Back on business !
Here I am again ! I spent the last few days in a place where we can meet a lot of Brits, Canadian people. Sometimes, there are as well New Zealand people and Aussies. This place is Arras.
Arras is the major city of the "Pas-de-Calais" department. Until I visited the "Boves", I didn't know there were so many soldiers from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and England who fought for liberty during the Great War.
At the bottom of the watch tower ('beffroi') close to the Heroes place ('Place des Héros') in the inner city centre of Arras, there is the tourism office. You can buy actually all kind of goodies from the city such as miniaturized flemish houses located around the 'Place des Héros' and the 'Grand place'.
You can as well buy city pass to visit the town or single tickets for specific entertainment.
Actually, I didn't do the city pass as I rented a car for the weekend. But, I did visit the "Boves" and climbed up to the top of the beffroi.
I was quite naive as I imagined I had to climb a lot of steps until I reached the top. As a matter of fact, there is a lift to help you to make the major part of the climb. Then, you have to take the steps until the final door. This was quite impressive. As you step up the stairs, you start to feel the height of the tower through holes.
Then, when you arrive at the top (for tourists only...as there are another stairs going a little bit higher), you have a magnificient view on Arras and further.
The "Boves"
That's the name which designs the underground network under the city. It appears we don't really know the origins of this name.
The Boves have a long life, even if we mostly know their existence since the Arras battle in 1917.
The Boves seem to have their first use during Roman empire: they started to extract the chalk to build their roads.
During Middle Age times, the Boves were specifically used by merchants who owned shops around the market places as cellars for food and other merchandises.
During the Great War, as Arras was never occupied by German troops, New Zealand workers started to unify all underground cellars and alleys as an underground city where hundred of soldiers would live for few months until some 24'000 soldiers attacked german soldiers to make a diversion for another battle, 'le Chemin des Dames'.
The Arras battle was considered successful as the war front line was repulsed about 10 kilometers further away. Unfortunately, this battle was almost useless as the 'Chemin des Dames' battle was a failure for the French army.
During WWII, the Boves were used as underground shelters.
Since 1982, tourists can visit them. Within a year, the city will open a new underground space, also known as the Wellington quarry. This site is to show how the life was underground. We told us we would feel the soldiers would have just left the place before we enter in it, as everything is almost as it was 80 years ago.
Arras is the major city of the "Pas-de-Calais" department. Until I visited the "Boves", I didn't know there were so many soldiers from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and England who fought for liberty during the Great War.
At the bottom of the watch tower ('beffroi') close to the Heroes place ('Place des Héros') in the inner city centre of Arras, there is the tourism office. You can buy actually all kind of goodies from the city such as miniaturized flemish houses located around the 'Place des Héros' and the 'Grand place'.
You can as well buy city pass to visit the town or single tickets for specific entertainment.
Actually, I didn't do the city pass as I rented a car for the weekend. But, I did visit the "Boves" and climbed up to the top of the beffroi.
I was quite naive as I imagined I had to climb a lot of steps until I reached the top. As a matter of fact, there is a lift to help you to make the major part of the climb. Then, you have to take the steps until the final door. This was quite impressive. As you step up the stairs, you start to feel the height of the tower through holes.
Then, when you arrive at the top (for tourists only...as there are another stairs going a little bit higher), you have a magnificient view on Arras and further.
The "Boves"
That's the name which designs the underground network under the city. It appears we don't really know the origins of this name.
The Boves have a long life, even if we mostly know their existence since the Arras battle in 1917.
The Boves seem to have their first use during Roman empire: they started to extract the chalk to build their roads.
During Middle Age times, the Boves were specifically used by merchants who owned shops around the market places as cellars for food and other merchandises.
During the Great War, as Arras was never occupied by German troops, New Zealand workers started to unify all underground cellars and alleys as an underground city where hundred of soldiers would live for few months until some 24'000 soldiers attacked german soldiers to make a diversion for another battle, 'le Chemin des Dames'.
The Arras battle was considered successful as the war front line was repulsed about 10 kilometers further away. Unfortunately, this battle was almost useless as the 'Chemin des Dames' battle was a failure for the French army.
During WWII, the Boves were used as underground shelters.
Since 1982, tourists can visit them. Within a year, the city will open a new underground space, also known as the Wellington quarry. This site is to show how the life was underground. We told us we would feel the soldiers would have just left the place before we enter in it, as everything is almost as it was 80 years ago.
Comments
Bravo pour tes photos et bonne continuation.
Olivier T.