Fine arts and theatre
Housed in the former Saint-Vaast Abbey, the Arras Fine Arts Museum displays Flemish paintings, medieval sculptures and porcelain. People also come to admire the Arras tapestries, once renowned throughout Europe. Nearby, the Arras Theatre and its Italian-style auditorium, one of the best preserved in France, host concerts and plays: a cultural date that leaves room to share impressions.
The Main Square Festival
Every summer, the Grand’Place and the citadel become the stage of the Main Square Festival, one of the biggest contemporary music festivals in northern Europe. International headliners follow French bands under a sky lit up at sunset. Going together, settling on a lawn and singing under the stars: a memory that stays with you.
Market and flavours
On Saturday mornings, the two large squares turn into one of the region’s finest markets. You find maroilles cheese, beers, pâtés and above all the Arras andouillette, a protected local specialty. On Rue Ernestale, bars and restaurants serve carbonnade, mussels with fries and generous dishes. On Lyad, Arras members share their favourite spots; it is up to you to pick someone to open a northern beer with.
Date ideas
- Fine Arts Museum
- Main Square Festival
- Arras Theatre
- Arras tapestries
- Saturday market
- Arras andouillette
- Rue Ernestale
