Arras, located between Amiens and Lille on the right bank of the Scarpe, was once the capital of the Duchy of Artois and is today the capital of the Département Pas-de-Calais. The center of town is dominated by two picturesque cobbled squares which are enclosed by 155 houses with 17th century flemish-styled façades. Each residence in the Grande Place (see below) has a slightly varying design and some still have their original shop signs. Arras is famous for the production of gobelins (hanging tapestry) and as the birthplace of Maximilien de Robespierre. During WWI many battles took place in the Arras region, and you will, therefore, find many monuments and military cemetaries in the region, especially in the hills north of town.
RLM War Diary - Arras 1917, 1917 - 18