Travel Guide Arques

Probably founded in the 6th century, the town of Arques - or Arkes - only developed two centuries later, thanks to the abbey and its monks. A new branch of the Aa was dug, a mill could be turned, craftsmen benefited from a stream of water and trade took off. As important strategically as it was commercially, the town was fought over by various invaders, encouraged by the warlike times. Eventually, in the 17th century, the town was returned to French territory, at the expense of the Spanish, who owned a large part of the area. Vauban put his stamp on it, in the form of the Neufossé canal linking the Lys and Aa rivers: Arques became an important river town. A major event occurred in the 19th century with the establishment of the world-famous crystal glassworks. The capital of crystal glassmaking acquired a reputation equal to that of Baccarat. The Arques crystal glassworks is one of France's ten largest industrial sites, producing 190,000 tonnes of sand a year, 3 million items a day and exporting 80% of its output, making this local industry the world leader in table glass. It is also the prestigious world leader in tableware. So, before you head into town, pay a visit to the glassworks and immerse yourself in the history of the industry for which the town and its people are famous!