Arras and Vimy Ridge: The Canadian Memorial and Underground Tunnels

By Nikki  |  Battleground History

There is a moment, standing at the top of Vimy Ridge on a clear morning, when the sheer scale of what happened here becomes impossible to ignore. The land falls away before you in long, grassy folds, and twin white pylons rise against the sky like something between a monument and a prayer. Below your feet — though you cannot see them — run kilometres of tunnels carved by hand into the chalk.

For Canadians, Vimy Ridge is hallowed ground. The Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917 was the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together, and the success they achieved — taking a ridge that French and British forces had failed to capture for two years — became a defining moment in Canada’s national identity. Many Canadians consider it the moment their country truly came of age on the world stage.

But Vimy Ridge is not just a pilgrimage site for Canadians. It is one of the most moving, most historically significant, and most beautifully preserved WWI sites anywhere on the Western Front — and it sits just minutes from the charming French city of Arras, which has its own extraordinary underground military history.

This guide covers everything you need to visit both Vimy Ridge and Arras as part of a Western Front itinerary: what to see, how to get there, where to stay, and what to do beneath the surface.

Quick Facts: Canadian National Vimy Memorial is free to visit and open year-round. The tunnel tours operate from April to November and must be booked in advance. Arras is approximately 50 km south of Ypres and 175 km north of Paris.

Location	Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, France (near Arras)
Getting There	Car from Ypres: approx. 50 min. Car from Calais: approx. 1 hr. Arras has a TGV station with direct Paris trains.
Entry	Canadian National Vimy Memorial: Free. Tunnel tours: Free (guided, must book in advance at vimy-memorial.ca). Wellington Quarry (Arras): Paid entry.
Time Needed	Half day for Vimy Ridge alone. Full day to combine with Arras city and underground tunnels.
Best Time to Visit	April to October. 9 April (Battle of Vimy Ridge anniversary) draws large crowds but is especially moving.
Nearest Accommodation	Arras city centre (15 min from Vimy). Bethune and Lens also convenient bases.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge: Why It Matters

By April 1917, Vimy Ridge had been in German hands since October 1914. The ridge — a low but strategically commanding escarpment — had defied repeated Allied assaults. The French Army had lost over 150,000 men attempting to take it. The British had also failed. When the task fell to the newly assembled Canadian Corps under General Sir Arthur Currie, few expected a different outcome.

What followed, on 9 April 1917 — Easter Monday — was a masterpiece of military planning and preparation. For months beforehand, Canadian engineers had bored tunnels through the chalk beneath the battlefield, allowing troops to advance to the front line in secret. Artillery had been carefully mapped and coordinated using new techniques. Soldiers had rehearsed the assault on a full-scale replica of the ridge behind the lines.

In a single morning, all four Canadian divisions advanced together and took the ridge. It was a tactical achievement that shocked Allied command and the German defenders alike. Within days, Vimy Ridge was secure.

The human cost was enormous: 3,598 Canadians were killed in the battle and a further 7,004 wounded. The names of 11,285 Canadians who were killed in France and have no known grave are inscribed on the memorial that now stands at the top of the ridge.

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial

The memorial at Vimy Ridge is, by almost any measure, one of the most powerful WWI monuments in existence. Designed by Canadian sculptor and architect Walter Seymour Allward, it took eleven years to build and was unveiled in 1936 by King Edward VIII in the presence of King Albert I of Belgium and French President Albert Lebrun.

The memorial stands on land given to Canada by France in perpetuity — technically, when you stand here, you are standing on Canadian soil. The twin pylons, rising 27 metres above the ridge, are carved from Croatian limestone. Twenty sculpted figures represent Canada and her people mourning the fallen. At the base, the central figure — a veiled woman, head bowed — represents Canada mourning her dead.

What to Look For

• The Wall of Names: The base of the memorial is inscribed with 11,285 names — Canadians killed in France with no known grave. Running your hand across them is a profound experience.
• Mother Canada: The draped female figure at the centre of the monument gazes over the Douai Plain toward the German lines. She is one of the most recognisable images of WWI remembrance.
• The Preserved Battlefield: Around the memorial, the ground has been left deliberately unrestored. Shell craters and undulating trench lines are still clearly visible beneath the grass — do not walk off the marked paths, as unexploded ordnance remains in the ground.
• The Canadian and French flags fly permanently at the site, maintained by Parks Canada staff who live and work on the memorial grounds year-round.

Important: The preserved battlefield around the memorial contains unexploded ordnance. Stick strictly to marked paths and never enter roped-off areas. Signs are clear and should be taken seriously.

The Underground Tunnels

The tunnels beneath Vimy Ridge are one of the most extraordinary and least-known aspects of the site. Before the April 1917 assault, Canadian engineers spent months excavating a network of tunnels through the chalk — not just communication routes, but underground towns.

The Grange tunnel system, which forms the basis of the current visitor experience, contained everything needed to support an army: ammunition stores, dressing stations for the wounded, command posts, water pipes, electric lighting, and a narrow-gauge railway. Troops could move from reserve positions all the way to the front line entirely underground, invisible to German observation and protected from shellfire.

Visiting the Tunnels Today

The tunnel tours are led by Canadian university students who spend their summers as guides on behalf of Parks Canada. The experience is unlike anything else on the Western Front. You descend into the chalk and walk through preserved sections of the original tunnels, with original graffiti and carvings still visible on the walls — names, regimental badges, and dates scratched by men waiting to go over the top.

Tours last approximately 30 minutes and are free of charge, but must be booked in advance during peak season (April to October). Numbers are strictly limited to protect the tunnels. Book via the Parks Canada website at vimy-memorial.ca.

• Tours depart from the Visitor Education Centre at the base of the ridge
• Hard hats are provided — the tunnels are low in places
• The tunnels maintain a constant temperature of around 7°C year-round: bring a layer even in summer
• Photography is permitted in most sections of the tunnels
• Visitors with claustrophobia or mobility concerns should check with guides before entering

Arras: The City and Its Own Underground

Just 10 kilometres from Vimy Ridge, Arras is a beautiful Flemish-influenced city that deserves far more attention than it typically receives from battlefield visitors. Many people drive past on the way to Ypres or Normandy — a mistake, because Arras has its own remarkable military history and one of the best WWI underground experiences in France.

The Wellington Quarry (Carriere Wellington)

Beneath the streets of Arras lies a network of medieval chalk quarries — known as boves — that were expanded by New Zealand tunnelling companies during WWI into a vast underground city capable of sheltering up to 24,000 Allied troops before a major offensive.

The Wellington Quarry (named after the New Zealand city) was the principal section used in preparation for the Battle of Arras in April 1917 — which began the same day as the Vimy Ridge assault. Troops were fed through the tunnels directly into assault positions, emerging within yards of the German front line.

Today the quarry is an excellent museum. The visit includes a lift descent to the original tunnel level, a guided tour through preserved sections, and a well-produced audio-visual presentation of the Battle of Arras. It is paid entry (around €8 per adult) and takes approximately 90 minutes. Book ahead in summer.

Arras City Centre

Above ground, Arras is genuinely lovely — a city rebuilt after near-total destruction in WWI in its original Flemish Baroque style. The Grand Place and Place des Héros are two of the finest squares in northern France, lined with arcaded buildings and animated by cafes and markets.

• The Arras War Cemetery, just outside the city, contains the graves of Commonwealth forces from both world wars
• The Hôtel de Ville has a belfry you can climb for views over the city and plains
• The local market (Wednesday and Saturday mornings) is one of the best in northern France
• The Arras Museum of Fine Arts, in a former Benedictine abbey, is worth an hour if time allows

How to Plan Your Visit

One Day Itinerary

Morning (9am): Arrive at Vimy Ridge at opening time. Walk the preserved battlefield and memorial. Take the 10:30am tunnel tour (book in advance). Allow 2 to 2.5 hours in total.

Late Morning (11:30am): Drive to Arras (15 minutes). Check into accommodation or leave bags, then explore the Grand Place and Place des Héros. Coffee and a tartine at one of the square’s cafes.

Afternoon (1:30pm): Lunch in the city, then visit the Wellington Quarry (book the 2pm tour). Allow 90 minutes. Finish with a walk along the ramparts and a visit to the Memorial to the Missing at the Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery.

Evening: Dinner in Arras. The city has a good range of restaurants around the main squares. If continuing the Western Front route, Arras is well-positioned for a next-day drive north to Ypres or south toward the Somme.

Combining with Wider Western Front Travel

Arras and Vimy Ridge sit at a natural crossroads of Western Front travel. From here you can head north toward Ypres and the Salient (50 km), northwest to Loos and the coalfield battlefields, or south along the Somme to Albert, Thiepval, and Beaumont-Hamel.

If you are following the Canadian trail specifically, the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel (75 km south) is a natural next stop — another site preserved in Canadian hands where the ground itself tells the story.

The Complete Guide to Visiting World War I Battlefields on the Western Front

Where to Stay

Arras city centre is the most convenient base for visiting Vimy Ridge and the surrounding areas. It has a good range of accommodation from budget options to comfortable mid-range hotels, and is better positioned than Lens or Béthune for accessing both Vimy and the Somme.

• Hotel Mercure Arras Centre Gare: Central location, reliable standard, short walk from the main squares. Good value for the Western Front traveller.
• Le Clos Grincourt (Pas-en-Artois): If you prefer rural accommodation, this chambre d’hôte about 20 km from Arras is excellent — a restored farmhouse with connections to local battlefield guides.
• Arras has several well-reviewed chambres d’hôtes in the surrounding villages, many run by families with deep local knowledge of the battlefield areas.

Booking tip: Book accommodation at least 2–3 months ahead for the anniversary weekend around 9 April. The area fills quickly with Canadian visitors, school groups, and veterans’ organisations, particularly in years ending in a multiple of five.

Visiting Respectfully

Vimy Ridge is a memorial site and a cemetery. The preserved battlefield around the monument contains the remains of soldiers who were never recovered. Visitors are asked to remain on marked paths, speak quietly near the memorial, and treat the site with the solemnity it deserves.

The tunnel guides are knowledgeable and committed — they spend a summer living and working on the site as part of a Canadian government programme. Ask them questions. Their knowledge of the battle, the tunnels, and the individuals whose names appear on the walls is remarkable.

Useful Links and Resources

• Vimy Memorial: (tunnel tour booking, visitor information)
• Wellington Quarry, Arras: (opening hours, booking, prices)
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission: (search individual graves and memorials)
• Battle of Arras 1917 – Imperial War Museum

The combination of Vimy Ridge and Arras makes for one of the most complete single-day Western Front experiences available. Above ground, you stand where history was made. Below it, you walk the tunnels that made that history possible. Few days on any battlefield leave quite the same impression.