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Lens Tourist Information Centre

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Louvre-Lens Destination Sharing art and emotion

The Louvre collections are in Lens in a building designed by the Japanese

firm SANAA (2010 Pritzker Price) :

The Louvre-Lens opened its doors to the public the 4th

December 2012, on the Saint Barb Day, the patron saint

of miners. The prestigious Paris museum settle in the

heart of the old coal basin, on a

former colliery, nestled between

mining mountains and Bollaert

Stadium. The winning architectural project by the Japanese firm Sanaa is

designed like a succession of buildings. The building’s architecture is open with

glass and aluminium walls.

Made up of 205 works of art including numerous masterpieces from

all departments of the Louvre, the “Time Gallery” is the only place in

the world where it’s possible to see a real procession of art

displaying both a remarkable book of knowledge and discoveries as

well as a succession of wonders. The Louvre-Lens allows also people

a look behind the scenes by allowing public viewing and tours of its

reserves or by restoring art in public.

Development Officer :

Marlène Virey

+ 33 (0)3 21 72 66 52

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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Table of Contents

The Louvre-Lens p 3 - 10

History of Colliery No. 9 p 3

The City of Lens, Candidate for the New Louvre Wing p 4

A Contemporary glass and aluminium building p 6

The Grande Gallery p 6

The temporary exhibitions p 7

A museum for all p 7

Facts & figures p 8

The architects of Louvre-Lens p 8

A short history : main dates of Louvre-lens p 10

To discover in preview the Louvre-Lens p 11

Visiting the Louvre-Lens with a group p 12

Lens’ geographical location p 13

France’s Northern Coalfields: World Heritage Site p 15

Lens’ Historic Monuments p 16 - 17

The French Way of Life p 18 - 21

Fine chocolates : Jeanson Specialty Bakery & Tearoom p 18

Ch’ti beer p 19

Page 24 Beer p 19

Where to eat in Lens ? p 20 - 21

Where to sleep in Lens ? p 22-23

10 minutes from Lens : The Nature of History, Remembrance Tourism p 24

Notre-Dame de Lorette p 24

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial p 24

The Artois Battlefields Coach Tour p 25

Where to eat in proximity p 26

Loos Memorial & Dud Corner cemetery p 27

Tourist Information Centre Contact Information p 28


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The Louvre-Lens :

A mirror of glass and aluminium between the slag heaps and

Bollaert Stadium: It’s the Louvre-Lens, which has opened to the

public in 2012. The new wing of the prestigious Parisian museum

is located on the former site of Colliery No.9, also called Theodore

Barrois Colliery. The winning architectural proposal, submitted by

the Japanese firm Sanaa, is that of a succession of buildings with

glass roofs and polished aluminium walls.

The Lens museum is unique, one where visitors are free to explore

at their ease without following a structured plan. Louvre reserves

formerly closed to the public are made available for viewing and

visits. Works traditionally presented according to genre

(decorative arts department, painting department, sculpture

department, antiquities department) are presented according to

exhibition themes.

To quote Henri Loyrette, Executive Director of the Louvre, the museum in Lens is one where people “is

inspired to come back again and again,” rather than “to visit just once”. Indeed, the originality in the

Louvre-Lens is that it does not have a permanent collection, and so its visitors are invited to return

every two or three years as the collections evolve.

Construction started in December 2009 and the museum opened the 4th

of December 2012.


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History of Colliery No. 9

Colliery No. 9 of the Lens Mining Company was dug in 1886 and

started operating as of 1890. In 1904, 9 “Bis” or 9b, was added.

No. 9 was used to extract coal and 9B for ventilation. Like other

collieries, the Lens Mining Company built lodging for its workers,

as well as a church, schools, a sports field and a pharmacy. The

company’s objectives were to attract and retain labour. The

mining communities attest to a great willingness on the company’s part to supervise the daily life of its

miners and their families. Colliery no. 9 closed in November 1960, following a regrouping of operations

at no. 19 at Loos-en-Gohelle. After extracting more than 10 million tons of coal, no. 9 was used as an

air inlet until 1975, then as air return for no. 19, the main pit. 605 m deep, it was filled in November

1980. Its headframe was razed to the ground in September 1983.

The City of Lens, Candidate for the New Louvre Wing:

In 2003, the municipality of Lens offered the site of colliery no. 9 to the Ministry of Culture to house a

new wing of the Louvre Museum. In France, cities like Lyon and Montpellier took position. In the

region, other cities also vied to be candidates: Amiens, Arras, Boulogne, Calais and Valenciennes.

Competition was stiff and the challenges substantial. Finally, on 29 November 2004, the Prime Minister,

Jean Pierre Raffarin, came to Lens to announce the arrival of the Louvre.

Why have a second Louvre?

- To invent a new museum

- The desire of the French Ministry of Culture to decentralise important national museums

- The wish to reach a new public less accustomed to visiting cultural sites


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Why Choose Lens?

Accessibility: an exceptional transportation network (Motorways A21 and A26, TGV

station, Lesquin airport close by)

A major potential for visitors: 7 million inhabitants (with a majority of youth) within a

range of 100 km

An exceptional site : close to the city centre, a display space 20 ha large surrounded by

green scenery

A territory with long-range plans: application submission of candidacy by the

Coalfield Territory for World Heritage status to UNESCO, a request to be officially

recognised throughout France as a land of art and history (“Pays d’Art et d’Histoire”), the

“Trame Verte” environmentally-friendly “green” policy and the Green Centre at 11/19…

A Symbolic Place: situated between the 11/19 slagheaps and Bollaert Stadium, the

Louvre-Lens museum will bring access to the great works of humanity to the

grandchildren of miners – miners who greatly contributed to the history of France

A contemporary glass and aluminium building

Situated between the twin slag heaps

of 11/19 and Bollaert Stadium, the

museum site links visibly three cities:

Loos en Gohelle, Liévin and Lens.

The architectural design chosen, that of

the Japanese architectural firm Sanaa,

develops on the site as a succession of

buildings. In minimalist architectural

style, using pure building materials that

express the desire of the Louvre-Lens

to completely integrate into the site of colliery no. 9, this chain of pavilions avoids the impact of a

large, tall building. The polished aluminium walls reflect the natural landscape around the museum and

melt the museum into the scenery, rendering them one. Glass roofs have been specifically chosen for

displaying works of art in natural light as well as for the visual effect of the building exterior, 17,000 m²

in size.


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The “Grande Gallery”:

When the Louvre-Lens opens, it offers a

unique journey in the Louvre’s collections.

The objects come from the Louvre's eight

departments (Near Eastern Antiquities,

Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, and

Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Decorative

Arts, Prints and Drawings, Sculptures, and

Paintings). They represent every period and

technique covered by the Paris museum

(namely, from the 4th millennium BC to 1850),

and are presented in cross-disciplinary displays.

This exhibition space contains 205 artworks of which masterpieces from every department in the

Louvre. The Grande Gallery is the only one in the world designed to present a single stream of

artworks that is a source of discovery, knowledge, and wonder for visitors. The strictly chronological

presentation illustrates and reflects the history of the empires of the Middle East, Egypt, Greece, Rome,

and finally of Islam and Europe.

The temporary exhibitions:

Besides this 5 year exhibition of the Louvre’s collections, the Louvre-Lens

hosts also every year two temporary exhibitions which will last 3 or 4

months. These exhibitions are designed to attract a wide regional,

national, and international public presenting other artworks from the

Louvre but also from many French and foreign museums.

The inaugural winter exhibition was dedicated to the Renaissance and

the summer one to the “Europe of Rubens”.

The Europe of Rubens : 22 May 2013 – 23 September 2013

The Etruscans and the Mediterranean : 4 December 2013 - 10 March 2014

The disasters of war 1800-2014 : 28 May 201 - 6 October 2014


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A museum for all :

The Louvre-Lens allows also public access “backstage” by making its reserve collections visible and

available for public visits or by conducting, for example, art work restoration in public.

It’s a tool of awareness and artistic education. The Louvre-Lens wants to be accessible to all and sees

to it that the museum puts the tools in place to ensure that its collections are available to the greatest

number of people.

Construction began in December 2009 and the museum opened in December 2012.

The Louvre-Lens website:

You will find all the news about the Louvre-Lens on the

website www.louvrelens.fr. People can subscribe to receive

a letter of information by email, they can follow the news,

bring their support and contact the teams.

The Louvre-Lens – Facts & Figures

Architectural Plans : 17,000 m2 with

- 7700 m2 of exhibition space

- 2000 m2 for visiting viewable reserve collections

- 2900 m2 of cultural and activity space

- 4400 m2 of logistic and administrative space

http://www.louvrelens.fr/


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Estimation of the number of visitors every year : 550,000

- 47 % from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region

- 5 % from the Picardie region

- 11 % from the Parisian region

- 8 % from the other French regions

- 10 % from Belgium

- 13 % from United Kingdom

- 7 % from other countries

The Architects of the Louvre-Lens

The winning team contracted to design the Louvre-Lens project brings together the Japanese

architectural practice Sanaa, the American museum architects Celia Imrey and Tim Culbert, and

the French landscape designer Catherine Mosbach.

The architects:

Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa founded the Sanaa agency (Sejima And Nishizawa And Associates)

in 1995. Their architecture is innovative, airy, and fluid. It abolishes the weight of its materials and

transcends the concept of space. The notion of a principal or secondary façade is often eliminated,

replaced by an original conception which turns it into a membrane creating a subtle relationship

between inner and outer space.

Their work is light and minimal in terms of esthetics, yet highly sophisticated in terms of detail and the

technical aspects of building work. Their designs are driven by a deep desire to respect the building's

context and to create a bold relationship with nature and the environment.

New Museum of Contemporary Art – New York

Principal references:

- N Museum - Wakahama - Japan – 1997

- O Museum - Nagano - Japan – 1999

- Christian Dior store in Omotesando - Tokyo – 2003

- 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art - Kanazawa - Japan – 2004

- Glass Pavilion - Toledo - USA – 2006

21st Century Museum of

Contemporary Art - Kanzawa

Design school - Essen


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- Campus Novartis - Basel - Switzerland – 2006

- Federal Polytechnic - Lausanne - Switzerland – 2006

- Design school - Essen - Germany – 2006

- New Museum of Contemporary Art - New York - 2007

Federal Polytechnic - Lausanne

Studio Adrien Gardère, museum architects

Adrien Gardère is a French designer and museographer, born in 1972. Graduated from the 2 Paris

schools, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratis (1996) and Ecole Boulle (1994), he set up the

Studio Adrien Gardère in 2000, that features three areas of expertise: furniture and lighting design,

museum and exhibition design, as well as interior architecture. His personal experience and choices

soon made him establish solid working partnerships with large institutions like the Musée du Louvre,

the Egyptian National Museum in Cairo, the National Institute of Design in India, the National Carpet

Museum in Iran, the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington.

Catherine Mosbach, landscape designer

Catherine Mosbach is a graduate of the Ecole nationale supérieure du paysage in Versailles (1986). Her

principal projects include the archeological park in Solutré (Saône-et-Loire), the walk along the Saint-

Denis canal, and the botanical gardens in Monaco and Bordeaux. She designed the La Bastide

botanical gardens in Bordeaux, which opened in 2003. These gardens on the right bank of the

Garonne, covering 4.6 hectares, are part of a new neighborhood being built to recover a former

industrial wasteland.


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A Short History – The Creation of the Louvre-Lens

2003: The City of Lens proposes the site of former colliery

no. 9 to the Ministry of Culture that is intending to create

a wing of the Louvre outside of Paris

End of November 2004: Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Prime

Minister at the time, and Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres,

Minister of Culture, come to Lens to announce the arrival

of the Louvre.

March 2005: 120 architectural firms from around the world compete for the Louvre building

contract from the Conseil Régional Nord-Pas-de-Calais (regional governing body).

12 May 2005: Execution of agreement between the different parties and naming of the six

architectural teams chosen to work on the museum project.

September 2005: Official announcement of the Winner, the Japanese Architectural Firm Sanaa

December 2005: Start of the operating studies

2006 – 2007: Finalisation of the chosen architectural project (development around the museum,

traffic circulation, car park…)

Spring 2009: 2nd

invitation to tender to various trades to assign contracts for the construction of

the museum.

Summer 2009: Assignment of the contracts to the firms

December 4th

2009: Start of site construction with the laying of the first stone and the opening

of the House of the project in the former Albert Camus Centre

2010 – 2011: Construction of the museum. The House of the project will present the evolution of

the construction and will give information about the future

museum.

Autumn 2011: End of construction

End 2011 – beginning 2012: Installation of the teams and

artworks in the museum.

4 December 2012: Official Inauguration of the Louvre-Lens


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Visit the Louvre-Lens

Made up of 2050 works of art including numerous masterpieces

from all departments of the Louvre, the “Grande Gallery” will be the

only place in the world where it’s possible to see a real procession

of art displaying both a remarkable book of knowledge and

discoveries as well as a succession of wonders. The Louvre-Lens

allows also people a look behind the scenes by allowing public

viewing and tours of its reserves or by restoring art in public.

Duration : 2hours

Group Rates (20 pax max) : Contact : Lens Tourist Information Centre

- During the week: 205 € + 33 (0)3 21 67 66 66

- On Sundays: 235 € [email protected]

- Foreign language tours: 15 € extra www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr

“De la Mine au Louvre-Lens” coach tour :

This guided tour presents, in the landscape of slagheaps and

headframes, the soul of the coalfield territory.

Through different elements of the mining heritage of Lens

territory, you will discover by bus the incredible

transformation of a territory shaped by the mining era. This

tour, which goes through Lens, Liévin and Loos-en-Gohelle, will bring you from the Former

Administrative Headquarters of Lens to the site of the future Louvre-Lens, with stops at the 11/19

mining mountain base, as well as at the Saint Amé head frame.

Tour time: 2.5 hours coach tour

Group Rates (without bus) : Contact : Lens Tourist Information Centre

- During the week: 150 € + 33 (0)3 21 67 66 66




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Permanent collection (Grande Galerie and Glass Pavillion) : FREE Temporary exhibition: 9€/8€ discount price from 10 tickets bulk-buy Guided tours (Grande Galerie, Glass Pavillion, temporary exhibitions), does not include entrance tickets. Duration : 1h – max 20 people–booking in advance is mandatory Full price : 145€ Discount price : 60€ (schools, war victims, disabled visitors unemployed visitors)

Behind the stage guided tours ( for safety reasons, limited to 17 people) Booking fee : 45€

Booking fee for groups with their own guide Booking in advance is mandatory

Full price: 80€ Discount price : 60€ (schools, war victims, disabled people,unemployed)

Welcoming groups Specific welcome for each group

Cloakroom Dedicated cloakroom to groups

Accessibility The museum is fully accessible to all disabled visitors Wheelchairs available on free loan Education Resource center and multimedia library

Catering Cafeteria : 95 seats Terrace : 130 seats Picnic area: 80 seats Restaurant : 100 seats Practical information Baby changing room Sanitaries for children Bookshop and giftshop Cash dispenser

Parking Parking areas nearby : 300 and 180 places Parking stadium Bollaert : 2000 places (5mn away) Drop-off/pick-up point is situated in front of the main entrance

www.louvrelens.fr

Train station :15 min by feet From Arras : 15 min From Lille : 40 min From Paris : 1h20 From Brussels : 2h30 From London : 3h15

Motorways A21 links 2 major motorways: A1 (Lille-Paris) A26 (Calais-Reims) National road N21 (Arras-Lille) N43 (Hénin-Beaumont-Béthune)

VISITING THE LOUVRE-LENS WITH A GROUP

LOUVRE-LENS SERVICES

GETTING THERE

In charge of communication : Raphael Wolff / [email protected]

Press Officer : Bruno Cappelle / [email protected] Anne Feuauqsumbertgu


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Lens’ Geographical Location

The city of Lens has about 36 000 inhabitants. It is located in a metropolitan area 250 inhabitants

strong, the youngest population in France. Brave and willing, the people of Lens will give you a warm

welcome. Seven million people live within 100 km around Lens.

Situated in the heart of North-West Europe, at the crossroads between three European capitals, (Paris,

Brussels and London), the Lens-Liévin district is in an excellent geographic position developed by an

exceptional network of transportation infrastructures:

4 motorways cross the district:

- A1 Paris – Lille

- A26 Calais - Reims – Dijon

- A21 Aix-Noulette – Douai

- A211 Lens - Arras

A dense rail network with a TGV Train Station in Lens (1 hr from Paris)

Lille Lesquin International Airport 2O min away

1.5 hr Channel connection

Wide canal

Lens is 2 hrs from Paris by motorway (1 hr 15 by TGV,

with about 10 trains a day),

1.5 hrs from Brussels, 3.5hrs from London (motorways

and Eurotunnel).

In the North-Pas de Calais region, Lens is 30 minutes

from Lille and 1.5 hrs from the coast


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Come to the Louvre-Lens by public transport

Buy your travel, we offer the return!

With the Louvre-Lens Transport Pass, you can go to the station of Lens from any station in the

Northern Region, your return ticket is offered. Once Lens station, you can take the free shuttle Louvre-

Lens between the station and the museum. This bus has a capacity of 77 seats, 1 PMR, runs every 20

minutes with a journey time estimated at 10 minutes. Inside the shuttle a video spot produced by the

Office of Tourism Lens-Lievin, the inhabitants of this territory Lens-Lievin welcoming visitors to the

Louvre-Lens.

Trains : www.ter-sncf.com ou 0 891 671 059

Shuttle : www.tadao.fr ou 0 810 00 11 78

http://www.ter-sncf.com/

http://www.tadao.fr/


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France’s Northern Coalfields : World Heritage Site

Created in September 2002, a non-profit association called United Coalfields (Bassin Minier UNESCO)

has the task of working for the North-Pas de Calais UNESCO bid. It is the association’s objective to

honour the uniqueness of the Coalfields’ scenery and human heritage through its registration as a

World Heritage Site.

For almost three centuries, the coal industry shaped this territory and its cities, creating their identity

and forever changing a way of life. Today, the coal extraction sites, with their head frames, slag heaps,

transport networks (“cavaliers”) and mining communities, make up an outstanding universal heritage.

France submitted its nomination to the World Heritage Centre on 25 January 2010. Now that the

candidacy has acquired national credibility, it must now be determined whether the submission meets

World Heritage Committee demands.

Since being registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in summer 2012, just like the Mont Saint

Michel and the Egyptian Pyramids, would be fair acknowledgement of the men and women who

shaped this land.

Lens’ Historic Monuments

The 11/19, a coal site

Climb to the summit of the 11/19, a former colliery with

the highest mining mountains in Europe (168 m). Enjoy

the 360° view of the coalfields from the top and discover

Mother Nature’s treasures on the former slag heaps.

To climb up the mining mountain from the former colliery : 1 hour.

The 11/19 is a remarkable site halfway between the past and the future. The two numbers, 11 and 19,

refer to former mining shaft numbers, 11 for the metal 1920’s shaft, and 19 for the concrete

concentration tower from 1960. Even if some parts of the mine are no longer there, the site has the


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advantage of offering an overall view of what a mining site could have been

like, with a mining pit, slagheaps (coal remains), and a miners’ village. The

11/19 Base has been transformed into a sustainable development and

cultural site with a National Stage, “Culture Commune,” and the CPIE

(Mountain Mining Range Association).

Guided Tours

The Mining Mountain Association offers guided outings of the site.

Starting on the site of the former colliery, the guides explain the

industrial buildings (head frames, hanging room, workshops, watchman’s

house...), after which you climb up the highest mining mountains in

Europe (186 m). On top of the mountains, you’ll get a fabulous 360° view

and can admire a rich variety of plant species.

Tour time: 2.5 hours walk tour

Group Rates : 125 € (Group of 25)

Contact : CPIE (Mountain Mining Range Association)

+ 33 (0)3 21 28 17 28 - [email protected] - www.chainedesterrils.eu

Bollaert Stadium

Famous for football, Bollaert Stadium invites you to enjoy a family-

friendly Racing Club de Lens match.

Inaugurated in 1932, Bollaert Stadium, named in honour of Félix Bollaert,

the director of the Lens Mining Company, who originated its

construction, quickly became the heart of the city of Lens. A major player in French football, this

“English” stadium, with its four independent stands, has 42 000 seats, which is more than the entire

population of Lens (36 000 inhabitants)! Every Lens football match brings together the Lens fans,

famous for their friendliness and known as “the best fans in France.”

Guided Tours available with the Tourist Information Center ( + 33 (0)3 21 67 66 66

[email protected] - www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr).




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Lens Train Station

Lens Train Station: built in 1926, it is shaped like a steam locomotive and was

the first building in Art Deco style in the coalfields. You will find nice mosaics in

the social realist style inside.

Faculty Jean Perrin

Faculty Jean Perrin Gardens : at the end of Elie Reumaux Avenue, large French gardens

around the former Grands Bureaux, the Lens Mining Company headquarters. This real

industrial castle has been converted into a university.

Downtown : Boulevard Emile Basly et Place Jean Jaurès

Emile Basly Boulevard : a major street towards the shopping district, bordered by

colourful townhouses with large plate glass windows, some in Art Deco style. While

visiting the many shops, bars and restaurants in Lens, come explore the centre of

town with its pretty Art Deco and Neo-Flemish architecture.

Maison Syndicale

Miners’ Union House or La Maison Syndicale: a major symbol of the Pas de

Calais miners’ struggle for social justice, this building was added to the Inventory

of French Historic Monuments in 1996. Today, it houses temporary exhibitions,

and is a mining history archival centre.

All the Lens’ Historic Monuments in the « From the Louvre to the Lens

downtown” tour :

A trip to discover the monuments Lens: "From the museum to

the city center". From the gates of the Louvre-Lens, discover

the architecture and the museum park. The guide will tell you

the history of the site of the current museum from the time the

minors extracted coal. The walk takes you into the mining town surrounding the opportunity to learn

more about the lives of minors and their families in these urban ensembles marked by paternalism

leaders of the Société des Mines de Lens. Then the tour continues in downtown Lens to the discovery

of some architectural characteristics of Art Deco.

Dates: every day (except on Tuesday) at 14:30 Duration: 1:30 Departure: Louvre-Lens

Rates: 6 € / person 3 € (students, job seekers), 1 € (12-18), free for children under 12 years.

Booking essential: 00.33 (0)3.21.67.66.66 - www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr


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The French Way of Life

For a tasting or a tour, try local crafted bitters like the

famous Ch’ti and the Page 24, or the sweetness of

Fleur de Bonheur “Flower of Happiness” or Cœur de

Braise “Glowing Heart” chocolates.

Fine chocolates

Cœur de Braise and Fleur de bonheur Chocolates by Master Pastry Chef and

Chocolatier Jeanson: both were created to honour mining heritage. Shaped like a

pyramid and made with achillea (a plant that grows on nearby slag heaps), the

chocolate entitled Coeur de Braise celebrates the arrival of the Louvre in Lens. As for

the chocolate Fleur de bonheur, it was created to support the coalfield territory’s

quest to be recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO. Lavender-flavoured, the chocolate brings back

memories of the belief that lavender brought luck to miners heading underground.

The chocolates are for sale at the Jeanson Pastry and Chocolate Shop which is also a Tearoom

Adress : Place Jean Jaurès, 62 300 Lens. + 33 (0)3 21 28 24 21

[email protected] - www.patisserie-jeanson.com

Guided tours : 1.15 hour tour

This passionate pastry artist gladly takes tours around his workshop that include a film and tasting.

Group Rates : 4,50 € pp (min 12 pp – max 20 pp)



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Local Beer

Castelain Brewery tour and a tasting of their Ch’ti beer

Famous Ch’ti beer is brewed in a small village with a pre-destined

name, Bénifontaine. The film, “Bienvenue chez les Ch’ti” has increased

popularity. During an hour-long guided tour, you will discover the

history of beer, and in particular, our brewery, including the raw

materials used in making beer, the eco-museum and its collection of

enameled plaques, a film and the different stages in producing our beer. The tour ends with a tasting,

and for those of you who would like to take home a souvenir, the boutique is open. All our specialty

beers are in the boutique, as well as gift ideas (gift baskets and boxes, metal boxes, bottle-carrying

bags…), regional specialties and publicity items.

Guides tours : 1.5 hour tour.

Rates: 3 € pp (min 20 pp).

The beers and regional specialties are for sale at the Ch’ti Boutique.

13 rue Pasteur - 62410 Bénifontaine

+ 33 (0)3 21 08 68 61 - [email protected] - www.chti.com

Saint Germain Brewery tour and a tasting of their Page 24 beer

In a warm setting in an atmosphere from days gone by, three

young entrepreneurs invite you to share their passion for beer.

Every visitor receives a welcome gift. The tour begins with a short

account of this microbrewery which was created in 2003. Then the

brewers present the raw materials, and lead you to the brewing

and bottling equipment to see how their Page 24 beer is made.

Once they have told you the various legends about the origins of the Page 24 name, you are invited to

a tasting to help you discover the diversity of these micro-brewed beers that are neither filtered nor

pasteurised (lager, whit beer, chicory, honey and rhubarb). Beers recognized with awards from the Paris

Agricultural Salon.

Guides tours : 1.5 hour tour.

Rates: 3 € pp (min 20 pp).

The beers are for sale at the Saint Germain Brewery. 26, route d’Arras - 62 160 Aix-Noulette

+ 33 (0)3 21 72 24 24 - [email protected] - www.page24.fr




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Where to eat :

Share in the fun of tasting our specialities at a fine local

restaurant or in an estaminet full of old-fashioned charm.

ESTAMINETS (TRADITIONAL FLEMISH CAFES)

Al’Fosse 7

94 Boulevard Henri Martel -62210 Avion

+ 33 (0)3 21 43 06 98

A meal at the bottom of a mine shaft, anyone? At the restaurant Al'Fosse 7

you will discover traditional regional dishes into a mining setting. This very

friendly tavern promises to spend a pleasant time.

Rates : Menu prices from 11 € to 16 €

Le Pain de la Bouche

41 bis rue de la Gare - 62300 Lens

+ 33 (0)3 21 67 68 68

Le Pain de la Bouche will delight your palate. It has a large selection of

typical regional meals (faluches gratinées, carbonade flamande, coq à la

bière...) and several set menus are available, all in the setting of an old-

fashioned estaminet. Coffee is served in a white iron pot and left on your

table, just like back in miners’ kitchens long ago.


L’Eden des saveurs

20 avenue Alfred Maës - 62300 Lens

+ 33 (0)3 21 75 21 45

Regional restaurant located nearby Lens downtown and close to the Louvre-Lens.

Come discover the restaurant "L'Eden des Saveurs" in an intimate setting to the

decoration and enjoy a traditional regional cuisine : Lamb shank with flower of beer,

Jarret turkey with gingerbread, Maroilles (local cheese) Tart.

Regional specialties are for sale in the restaurant.

Rates : Menu prices from 15.30 € to 35 €


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GOURMET RESTAURANTS

L’Arcadie II

13 rue Decrombecque - 62300 Lens

+ 33 (0)3 21 70 32 22

www.restaurant-arcadie2.com

If you are looking for a warm restaurant that offers fine gourmet meals in the heart of

Lens, Arcadie II is open all year long. A restaurant with a cool, chic design, Arcadie II is

the epitome of imaginative cuisine that harmoniously combines the pleasure of good

food with a variety of flavours and a subtle marriage of aromas. Elegant dining is

mastered so well here that it expresses itself simply. Everything is planned and created

to offer guests a rare and precious magical moment.

Rates : Menu prices from 16,90 € à 50 €

L’Escarpolette (located at 10 mn by car from Lens downtown)

Centre commercial Lens 2

62880 Vendin-le-Vieil

+ 33 (0)3 21 79 36 36

www.lensotel.com

Gourmet restaurant located in Hotel *** Lensotel at the entrance of the

city of Lens. In a chic design you can enjoy the fireplace in the wood

fire in winter and summer porches. The menus change with the

seasons and the traditional French cuisine remains in the spotlight.

You will taste a large choice of fine gourmet meals : foie gras, fish

mouss…


http://www.restaurant-arcadie2.com/


22

Where to sleep in Lens :

Hôtel Lensotel*** (located at 10 mn by car from Lens downtown)

Centre commercial Lens 2 - 62880 Vendin-le-Vieil

+ 33 (0)3 21 79 36 36 - www.lensotel.com

This hotel 3-star hotel-restaurant is situated near the road linking La

Bassee Lens. The Lensotel has 70 rooms and 1 suite tastefully

decorated. You will have a private parking, all in a warm, friendly and

calm. Inside, a bar and a room overlooking a beautiful green space are

quite suitable for weddings and receptions. The extras: swimming pool

and restaurant "L'Escarpolette" to the finest cuisine.

Rates :

- Double occupancy rate: from 83 to 95 €

- Breakfast rates : 9,80 €

Hôtel La Maison Rouge*** (located at 20 mn by car from Lens downtown)

374 route Nationale - 62290 Noeux-les-Mines

+ 33 (0)3 21 61 65 65 - www.hotel-lamaisonrouge.com

This hotel-restaurant is located in the triangle Lens-Arras-Bethune

and is served by the A26 motorway. This old mansion completely

renovated charm you with its 40 new comfortable rooms of this

3-star contemporary style. All rooms have a bathroom with

separate toilet, Wi-Fi access, telephone, safe, mini bar, LCD

television with satellite channels, air conditioning. The hotel also

has three private dining rooms and two meeting rooms. Discover

in the restaurant « Le Cercle » a new finest cuisine in a very cosy

atmosphere.

Rates :

- Double occupancy rate: from 83 to 95 €

- Breakfast rates : 12 €

Novotel Lens Noyelles**** (located at 20 mn by car from Lens downtown)

Avenue de la République – Centre commercial - 62950 Noyelles-Godault

+ 33 (0)3 21 08 58 08 - www.novotel.com

This hotel-restaurant is located near Lens, Arras, Douai and 25 minutes

from Lille. 4-star hotel-restaurant of 81 air-conditioned rooms is

situated in a verdant park of 1.5 hectares just close to the shopping

center Noyelles-Godault with cinema, bowling and karting. Family or

business, the Novotel Lens Noyelles is the perfect place to organize all

your events. It has all the necessary infrastructure to meet, eat and

relax in a friendly atmosphere and serenity. 200 m² of meeting rooms

provide the organization of these events. The restaurant is open 7d/7d. A bar and a swimming pool

will enhance your stay. Free secure car park. Pets allowed.

Rates :

- Double occupancy rate : from 85 € to 180 €

- Breakfast rates : from 8 to 15 €

http://www.hotel-lamaisonrouge.com/

http://www.novotel.com/


23

Bed & Breakfast Le 33 : 33 rue Léon Gambetta – 62300 Lens

+ 33 (0)6 10 48 32 84 - + 33 (0)3 61 00 58 97

http://www.le-33-chambres-d-hotes-lens.fr - Email : [email protected]

Four comfortable guest rooms located in a 1930s mansion in the heart of

Lens.Bright rooms from 17 to 25 sqm with private bathroom (shower, toilet),

TV and wifi. Two bedrooms with double bed 160x200, two bedrooms with two

beds 90x200. Breakfast in family dining room or in the garden during the

summer. Possibility to park bicycles and motorcycles inside. Non-smoking

accommodation.

Rates :

Per person daily rates with breakfast : 70 – 75 €

2 peoples daily rates with breakfast : 70 – 75 €

Bed & Breakfast Les Cèdres bleus: 9 rue Emile Roux - 62800 LIEVIN

+ 33 (0)3 21 44 70 91 - + 33 (0)6 21 54 37 76

http://www.cedres-bleus-lievin.fr/

House of charm and character and well-being including three guest rooms

labeled City Break Premium (Gîtes de France). The guest rooms have been

recently renovated with the charm of yesteryear are available to you : high

ceilings, marble fireplace, original flooring, ... They are all equipped with

satellite TV, DVD player, wifi access, bathrobes, hair dryer. To relax, a jacuzzi

and a sauna (1 hour each per day per room reservation), a large terrace with

a view of the air garden. A welcome snack is offered.

A kitchen is also available for your meals.

Rates :

- Per person daily rates with breakfast : 60 – 72 €

- 2 peoples daily rates with breakfast : 68 – 80 €

http://www.le-33-chambres-d-hotes-lens.fr/



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The Nature of History : (10 minutes from Lens)

Discover two major First World War Remembrance sites ten minutes from Lens:

Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada, including the memorial,

underground tunnels and trenches, and Notre Dame de Lorette French National

Memorial and Cemetery, the largest necropolis in France. You can retrace the life

of soldiers in Artois in several cemeteries and memorials or reconstructed

battlefields of the area.

Notre-Dame de Lorette :

Rendered tragically famous by WWI, Notre Dame de Lorette is

the largest military cemetery in France, containing 20,000

gravesites. 39,985 French soldiers are buried in the necropolis;

19,998 of them are unidentified. The Lantern Tower, 52m high,

symbolises the flame of remembrance. The Roman-Byzantine

chapel is the work of Louis-Marie Cordonnier. From the plateau

of Notre Dame de Lorette, 165 m above sea level, there is a remarkable view of the eastern part of the

Gohelle plain, dominated by the twin slag heaps 11/19 (the tallest in Europe) and the Artois hills in the

west.

The Canadian Vimy memorial :

Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada honours all Canadians

who risked or gave their lives for peace and freedom during the First

World War in France. It commemorates the battle of April 9, 1917.

Within a 107 ha park, the site offers a trip back in time to the Great

War, with preserved trenches, tunnels (available only by guided tour).

The Visitors Centre displays the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917 and Canada’s participation in the

First World War.


25

The Artois Battlefield Coach Tour :

The battles of the Great War have strongly marked our

territory. Come see testimony in the scenery and discover

some of the most symbolic Remembrance sites: the French

National Memorial and Cemetery at Notre Dame de Lorette,

Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada, and the German,

French and British cemeteries in Neuville Saint Vaast.

Tour time: 2.5 hours coach tour

Group Rates (without bus) : Contact : Lens Tourist Information Centre

- During the week: 150 € + 33 (0)3 21 67 66 66



http://www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr/


26

Where to eat in proximity ?

Estaminet de Lorette « L’Abri des visiteurs » (located just behind Notre-Dame de Lorette French

Memorial)

Hameau de Notre-Dame de Lorette - 62153 Ablain-Saint-Nazaire

+ 33 (0)3 21 45 29 07

Chef's specialties: Flemish stew, Potje vleesch, flamiche maroilles... Do not

leave without trying the desserts all home-made, including the irresistible

mocha coffee. Continuous service: for tea time in the afternoon.

Closed on december, january and february.

Rates : Menu prices from 25 € - Group capacity : 180

Estaminet Al’Potée d’Léandre (located at the foot of the hill of Notre-Dame de Lorette French

Memorial)

107 rue Pasteur - 62153 Souchez

+ 33 (0)3 21 45 16 40

This tavern offers warm hospitality, regional cuisine in a friendly spirit, you

will discover an old bar alcohol (absinthe, pastis of yesteryear, etc..) in a

representative filled with antiques, among other professions and passions

of the inhabitants of Nord-Pas de Calais. Closed on Mondays.

Rates : Menu prices from 25 € - Group capacity : 60


27

Loos Memorial and Dud Corner Commonwealth Cemetery

In cemeteries and memorials nearby, especially at Dud

Corner in Loos-en-Gohelle, symbolic figures are honoured,

for example, Lieutenant John Kipling, son of the great British

writer Rudyard Kipling of The Jungle Book. Inspired by his

father’s poem If, John wanted to join up to meet his father’s

expectations and his glory, despite the fact that, being very

near-sighted, he normally wasn’t able to enlist. Like many

others, he fell near Loos-en-Gohelle, only eighteen years old, on 27 September 1915, two days after

the beginning of the Battle of Loos. Feeling responsible for the disappearance of his son, Rudyard

Kipling searched for him in vain until his own death in 1936. He drove across the area around Loos-en-

Gohelle in his famous Rolls-Royce, thus attracting attention from local villagers who nicknamed him

“Homme à la Rolls” (The Rolls Royce Man).

His son belongs to the Missing of the Great War, those soldiers “known unto God,” the quotation

chosen by Rudyard Kipling to honour his son. At the end of the war, John Kipling’s name was engraved

on the Loos Memorial with approximately 20 000 other soldiers,

including another famous person, the Queen Mum’s brother,

Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon. The Loos Memorial encloses Dud

Corner Cemetery, which derives its name from the significant

number of unexploded shells found close by following WWI.

It wasn’t until 1992 that John Kipling’s body was finally found

and buried, near Loos-en-Gohelle at Saint Mary ADS Cemetery,

in the village of Sainte-Marie de Haisnes-les-la-Bassée. ADS is the abbreviation for “Advanced Dressing

Station.” Many Commonwealth cemeteries were built on the site of dressing stations and field

hospitals.


28

The Tourist Information Centre team is available to serve you

Office de Tourisme et du Patrimoine de Lens-Liévin

58, rue de la gare

62 300 Lens

+33 (0)3 21 67 66 66

www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr

[email protected]

Services available :

- Guided tours

- Boutique (souvenirs, books, postacrds…)

- Box office (show, RC Lens football matches…)

Opening hours :

Monday to Saturday : 9 : 30 am – 12 : 00 pm, 1 : 30 pm – 6 : 00 pm

Closed on Sundays

Development Officer

Marlène Virey

+ 33 (0)3 21 72 66 52

[email protected]

http://www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr/



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