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Marles-les-Mines

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Pas-de-Calais

Marles-les-Mines - Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Pas-de-Calais
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Marles-les-Mines is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department, in the Hauts-de-France region, 11 km southwest of Béthune.

Its territory of 4.5 km² is crossed by the course of the Clarence, a tributary of the Vieille Lys.

The landscapes of the locality reflect its contemporary history, since half of its surface area is urbanized. However, to the north and south-east of the commune there are agricultural lands (23%) and natural spaces...

The lordship of Marles was established as a county in 1621. A favor that Louis XIV had confirmed, the family Boulaincourt holding the land.

Like all localities in the basin, the presence of coal in the subsoil disrupts the course of history: in 1855, Emile Rainbeaux founded the Compagnie des mines de Marles. From 1904, there were 5,300 employees, including 4,200 underground miners who extracted coal. The prosperity of the mining company continued after the First War, and explained the settlement of many Polish families. The Mining Company built some 3,000 houses and at the turn of the 1930s, there were more than 13,000 inhabitants on Marles-les-Mines.

The decline and then cessation of mining activity in the last quarter of the 20th century led to a clear demographic decline and the need to reconvert wastelands. On Marles, the remains of a pit have thus become a tourist and museum center. The leisure offerings of the town (5,500 inhabitants) should be taken into account during a stay in the region...

Geographical information

MunicipalityMarles-les-Mines
Postcode62540
Latitude50.5019090 (N 50° 30’ 7”)
Longitude2.5058020 (E 2° 30’ 21”)
AltitudeFrom 37m to 99m
Surface area4.55 km²
Population5549 inhabitants
Density1219 inhabitants/km²
PrefectureArras (43 km, 36 min)
Insee code62555
IntercommunalityCA de Béthune-Bruay, Artois-Lys Romane
DepartmentPas-de-Calais
TerritoryFlandre-Artois
RegionHauts-de-France

Nearest cities & towns

Lozinghem2.6 km (4 min)
Calonne-Ricouart2.7 km (6 min)
Lapugnoy3 km (5 min)
Auchel4.2 km (8 min)
Allouagne4.6 km (8 min)
Camblain-Châtelain4.6 km (7 min)
Bruay-la-Buissière4.9 km (9 min)
Labeuvrière5.2 km (9 min)
Divion6.1 km (10 min)
Cauchy-à-la-Tour6.4 km (8 min)
Chocques6.9 km (11 min)
Burbure7.4 km (10 min)
Haillicourt7.6 km (12 min)
Gosnay8 km (11 min)

Things to see and do

In terms of traditional heritage, the parish church of Saint-Vaast has the singularity of having preserved (despite industrialisation and wars) original elements: it was built in 1536, as indicated by a sandstone now embedded in the left wall of the Saint-Vaast chapel. In fact, the chancel is indeed from the sixteenth century. The rest of the building, considerably enlarged, was erected in the nineteenth century and completed in 1869 in an ogival style consistent with the first place of worship. Finally, it should be noted that on the north aisle of the chancel the tombstone of Jean Georges de Beaulaincourt, Lord of Bellenville, Count of Marles, who died in his castle (now lost) on 25 December 1699, has been preserved.

On a different note, at the entrance to the town's college, there is also a contemporary ceramic sculpture dated 1977 by the artist Edouard Pignon, a native of the locality. It evokes cockfighting, which is one of the traditional parts of the region's culture. The sculpture is made up of three openwork and cut concrete slabs, forming a star and 3.50 m high. They are covered with brightly coloured ceramic tiles. This arrangement offers the public moving around the work a multitude of facets...

Protected as a historical monument but also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site like a hundred others in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin, the last site of interest is not the least. It bears witness to the city's industrial and working-class past: it is the former Saint-Emile pit (to the north of the town). A metal headframe from 1921 (19 m high with its bell tower) and a building housing an extraction machine have been preserved. This collection is complemented by a permanent exhibition presenting the mining history of Marles, from the drilling of 1853 to the closure of the shafts in 1974 and the nationalization of the company in 1946. The headframe and the machine were bought by the municipality in 1979 and then renovated. Self-guided or guided tours on Sundays in July and August or by reservation. Free admission. Information on +33 3 91 80 07 10 or +33 3 21 62 50 72.

On the cultural side, shows and associative activities are also regularly programmed at the Maison Pour Tous. For more information, call +33 3 21 01 74 30.

For walks, three green spaces are laid out in the locality, including some playgrounds and fitness trails.

Hiking trails heading towards Béthune (in particular) and linking natural or heritage sites are also available to walkers. As for mountain bikers, a 10 km loop around Marles is dedicated to them. It includes some beautiful views of the city and its surroundings.

Maps and information at the tourist office of the agglomeration on +33 3 21 52 50 00.

However, the Vallée Carreau project, which was recently inaugurated, is now the major tourist centre of the locality (on its northern part, near the pit and the museum). It extends over a hundred hectares in the communes of Marles, Auchel and Lozinghem. It necessitated the "renaturation" of former mining sites. In addition to the now green slag heaps, wildlife and landscape observatories have been set up, a lizard-shaped structure to raise awareness of herpetofauna (amphibians), a "Slag heap" allowing visitors to view the volumes of the surrounding slag heaps or wetlands. The complex includes safe paths for walkers or two-wheelers and will eventually become part of the Artois Chain of Parks (4,200 hectares of spaces connected by 420 km of soft paths). Free access. For more information, call +33 3 21 52 50 00.

Events and festivities

The last Friday in June, Midsummer bonfires.

The last weekend of July, municipal festival (ducasse) with fairground rides, flea market, concerts.

Photos

City Hall
City Hall
See photo
The village
The village
See photo
The village
The village
See photo
City Hall Marles-les-Mines
City Hall Marles-les-Mines
See photo
The village
The village
See photo
The church Saint-Vaast
The church Saint-Vaast
See photo
The church Saint-Vaast
The church Saint-Vaast
See photo
The village
The village
See photo
The village
The village
See photo
The village
The village
See photo
The church Saint-Vaast
The church Saint-Vaast
See photo

Weather

Tuesday 19 march
Min. 9°C - Max. 15°C
Day
Night
Wednesday 20 march
Min. 8°C - Max. 17°C
Day
Night
Thursday 21 march
Min. 9°C - Max. 15°C
Day
Night

Visits, leisure and activities nearby

Leisure activities

Last nameActivity typeRateCity
Audomarois marsh tour with enthusiasts
Nature and the great outdoors11 € Saint-Omer (33 km)
French classes for Dutch speakers
Culture and education35 € to 55 € Auxi-le-Château (41 km)
Beer Tasting Treasure Hunt in Lille
Entertainment29 € Lille (42 km)
Skip-the-Line E-Ticket – Villa Cavrois
Culture and education9 € Croix (50 km)

Outings

Last nameOuting typeDifficultyDurationDeparture municipality
Footstep at Aire-sur-la-Lys
HikeEasy35 minAire-sur-la-Lys (17 km)
Wolf Trail (Berlencourt-le-Cauroy)
HikeEasy4:10Berlencourt-le-Cauroy (25 km)
Fao Trail (Grand-Rullecourt)
HikeEasy4:55Grand-Rullecourt (28 km)
Vert Bocage Circuit
Village visitEasy3:15Staple (28 km)
Little God Trail (Sus-Saint-Léger)
HikeEasy3:15Sus-Saint-Léger (30 km)

Restaurants

Bed & breakfasts

Vacation rentals

Campsites

Hotels

Your holidays
A hotel
A vacation rental
A bed & breakfast
A campsite
A leisure activity
A restaurant
A rental car
A plane ticket
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