Post on 06-Apr-2018
transcript
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
promotion@tourisme-lenslievin.fr
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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
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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 € info@tourisme-lenslievin.fr
- 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
- On Sundays: 180 € info@tourisme-lenslievin.fr
- Foreign language tours: 15 € extra www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr
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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 / raphael.wolff@louvrelens.fr
Press Officer : Bruno Cappelle / bruno.cappelle@louvrelens.fr 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
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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 - chaine.des.terrils@wanadoo.fr - 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
info@tourisme-lenslievin.fr - 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
patisserijeanson@aol.com - 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 - contact@chti.com - 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 - contact@page24.fr - 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.
Rates : Menu prices from 13 € to 25 €
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…
Rates : Menu prices from 19 € to 50 €
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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 €
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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 : karargilles0@gmail.com
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 €
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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.
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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
- On Sundays: 180 € info@tourisme-lenslievin.fr
- Foreign language tours: 15 € extra www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr
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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
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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.
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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
info@tourisme-lenslievin.fr
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
promotion@tourisme-lenslievin.fr