In 1659, the town of Arrras came under the authority of the King of France for good and was incorporated into Vauban’s "pré carré", a double line of fortified towns built to protect the north-eastern border of the kingdom.
The citadel was one of Vauban’s first constructions and took two years to build, from 1668 to 1670. It was set at the confluence of two streams so that the surrounding areas could be flooded in case of attack. This pentagon-shaped citadel, built around a rectangular courtyard, forms the finest example of a citadel on the plain according to Vauban’s first system. The buildings, constructed to an orthogonal plan, bear witness to the meeting between the classical architecture of the “Grand Siecle” and local traditional brick and stone decoration. However, the citadel soon became known as “the useless beauty” as it was not located in a good strategic position but set too far back from the border.
Today, the area around the citadel forms a green belt at the gates of the historic town and is changing into a proper city park. The Arras City Council now owns the citadel and plans to make it a true district of the town.
Les 16 & 17 septembre 2023, les douze fortifications de Vauban inscrites sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO vous proposent de nombreux événements. Découvrez-les vite !
On July 7th 2023, 15 years to the day after the Fortifications of Vauban were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, the twelve major Vauban sites proudly celebrated this anniversary in ceremonies...
The year 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the inscription of Vauban's Fortifications on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is an opportunity to celebrate World Heritage and Vauban's work of genius...
Communauté urbaine d’Arras
La citadelle
Boulevard du général de Gaulle
BP – 10345
62 026 Arras cedex
Phone number: + 33 3 21 21 87 00
www.cu-arras.fr
Arras Pays d’Artois Tourisme
Hôtel de ville
Place des Héros
62000 Arras
Phone number: +33 3 21 51 26 95
www.arraspaysdartois.com
Access by the boulevard du Général de Gaulle: free parking at the citadel, opposite the Arras Memorial and the British cemetery in the Faubourg d'Amiens. Free access. Main entrance through the Royal Gate (Turenne district).
Things to see and do: