Nicknamed the Belle Inutile (the useless beautiful), the citadel is a Vauban structure built between 1668 and 1672. Pentagonal in shape, it is flanked on each corner by huge bastions protected by free-standing fortifications, part of which is preserved. The white stone Porte Royale faces the town and emphasises the power of the new sovereign. The buildings necessary for life in the Citadel surround the esplanade. Aligned with the Porte Royale, the arsenal, whose openings are emphasised by the stone décor, has a privileged place in the fort's spatial organisation The chapel, a gem of Baroque architecture, still has a brick façade richly decorated with fluted engaged columns, medallions, flame ornaments, etc.

The Chemin des Douves path takes visitors on a trail around the Citadel, to the Crinchon, a stream that was used to fill the ditches with water. The citadel itself is owned by the French Army. It can be visited as part of a tour organised by the Tourist Information Office in the Town Hall. Despite the modifications over the centuries, the Arras citadel is still testimony to Vauban's art.

There is a memorial in the Faubourg d'Amiens cemetery, not far from the citadel. It commemorates the deaths of 35,000 men – British, New Zealand and South African – who fell between spring 1916 and 7 August 1918 and who do not have their own tomb. The names of the dead are engraved on stone slabs affixed to the walls of the cloister with Doric columns, built by Sir Edwin Luytens. Faubourg d'Amiens cemetery on Boulevard du Général de Gaulle also has 2,652 identified tombs.

Opposite the Memorial, on the wall of the cloister is the "Flying Services Memorial", engraved with the names of the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Air Force and the Australian Flying Corps.

Part of the Arras Memorial, erected in the Faubourg d'Amiens cemetery, is considered a homage to the first aviators who lost their lives in combat. The Aviators' Memorial is noticeable as soon as you enter the cemetery; it consists of a raised base surmounted with a globe.
The names of all the airmen who fell on the Western front and whose tombs are unknown are engraved on each side. These include the names of 46 Canadians. The Canadians were particularly distinguished in the air war. Twenty-five thousand of them served as pilots, lookouts, and mechanics in the British Forces. Canadian airmen received over eight hundred decorations and citations, including three Victoria Crosses, for their bravery. Out of the "aces" of the RAF, five were Canadian. Pilots like W.A. "Billy" Bishop, W.G. Barker, Raymond Collishaw and A.A. McLeod were famous for their boldness and their feats.

The New Zealand tunnels form a complex system of underground shafts and caves which extend from Arras to Bapaume and Cambrai. In 1916 and 1917, the New Zealand company of tunnellers extended an existing network of old caves with shafts to reach No Man's Land, under the German trenches. The site was rediscovered in 1996.

Website of the regional tourist board for the Nord

Quizz : Forts and citadels

On the way between the Slack estuary and the village, visitors to this seaside resort will undoubtedly stumble across Fort Mahon, standing alone on a rocky outcrop. IT was designed by Vauban. Built between 1684 and 1690, probably on the site of the English battery of 1544, it consists of a tower accommodating a large ring-shaped casemate reinforced with a fausse-braye. The battery, flanked with two guardrooms and topped with an officer's pavilion, could contain 20 canons. The fort, which has a traditional appearance with its crenelated ramparts, has three floors of artillery. It was restored by Napoleon, and the battery was transformed during the German occupation.

Today, the fort houses an exhibition on the geographical history of the coastline.

Fort Mahon

Open on Saturday and Sunday from 3 pm to 6.30 pm in July and August and on Sunday from 3 pm to 6.30 pm in September and October. Group visits by appointment on +33 3.20.54.61.54

The Musée Historique 1939-1945 in Ambleteuse presents the noteworthy events of the second world war, from the campaign of Poland in 1939 to the capitulation of Japan on 2 September 1945, with explanations, maps, objects, uniforms and weapons, all of which are authentic and relative to this period of history. This museum is unique in France and complements the other establishments in the region. Most museums and sites in France only cover a precise period of the Second World War. Reports from the time and a film on the battle of Normandy are projected in a room which imitates 1940s' décor.

It took over thirty years of research all over the world to bring together the rich collections presented here. Of particular interest are the reconstitution of a street in Paris under the occupation and rare objects such as one of only two German regimental flags known in France.

Musée Historique 1939-1945

CD 940 62164 Ambleteuse

Tel.: +33 3.21.87.33.01

Fax: +33 3.87.35.01

Email: musee.39-45@wanadoo.fr

Open every day from 1 April to 15 October. Outside this period, open at weekends and national holidays. Closed in December, January and February.

Prices Adults: €6.90. Children (7-16 years): €5.00. Reduced price (war veterans, soldiers and students): €6.00. For groups, enquire at the museum.

Website of the regional tourist board for the Nord

Official website of the Musée Historique 3945

Quizz : Forts and citadels

The town of Le Portel seeks to showcase its historical heritage through its three forts which, given their position on the coast, can help to develop its attractiveness for tourism.

Fort de l'Heurt was constructed in 1803 by order from Napoleon Bonaparte, who was 1st Consul at the time, as part of plans for a landing in England. “Heurt” comes from the noun "heustrière", which means "Oyster Island". Through contraction, this name became “heustre” and then “Heurt”. Plans for the structure were drawn up by Lieutenant Colonel Dode. The fort was commissioned in July 1804.
It was abandoned in August 1805 (when the camp at Boulogne was lifted). The fort is in ruins today, but its impressive bulk still braves the waves.

Seeking to take back Boulogne, which had been occupied by the English, Maréchal du Biez decided to build a fort. In 1550, the Peace of Capécure put an end to the war and the fort was abandoned. In planning for his invasion of England, Napoleon re-armed it. It was often used for quartering troops, especially during wartime. A semaphore was also set up.

Fort d'Alprech was built during the 3rd French Republic between 1875 and 1880 by Engineering General Séré de Rivières. There were bunkers for housing the personnel (some one hundred men), stores and an explosive magazine. The Alprech battery was armed with cannons and howitzers. It was operational during World War I and was occupied by the German army from 1940 to 1944. Fort d'Alprech was restored in 1999.


Le Portel Plage
Hôtel de Ville – 51 rue Carnot – BP 26 62480 – Le Portel
Tel.: +33 (0)3.21.87.73.73
E-mail: mairie@ville-leportel.fr

Website of the Regional Tourism Committee of the Nord Region

Quizz : Forts et citadels