Ring of Memory / Ablain-Saint-Nazaire — ©View of the sky and the plaques bearing the names of soldiers killed in the First World War|Pauline Roches

Best WW1 sites to visit in Artois

Best WW1 sites to visit

The Hauts-de-France region was the international epicenter of the Great War. Very early on, the Somme and then the Nord-Pas de Calais highlighted the memorial heritage, a witness to the fighting, with three dimensions: civic, international relations and territorial attractiveness.

If you’re visiting Northern France to understand the Great War, this is where to start. Between Loos-en-Gohelle and Serre-les-Puisieux, the Artois region contains 13 of the 36 official French WW1 memorial sites. It’s one of the most powerful and accessible remembrance trails in the country.

For British, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand travellers following the footsteps of family members or battalions, Artois offers an emotional journey through preserved trenches, vast cemeteries, and symbolic memorials. It’s also a quiet, reflective landscape—where memory lives on.

Immersion...

Discover WW1 Sites of Memory in Northern France

Use the interactive map below to explore major sites across the Artois region. Click on each pin to learn more about the location, its history, and nearby experiences.

Start your memorial visit with our interactive map.

Must-See WW1 Sites in Artois

Artois holds some of the most moving and historically significant sites of the First World War. From quiet ridges to underground tunnels, these places still echo with the footsteps of those who served.

Whether you’re tracing family history, discovering Canada’s legacy in Europe, or exploring the Western Front for the first time, these memorials and battlefields offer a powerful journey through the memory of 1914–1918.

Here are the most unforgettable WW1 sites to visit in Artois — each one telling a part of the story.

©Tranchees De La Crete De Vimy |Sarah Roynette / Lens Tourisme

The Vimy Memorial

Canada’s most iconic WW1 memorial

On a quiet ridge in northern France stands the Canadian National Vimy Memorial — a powerful symbol of sacrifice and unity.
Etched in stone are the names of 11,285 Canadian soldiers with no known grave.
In 2023, this sacred site joined the UNESCO World Heritage List, alongside 138 others on the Western Front.

©Ring of memory - International Memorial of the WW1|Yannick Cadart

The Ring of Memory

Stretching nearly 300 meters, this is the world’s largest engraved memorial — a monumental tribute listing the names of 580,000 soldiers, nurses, and support staff from every nation who lost their lives in Flanders and Artois during the First World War.

Wellington Quarry

Go underground in Arras — and step into the silence before the storm.
At the Wellington Quarry in Hauts-de-France, you’ll descend deep beneath the city to uncover the secret preparations for one of the most unexpected offensives of the First World War.

Memorial 14 - 18

The 14-18 Memorial at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette rises from the hill like history itself.
From the base to the summit, a three-part journey guides you through one of the most powerful sites of the First World War.
Walk this ground — and feel, with every step, the scale of the war that shook Nord–Pas-de-Calais.

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