Arras

Everybody knows that Hamlet stabbed Polonius 'behind the Arras'. This is not an anatomical euphemism, but a reference to the fame of Arras tapestries, which were hung about a foot from damp castle walls in an attempt to keep their rooms cosy. The town was heavily damaged in both world wars, but retains its two magnificent squares and the amazing underground town to which, since the thirteenth century, the inhabitants have withdrawn during the all-too-frequent conflicts of the region.