Arras is located 30 miles SW of Lille and 111 miles N of Paris on the Scarpe River. The Hotel de Ville contains a permanent photographic display documenting the wartime destruction of the town. Visitors can climb up the 75-meter-high belfry, which offers superb views of the surrounding area. The Town Hall is also the starting point for a tour of "Les Boves", the underground passages that extend under the city. The Ancienne Abbaye St-Vaast, adjacent to the cathedral, contains the Musee des Beaux-Arts (22 rue Paul Doumer). Paintings by Rubens, Corot and Delacroix are on display plus sculpture and artifacts. Near the theater is Robespierre's house. Next to the Vauban barracks in the west of town is a war cemetery and memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Weekly markets take place on Wednesday and Saturday in the Grand Place.
Tourist Office Hotel de Ville; Place des Heros Phone: 33 0 3 21 51 26 95 Fax: 33 0 3 21 71 07 34 E-Mail: arras.tourisme@wanadoo.fr