Reached in just two hours by train from London via Lille, the town of Arras in Northern France offers a festival dedicated to fries, military history and culture, world-class craft beer and a superlative Christmas market… all for the taking before the year is out!
Attend the second French Fries World Championships
Following the overwhelming success of the first event in October 2023, the second Championnat du Monde de la Frite (World French Fries Championships) is coming up this Saturday 28 September, open to the public with free admission and held on Arras’ Grand’Place. Local and international competitors will face off in six categories – including fry sauce of the year – and a French Fry Village will buzz with food stands, craft beer, live music and entertainment. To work it all off, there’ll even be a potato sack race. A jury chaired by chef Florent Ladeyn will decide the winners, who will each be presented with a trophy and a €400 prize. Arras has shared a history with our favourite fried potato since the 16th century, thanks to Renaissance botanist Charles de l’Écluse, born in town in 1526. There are now some 1,400 French fry stalls throughout France – 55% of which can be found in the Hauts-de-France region.
Hike and cycle the WW1 Remembrance sites
Arras and its surrounding Pays d’Artois has a large number of WW1 memorial sites – and dedicated hiking and cycling routes have been created to connect them, under the ‘Collines et Plaines d’Artois’ (‘Artois Hills and Plains’) initiative co-created with the Lens Tourist Office. On the dedicated site, hikes are individually listed with their length and difficulty rating, with navigation linked to the Cirkwi app. For cyclists, the 90km ‘Véloroute de la Mémoire’ (‘Remembrance Cycle Route’) connects Arras to Amiens and is part of French national route 32 from Paris to Lille. In addition to this, the new 30km Circuit H1 follows the trail of the Battle of Arras departing from the Wellington Quarry. Running alongside distinctive cemeteries of fallen British soldiers, it passes through Monchy-le-Preux, Athies, Saint-and Laurent-Blangy, adding surprising eyewitness accounts of the fighting.
Swap wine for craft beer
Arras and beer share a long history: the first mention of the local ‘March beer’ dates back to 1394. A number of craft breweries have been set up in town in recent years – L’Arras’In is the only one in Arras itself, while outside town, the organic Brasserie Paysanne de l’Artois produces craft beers from its own crops, something not found anywhere else north of Paris. Sample local beers at bars including Chez Marcel and La Capsule – the latter a trailblazer voted 23rd best beer bar in the world by RateBeer.com in 2021 – and visit restaurants such as L’Oeuf ou la Poule where beers and food are expertly paired. At Home Bière in Athies, to the east of Arras, teaches visitors how to brew their own.
Admire one of France’s prettiest Christmas markets
Northern and Eastern France are especially famous for their markets come the festive season – you may think of major cities like Strasbourg, Reims, Metz or Lille. But Arras’ version makes a stunning and less crowded alternative. The 140 wooden chalets (50% local, from Hauts-de-France) are spread comfortably across the magnificent Flemish-Baroque Grand’Place and three other squares. You can expect beautiful illuminations on the gabled facades plus a vintage carousel, ice rink, hundreds of Christmas trees and delicious local food (including frites of course). Other local specialities include chicory conserve, honey, cheese, Belgian waffles and oysters. Stock up on unusual handmade gifts and warm your hands around a sumptuous hot chocolate from Maison Vayez.