Arras Belfry and Town Hall (UNESCO)

The Arras Belfry and Town Hall stand on Place des Héros, one of the two connected squares at the heart of Arras, the capital of Pas-de-Calais in Hauts-de-France. The Gothic town hall dates from the early 16th century and the belfry, which rises about 75 metres, was begun in 1463 and completed in the 16th century as a symbol of the municipal charter and the power of the cloth-trading town. Together they form a prominent example of civic Gothic architecture in northern France, and the belfry was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005 as part of the group Belfries of Belgium and France. The Place des Héros and the neighbouring Grand'Place are lined with Flemish-Baroque gabled houses supported on arcades, a style that reflects Arras's Spanish-Netherlandish past. The square was almost completely destroyed by German artillery during the First World War, particularly during 1914 and 1915, and the belfry collapsed in 1915. Reconstruction, led by architect Pierre Paquet, was carried out between 1920 and 1932, rebuilding the buildings to their historical appearance and using surviving drawings and photographs. Today the interior is open to visitors, who take a lift or stairs to the viewing platform for a view over the squares and the Artois countryside. A small exhibition inside describes the belfry's history, its bells and the reconstruction. The town hall also gives access to the boves, a network of medieval chalk cellars and tunnels beneath the square. In 1917 British and Commonwealth forces used the quarries and tunnels to assemble troops secretly before the Battle of Arras, which is part of the broader story the site tells. The curatorial approach combines architecture, interpretive displays and guided access to the underground spaces. Preservation is good, though the structure is a 20th-century reconstruction, and the stone requires regular conservation. A visit usually takes about an hour including the climb. Entry is charged at roughly €3.50, and tickets are available at the tourist office in the town hall.