Dating in Lens, from the Louvre to the slag heaps

The Louvre-Lens and its park

Opened in 2012 on the site of former pit n°9, the Louvre-Lens is a pure glass-and-aluminium museum designed by Sanaa and Imrey Culbert. The 120-metre-long Time Gallery displays a chronological selection from the Louvre, at eye level and without glass. Around it, the 20-hectare park offers a green pause and benches ideal for extending the visit together, book in hand.

Twin slag heaps and the mining basin

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the mining basin rises in Loos-en-Gohelle to the two highest slag heaps in Europe. The climb at 11/19 offers a 360-degree view over the plain, the pit frames and, on clear days, all the way to Lille. The 11/19 Base, converted into a cultural and scientific hub, tells the coal story. A grand-scale date, to be lived together at sunset.

Bollaert, mining estates and Grand-Place

The Bollaert-Delelis stadium, nicknamed the Cauldron, roars on match nights for Racing Club de Lens. The mining housing estates, with their colourful brick ensembles, read like an open-air museum. The Grand-Place, terraces and estaminets extend the outings. On Lyad, Lens members share their walks and their best ch’ti addresses: it is up to you to find someone to push the next door with.