O. Make sure to browse at leat one of the five weekly markets – the largest, on Saturday mornings, is spread across Place de la Vacquerie, Place des Héros and the Grand’Place – and to sample local specialties in restaurants and independent food shops.
