In Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and more precisely in the Artois and Béthunois areas, the historical mining activity has forged some unique landscapes over the centuries. Discover the mining basin to admire the famous slag heaps, mountains of shale located near the old coal extraction shafts. These slag heaps are now good places for walks and some have leisure centres, such as Loisinord in Noeux-les-Mines, where you can even go skiing!
This land invites you on a journey to the heart of a rich heritage: miners' cottages, linear estates, detached housing estates, garden cities... A whole array of sites will tell you all about the region's mining history. A themed circuit goes through the town of Lens and mining towns such as Marles-les-Mines, Auchel or Bruay-la-Buissière, to explore the various mining settlements.
The School and Mining Museum near Lens is a great place to learn more about the miners' lives. The Lewarde Mining History Centre, meanwhile, is unmissable as it is the largest mining museum in France and documents three centuries of coal mining with exhibitions and reconstructions.
