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15 Best Things to Do in Lens (France)

The last mine in Lens closed in 1986, and though the industry that was once the lifeblood of the city is gone, it is not forgotten.

There are two monumental slag heaps on the horizon, that look like they might have been made by an ancient civilisation, the cityscape has masses of brick houses for miners and the former offices for the Lens mining company are a University faculty.

Lens is finding a new direction, as the Louvre-Lens makes clear, with its world-class exhibition and permanent collection.

There’s also a powerful new museum about the First World War, apt because Lens was right on the western front.

Lets explore the best things to do in Lens :

1. Louvre-Lens

Where a pithead used to be is an ethereal minimalist construction that stands as the first satellite attraction for the fabled Louvre Museum in Paris.

The museum opened in 2012 and so far attendances have exceeded expectations.

There’s a large space for temporary exhibitions lasting three months, and the likes of Rubens and Leonardo da Vinci have both featured in the past.

The permanent exhibition is also absorbing, as it’s one long corridor that proposes a journey through the history of time, starting with Mesopotamian sculpture and slowly guiding you to the modern age.

2. Lens’ 14-18 Centre d’Histoire Guerre et Paix

Employing the latest museum techniques and calling on an impressive array of archive footage (more than 60 hours), 5,000 photographs and contemporary maps, this museum offers context about the First World War.

The modern building is structured around cubes of black concrete described as “chapels”, and informs visitors about all of the main points, from trench warfare to the offensives of 1918 that eventually brought the conflict to an end.

There’s also a commemorative space for the 600,000 casualties in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais from 1914-1918.

3. Les Terrils Jumeaux, 11/19

Close to the Louvre-Lens are two gigantic black pyramids, the largest slag heaps in Europe, and a constant reminder of Lens’ coalmining history.

If you’re wondering what the numbers mean: 11 denotes the amount of mine shafts below the metal headframe (dating to 1894), while 19 was the number beneath the concrete concentrating tower, which was installed in 1960. Nature has started to reclaim the slagheaps, with 159 animal species recorded  and plants from Oceania and Africa.

With challenging slopes, they’re not an easy proposition to climb, but the scenery from the peaks will quickly make you forget the toil.

4. Église Saint-Léger

A church has stood at this location since the 900s, but every one of them has suffered from war damage, whether it was the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century, the First World War or the Second World War.

As we see it now Saint-Léger is an 18th-century neoclassical design rebuilt brick by brick in the 1920s after being razed by shelling in the First World War.

The only item that survived is a statue of the Virgin Mary from the 17th century.

It was picked from the rubble and is in the chapel devoted to the Great War dead.

5. Gare de Lens

If you enter or leave Lens by train maybe you could allow a couple of minutes to get an eyeful of the station, which opened in 1927 and encapsulates the art deco fashion of the time.

The architect was Urbain Cassan, and he had a bit of a job on his hands to counter the dangers of subsidence caused by mining.

His answer was to make the building modular so the whole wouldn’t be compromised should the ground sink beneath one part.

With its circular arches (wheels) and 23-metre clock tower (chimney) the station was intended to evoke a steam train.

And inside there are beautiful tributes to Lens’ mining industry, with cubist mosaics created by Auguste Labouret.

The local football team has won the French league title in the last 20 years and has a very rich heritage.

But in recent years Lens have flitted between the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, the top two tiers of French football, and currently find themselves in the latter.

And yet, the future does look exciting for the “Sang et Or” (blood and gold), partly because they’re stadium got a swish renovation in time for Euro 2016, when it hosted four matches and can hold 35,000 fans.

If they do make it to Ligue 1 see if you can witness the passion and colour of the Derby du Nord against Lille OSC.

7. Nécropole Nationale de Notre-Dame-de-Lorette

On the road from Arras to Béthune, and little more than ten minutes from Lens ,is the largest military cemetery in France.

There are 20,000 individual marked graves, as well as eight communal graves where some 22,000 unknown soldiers have been interred.

The cemetery is on the site of a swathe of land that was occupied by the Germans for most of the war, and saw huge losses in 1914 and 1915, some of the worst in the Artois region.

The cemetery was inaugurated in 1925 along with the 50-metre Lantern Tower, which symbolises the flame of remembrance.

In 1914 a new international monument, the ring of memory was established, with the names of the 600,000 soldiers who fell in this part of France between 1914 and 1918.

8. Canadian National Vimy Memorial

The Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917 has great significance in Canada as this was when the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force took part in the same offensive for the first time.

So later the site was chosen for the Canadian war memorial , commemorating their soldiers who have no known grave.

The memorial, with its twin white pylons rising to 30 metres, was completed in 1936 and the entire site was restored 10 years ago.

Canadian students come to work at Vimy Ridge in the summers, giving tours and providing snippets of information.

What’s equally fascinating and poignant is how the trenches on the battlefield have been frozen in time with concrete.

9. Lille Sights

France’s fourth city is less than half an hour by road and has an old centre calling out to be explored.

It’s another chance to take in the unusual architecture in this part of France, with its gabled houses and mannerist flamboyance.

The Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange) needs to be your first port of call.

It is from the mid-17th century and has 24 richly ornamented houses around a central courtyard now filled with booksellers and people engrossed in chess matches.

The monument faces Grand Place which hosts vital northern institutions like the Théâtre du Nord and the Voix du Nord newspaper and yet more marvellous Flemish-style monuments.

10. Lille Culture

It’s no exaggeration to declare Lille’s Palais des Beaux-Arts one of the best French museums outside Paris.

The influence of the Low Countries is unmistakable here too, with contributions from van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens, but also earlier Dutch and Flemish painters like Dirk Bouts and Jehan Bellegambe.

Donatello, Goya, Delacroix and Courbet are all present, for a feast of art a brief road trip from Lens.

There’s also a modern art museum in the suburb of Villeneuve d’Ascq, known as the LaM. Here Picasso, Braque and Miró are all represented, but the museum stands alone for its enormous Art Brut collection, spread over five different galleries.

11. Beffroi de Béthune

In 2005 UNESCO listed 23 of the belfries in northern France and Belgium as World Heritage Sites.

This puts 12 in a 50-kilometre radius of Lens, and if you can you should consider setting off to see one or two.

Béthune is just up the road, and the belfry here dates to the 14th century, sitting alone at the centre of Grand Place.

You can consult the tourist office for in-depth information, or even book a guided tour to the top.

Stick around to hear the 35 bells of the carillon chime.

Grand Place meanwhile is as sweet as they come, with gabled houses, brasseries and cafes.

At just 18 kilometres to the south, Arras is even easier than Lille.

Lots of things combine to make this city an indispensable day out.

First off, the two main squares, Grand’ Place and Place des Héros don’t have an equivalent in France.

They’re both wrapped in gabled Flemish baroque townhouses, with arcades on ground level.

The 15th-century gothic belfry is part of that UNESCO inventory and can be scaled for sweeping panoramas, but you can also descend below the city streets to enter the “Boves”, chalk caves that have been used for storage and shelter since the 900s.

13. Beffroi de Douai

By this time you may have caught the belfry bug, so an excursion to Douai will be in order, and it’s just a few minutes west of Lens.

Douai’s 14th-century belfry is one of the most remarkable of the local UNESCO-listed belfries.

This has much to do with the carillon, which was installed in 1391 and was expanded in the 1970s to become one of the largest in Europe, with 62 bells.

Some of these bells are as old as the belfry itself.

Entrance grants you access to the viewing platform at the top, but on the way up you’ll enter the old ceremonial halls decorated with damask and tapestries or carved wooden panelling.

And you can see the carillon in action for yourself.

14. Musée de la Chartreuse de Douai

There’s so much to love about the fine arts museum in Douai.

First there’s the serene venue, which is a 16th-century renaissance palace later used by Carthusian monks before being occupied by the military after the revolution.

The richness of the art displayed inside is startling for a town of Douai’s size.

It’s not just art historians who have heard of the renaissance master Paolo Veronese or the 18th-century French still life specialist Jean Siméon Chardin.

The museum has a cache of 10,000 works, from the 17th-century Dutch school through the 19th century and artists such as Delacroix, Courbet, Camille Corot, Sisley, Pissarro and Renoir.

15. Cuisine

Knowing that Lens was part of Flanders for much of its history, there are loads of similarities with Belgian cuisine in this part of France: Chips accompany a great many dishes, and several main courses are simmered with beer.

Two classics in this style are coq à la bière and carbonade flamande.

The region around Lens has some 20 breweries, and, along with Alsace, is the only in France that maintains a tradition for beer.

Jenlain, 3 Monts and La Gloudale are three local names to look for.

Then, for a dessert or snack, waffles are sweetened with vanilla and brown sugar, and come Lille-style, in an unusual ovular shape with a finer mesh pattern than Belgian-style waffles.

15 Best Things to Do in Lens (France):

• Louvre-Lens
• Lens' 14-18 Centre d'Histoire Guerre et Paix
• Les Terrils Jumeaux, 11/19
• Église Saint-Léger
• Gare de Lens
• Nécropole Nationale de Notre-Dame-de-Lorette
• Canadian National Vimy Memorial
• Lille Sights
• Lille Culture
• Beffroi de Béthune
• Beffroi de Douai
• Musée de la Chartreuse de Douai

Lens-Liévin, le sens de l’essentiel

Besoin d'inspiration , les conseils de nos experts.

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• Où se stationner gratuitement à Lens ? Les parkings Pasteur, Salengro et Cantin (disque bleu) sont gratuits toute l’année.  Zone verte gratuite (dont parking de la République) : tous les samedis, dimanches, jours fériés, et mercredis après-midi (de 12h00 à jeudi 08h30) Guide du stationnement à Lens ici
• Comment aller au Louvre-Lens ? En voiture : parking gratuit rue Paul Bert En transports en commun : depuis la gare de Lens, Bulle 1 (arrêt « Parc Louvre-Lens » à 600m à pied du musée, passage toutes les 8 minutes) ou ligne 41 (arrêt « Louvre-Lens », rue Paul Bert à 200m du musée, passage toutes les heures ou demi-heures) Plus d’infos Depuis la gare de Lens ou le centre-ville 20/25 min à pieds, grâce au cheminement piétonnier (en vert sur notre plan ).
• Venir à Lens - Office de Tourisme Lens Lievin (tourisme-lenslievin.fr)
• Se déplacer à Lens - Office de Tourisme Lens Lievin (tourisme-lenslievin.fr)
• Comment monter sur les terrils de Loos-en-Gohelle ? L’accès est gratuit toute l’année, et peut se faire par la rue Léon Blum à Loos-en-Gohelle ou par la base du 11/19. Il faut compter 1h pour monter et descendre. Toutes les infos sur l'ascension des terrils  
• Où manger le dimanche à Lens et autour de Lens ? Retrouvez nos bonnes adresses pour manger le dimanche sur Lens-Liévin ici

Le Sens de l’Essentiel

Printemps 2024.

En 2012, le Bassin minier était inscrit sur la Liste du Patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO, reconnaissant ainsi l’histoire des mineurs au regard de celle de l’Humanité. La même année, un millésime ! ouvrait le Louvre-Lens, faisant de Lens-Liévin une nouvelle destination touristique de courts séjours culturels à 1h de Paris.  En 2023, c’est l’histoire des soldats de la Première Guerre mondiale qui est désormais reconnue, après l’inscription au Patrimoine mondial des sites mémoriels du Front Ouest de la Grande Guerre.  Lens-Liévin s’affirme désormais comme une véritable destination d’excellence où l’histoire du monde et des hommes se raconte et se vit avec beaucoup d’émotions ! 

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Northern France Cultural Heritage Cities

Reading time: 0 min Published on 4 January 2023, updated on 16 April 2024

Lens, a town that is decidedly diverse

Once known primarily for its football team and rich mining history, the city of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region is now in the spotlight for its Louvre-Lens Museum . Located at the crossroads of Europe, not far from Belgium, England and Germany, Lens is at the heart of a culturally dynamic region that boasts a strong network of museums.

Wonder at the masterpieces displayed in the Louvre-Lens, or at the scenic views from atop Europe's tallest slag heaps . Stroll through the gardens of the old mining towns, admire the charming Art Deco facades of downtown, and feel the fervour of the Sang et Or (Blood and Gold) during a Racing-Club de Lens football match . Top all this off with a tasting of local beers...

Lens is filled with surprising discoveries!

Do not miss

• The Louvre-Lens : a modern construction of glass and light that reunites a selection of the Louvre's most prestigious collections, revealing a secret side of the artwork. Take the original journey through the 120-meter Galerie du Temps (or Time Gallery), where some 205 works from the Louvre are presented in chronological order and regularly renewed ;
• The city centre, its Art Deco facades and train station : Place Jean Jaurès is the city's beating heart, with lively restaurants and bars, pretty town houses and brightly coloured businesses with large windows ;
• The Bollaert-Delelis Stadium : a remnant of the city's mining past, the stadium where the region's athletic values were forged was inaugurated in 1932. It is the proud home of the Racing-Club de Lens, a stronghold of French football that draws in crowds of fans known for their warm welcome and often voted "France's best public" ;
• The base and twin slag heaps of 11/19, part of a mining basin listed as UNESCO World Heritage : these two numbers, 11 and 19, refer to the numbers of the ancient mine wells. On site, you can visit the old 11/19 pitheads, climb the slag heaps (near-mountains of black residue from the mining process), and explore the mining town to better understand the industry and its technical evolution ;
• The Notre-Dame-de-Lorette National Necropolis : (unfortunately) made famous by the First World War, the Hill of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette was the site of terrible battles from October 1914 to October 1915. In 1925, a national cemetery was erected, along with a basilica and a lantern tower. It is France's largest military cemetery and lies opposite one of the world's biggest memorial monuments ;
• The Canadian National Vimy Memorial : this national historical site at Crête-de-Vimy is a tribute to the Canadians who fell during the First World War, and commemorates the battle of April 9, 1917. Surrounded by a 107-hectare park that includes preserved trenches, tunnels and an interpretation centre, a visit to Vimy is a veritable flashback to the Great War.
• Flemish dishes: carbonnade and potjevleesch (chicken, rabbit, pork and veal meats, cold, jellied, and normally served with fries)
• Polish specialties: smoked deli meats and pastries
• Cheeses: maroilles, mimolette, fort de Lens…
• Local beers: the famous Ch’ti and the artisanal Page 24

Getting there

• By train : the Lens railway station, 1h10 from Paris by TGV, 2h from London (via Lille), 1h30 from Brussels (via Lille)
• By plane : international airport of Lille-Lesquin, 20 mn from the town centre
• By car : A21, A1, A26 mottorways. 2 h from Paris, 1h30 from Brussels and 3h30 from London

Office de Tourisme et du Patrimoine de Lens-Liévin 58 rue de la gare 62300 Lens Tél : + 33 (0)3 21 67 66 66 Mail : [email protected]

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What to See and Do in Lens, France

Lens, France is the site of the new extension of the Louvre museum called "Louvre-Lens". If you're an art lover, you might want to plan a stop in this former coal-mining town to have a look at the sleek steel and glass museum and park on top of an old mining area.

Once a coal mining town, the Lens metropolitan area consists of a quarter million people. By the time the last mine closed in 1986, the city suffered from poverty and a high jobless rate. It is hoped that the new museum will turn Lens into a hot travel destination, much like the Guggenheim did in Bilbao in Spain .

Lens is a city in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France near the border with Belgium and close to the city of Lille . Lens is near many WWI memorials, including the closest at Vimy, where the battle of Vimy Ridge was fought, and Loos, where the Battle of Loos took place 3 miles northwest of Lens.

How to Get There

The Lens Railway Station (Gare de Lens) is a French National Heritage Site, It's an Art Deco concoction built to look like a steam locomotive. TGV trains from Dunkerque to Paris stop in Lens. Lille is 37-50 minutes away by train; the trip should cost around 11 euros.

From London, you can take the Eurostar to Lille, then the regional train to Lens.

By car on the Autoroute, Lens is about 137 miles (220km) from Paris and 17 km from Arras, the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department. The A1 gets you from Lens to Paris, the A25 to Lille.

The closest airport is found at Lille, Aéroport de Lille (LIL).

Attractions

All of the attractions listed below are very close to the Lens train station, with the exception of Louvre-lens, but for the first year at least there will be a small, free bus from the station directly to the museum, so that Lens could very well be done as a day trip from Lille or other cities nearby.

The Louvre-Lens  opened in December 2012 and displays works from the Louvre in Paris. Around 20 percent of the collection will rotate each year. Unlike the Louvre, in which the art is arranged by culture or artist, the museum at Lens will display art over time. The museum includes a landscaped park you can stroll.

The Boulevard Emile Basly , near the train station, offers some of the best examples of Art Deco in northern France.

You can find out about Lens' mining past at the Maison Syndicale on Rue Casimir Beugnet, a historic monument with documents and artifacts illuminating the history of the area.

Le Pain de la Bouche is a popular restaurant at bis rue de la gare. Bistrot du Boucher at 10 Place Jean Jaurès is also praised by many as affordable and tasty.

The Cactus Cafe on Rue Jean Letienne is legendary for its music, from traditional French to rock, jazz, blues, and folk.

Lens Market days: Tuesday, Saturday and Friday mornings.

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Heritage, history and leisure around Louvre Lens

The landscape of Lens evokes the deep history that links the French and the British. It is at the top of the Artois hills from Vimy to Notre Dame de Lorette that our countries are joined in history, that of the First World War , when the men and women of the Commonwealth came to defend their freedoms, alongside the inhabitants of the Lens-Liévin region . Those same inhabitants who, through their labour, literally shaped the landscape around Lens. The spoil tips, the headframes, the mining towns and the red bricks today bear witness to a mining history so important as to be classified a World Heritage Site: the Unesco mining basin around Lens (H2). The Lens area is also home to another treasure: the Louvre-Lens. Part of the collection of the largest museum in Paris, the Louvre, is located in Lens.

So, if the Louvre-Lens is a true must visit attraction , what else will you discover during your visit to this fascinating area, so rich in history, gastronomy and culture?

Lens centre

Your first stop is the large and friendly tourist office in the centre of the town; where you will also find a large selection of local products and produce to tempt you. An e-bike makes the perfect partner to discover the area and its attractions, and they are available to rent – at competitive rates – from the tourist office. Free route maps are available, and there is a wealth of information to ensure a great visit.

So, let’s set off on a bike ride to discover this famous triptych: the treasures of the mining basin , the Louvre-Lens and the events of The Great War . Put on your helmet, get on your bike and let’s go for a gentle ride, the electric ‘cheat’ helping all the time!

Cycling around Louvre-Lens

Art deco in the city centre.

Leaving the Lens-Liévin tourist office don’t forget to admire the facades all around you: starting with the office itself, housed in a former art deco shop, its name still visible on the entrance’s floor. Look up and wave at the gorilla that stands proudly on the façade of the famous chocolate maker Jean Claude Jeanson. Head first to the railway station , where the interior mosaics tell the story of the miners and the collieries, an art-deco treasure in red, gold and brilliant white.

Lens Art Deco©Yannick Cadart-CD62

Engineer’s house – Lens © A.Chaput Pas-de-Calais Tourisme

The miners and football supporters

On your way to the Louvre-Lens, close by you’ll find the Bollaert Stadium home of Racing Club de Lens, the Ligue 1 football team, renowned for its fanatical fans, and its fierce derby match rivalry with Lille Olympique Sporting Club. Next stop: the Louvre-Lens, and to reach it you will pass through the miner’s housing estates, with their terraced houses, garden estates and engineers’ and colliery manager’s houses; everywhere colliery rank and status is marked. The houses are positioned around the facilities necessary for their daily lives, the schools and social establishments. Look up and notice the details of the facades, where a variety of bricks provide elegant and subtle decoration. Strangely unique and yet as familiar as British mining villages such as Consett, Blaenavon, and, of course, Coalville!

Human history at the Louvre

A few assisted pedal strokes away is the Louvre-Lens museum . In a purpose-built building, opened in 2012, itself a strikingly modern, aluminium-clad contrast to the rows of neat, terraced former miners’ houses that surround its grounds, a timeline-curated collection startles with treasure from pre-history to the 19 th century. In the football-pitch sized Gallery of Time, more than 200 masterpieces from the Louvre’s collections are displayed carefully and spectacularly, taking you through 5000 years of creative excellence. At the entrance you will find a massive photographic installation, a recent acquisition that combines thousands of high-resolution photographs to create a multi-paneled visualization of Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley and its destroyed Buddha statues. At the end of your visit, you’ll find a huge painting of Napoleon, astride a horse; the emperor gazing balefully down on you.

Louvre-Lens-Timegallery © Andy Sutcliffe-Pas de calais Tourisme

Industrial scars

Slag heap-11-19 © Andy Sutcliffe-Pas de calais Tourisme

Riding e-bike-Lens Tourist Office © Andy Sutcliffe-Pas de calais Tourisme

Cycle route of the mining basin

Now, it’s time to push on to Loos en Gohelle for a last effort. We’re heading to the 11-19 base , now transformed into a place of art and cultural exchange. Here are the largest spoil heaps in Europe .

Set off on an amazing route along the towpath from Liévin. This green route offers surprises along the way. First stop at the Parc de la Glissoire, a former pithead now converted into a leisure centre. You can have a picnic there while enjoying the peace and quiet of the place and the silent fishermen …. Climb to the top of the slag heap and wind your way through the bushes; this is where the stars of the Racing Club de Lens train. From the summit, Vimy Ridge is clearly visible with the twin towers of the giant Canadian National Vimy Memorial reminding us of darker times. Then get back on your bike to discover a bucolic spot amidst the industrial scars. Take a break at the Briquette marshes, where a well-deserved rest on one of the benches will give you a chance to glimpse an amazing landscape. The last objective is Aquaterra and its park of islands. This vast green lung was designed for outdoor sports activities. Try out the sliding ring or follow the health trail, nature walks, petanque, rollerblading, etc. Enjoy the place before turning back, by bike. At the tourist office, after handing back your faithful e-bike, don’t forget to pick-up a Food Tour . This ‘planche’, or tasting board, is more than a simple Food Tour, the encounter is at the heart of the offer. You go to meet the local traders and they welcome you and advise you, giving visitors a tasty and entertaining insight into regional produce. Discover fine cheese at renowned fromagerie Philippe Olivier . In-house roasted coffee and chocolates await you at the Brûlerie du Cantin , where manager Laurent Baysse has just been awarded ‘best coffee roaster in France’! More treats await. But some things you will have to discover for yourselves.

Cycling around the memorial sites

This route for the sportier takes you to the important sites of the Western Front , from the Canadian memorial at Vimy to the Ring of Remembrance , and along the way you will pass the 14-18 Memorial and the largest national necropolis at Notre Dame de Lorette ; a route guide is available.

The ideal way to follow this route is again e-bike, it is certainly hillier, but it is well worth the effort and you will discover new views of the slag heaps as you visit iconic locations from 1914-1918.

Canadian National Vimy Memorial © Benoît Diéval

The starting point is in Souchez, at the heart of your itinerary, and you can opt for several routes. Head east and climb up to Ablain Saint Nazaire , where you will find the Notre Dame de Lorette cemetery and its basilica , the largest French cemetery in the world. Here, in 2014, the Ring of Remembrance was inaugurated to commemorate the more than 600,000 soldiers , of all nationalities, who fell in the region during The Great War. A unique, humbling and solemn spot. This ring lists in alphabetical order the men and women who gave their lives on our northern French soil. At the bottom of the hill, don’t miss the 14-18 history centre which tells the story of the Great War in photos and videos. To the west, cycle a few kilometres to Vimy . This memorial, and the Ridge, is where you will feel history all around you; were, among other things, the reconstructed trenches , craters, and bunkers of the Battle of Arras bear witness to the events of a century ago that changed the world forever. Canadian students are on hand to retell the many small stories that come together to create the big story that shook France and Great Britain and the whole world. 

During your journey, some sections are equipped with cycle paths, others are not. Be careful during your ride.

How to get to Lens?

By car: within easy distance of Calais.

By train: Eurostar to Lille and then a regional train from Lille to Lens which takes about 30 minutes.

More dynamic towns to visit

Top ten city attractions, see, do, eat and more.

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• 2 Get around

Lens is a city in Hauts-de-France , France. A former industrial city, its wealth was founded on textiles and coal mining. In 2009, the Louvre opened a branch in Lens, called - naturally enough - Louvre-Lens .

Get in [ edit ]

The town is located in the north of France, in the plain of Artois, about 15 km north of Arras, 20 km west of Douai, 27 km south-west of Lille, 90 km south  south-east of Calais and 180 km north of Paris as the crow flies.

Lens is served by the A21 motorway (called the “mining ring road”) which forms a semi-ring road to the north and east of the town and connects the city to Douai, Valenciennes and other motorways, the A1 motorway  (Paris-Lille) to the east, and the A26 (Calais-Reims) motorway to the west.

Its station is served by six TGV round trips by the LGV Nord (1 h 10 from Paris) but also by the TER Nord-Pas-de-Calais lines 6, 13, 21 and 23 going to Valenciennes, Arras, Dunkirk and Lille  (reduced to 30 minutes by Libercourt since December 9, 2007).

Public transport is provided by the Tadao company, under the authority of a mixed union which brings together the Communaupole de Lens-Liévin, the Hénin-Carvin agglomeration community, the Artois agglomeration community and the community  of communes of Nœux and surroundings.  A tram project linking Liévin to Hénin-Beaumont via Lens is planned to replace the Tadao buLLe line.  In addition, a new bus station was built in 2009.

The airport of Lens - Bénifontaine is the closest to the city, the closest airport being that of Lille-Lesquin.

Get around [ edit ]

See [ edit ].

Do [ edit ]

• Watch football: RC Lens were promoted in 2020 so they play soccer in Ligue 1, the top tier of the game in France. Their home ground is 50.4329 2.81491 1 Stade Bollaert-Delelis (capacity 38,000), 1 km northwest of the railway station.
• 50.40142 2.73949 2 Center for the History of the Memorial 14-18 Notre-Dame-de-Lorette . At the foot of the hill of Lorette, in Souchez, in the middle of the old battlefields, a building with an original architecture by Pierre-Louis Faloci, made of black concrete and glass, accommodates the Center d'Histoire du Mémorial.  14-18 Here, emblematic objects, high-quality unpublished photographs, period films and animated maps provide an understanding of the extent of the conflict in Nord Pas-de-Calais during World War I. More than 300 large-scale photographs  format, official or anonymously taken by the soldiers, plunge us into the reality of this appalling war. This historical content of the place was prepared by an international scientific committee headed by historian Yves Le Maner. ( updated Oct 2023 )
• Escape Bollaert: An escape game in the heart of the Bollaert-Delelis stadium is the Blood and Gold adventure that Lens-Liévin Tourisme, in partnership with the Racing Club de Lens, offers you to experience: not only will you be happy to enter the  Bollaert stadium, but in addition you will be proud to have come out!  Will you be able to escape the players' locker room or track down the club president?

Buy [ edit ]

• 50.42549 2.714 1 Brasserie Saint Germain , 26 route d'Arras ( Aix-Noulette ), ☏ +33 3 21 72 24 24 . Craft beers brewed on site. Sale of spirits including whiskeys distilled on site. ( updated Oct 2023 )

Eat [ edit ]

Drink [ edit ], sleep [ edit ], connect [ edit ].

As of June 2022, Lens has 5G with all French carriers.

Go next [ edit ]

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Top Things to Do in Lens, France - Lens Must-See Attractions

Things to do in lens, tours near lens.

Full Day Private Canadian Battlefields Tour from Arras

The Battle of the Somme Guided Day Tour from Arras

Australian - Out in the Somme Day Tour - from Arras

Private Tour of the WW1 Somme Battlefields from ARRAS

1 day Canadian WW1 private tour including Vimy Ridge

Unique Tour of Lille by Convertible 2CV - 1h00

Lille : Private Custom Tour with a Local Guide

Fromelles and Ypres Day Tour from Arras and Lille

Lille Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour

1 Hour Private Lille Tour by Convertible 2CV with a Local Products Tasting

Top attractions in lens.

Other Top Attractions around Lens

What travellers are saying

THE 10 BEST Things to Do in Lens

Things to do in lens, tours near lens.

Full Day Private Canadian Battlefields Tour from Arras

The Battle of the Somme Guided Day Tour from Arras

Australian - Out in the Somme Day Tour - from Arras

Private Tour of the WW1 Somme Battlefields from ARRAS

1 day Canadian WW1 private tour including Vimy Ridge

Unique Tour of Lille by Convertible 2CV - 1h00

Lille : Private Custom Tour with a Local Guide

Fromelles and Ypres Day Tour from Arras and Lille

Lille Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour

1 Hour Private Lille Tour by Convertible 2CV with a Local Products Tasting

Top attractions in lens.

Other Top Attractions around Lens

What travellers are saying

Top Things to Do in Lens, France - Lens Must-See Attractions

Things to do in lens, tours near lens.

Full Day Private Canadian Battlefields Tour from Arras

The Battle of the Somme Guided Day Tour from Arras

Australian - Out in the Somme Day Tour - from Arras

Private Tour of the WW1 Somme Battlefields from ARRAS

1 day Canadian WW1 private tour including Vimy Ridge

Unique Tour of Lille by Convertible 2CV - 1h00

Lille : Private Custom Tour with a Local Guide

Fromelles and Ypres Day Tour from Arras and Lille

Lille Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour

1 Hour Private Lille Tour by Convertible 2CV with a Local Products Tasting

Top attractions in lens.

Other Top Attractions around Lens

What travellers are saying

The Louvre Museum in Lens

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the pas-de-calais.

Inaugurated in 2012, the Louvre Museum in Lens is located at the heart of a mining basin in northern france, on the former site of Lens mining pit no. 9, near the A1, A21 and A26 motorways, and the TGV train station. A resolutely contemporary and bright glass building, it stands at the heart of a 20-hectare landscaped park, covering an area of 28,000 m² including 7,000 m² of exhibition space.

The museum does not have its own collections but displays works from the collections of the Louvre Museum in Paris , as well as temporary exhibitions.

The centrepiece of the museum, the Great Gallery, is 120 metres long and covers 3,000 m². This vast space is devoted to the Louvre's semi-permanent collections, with the exhibits regularly updated. The elegant display and absence of walls separating the works contribute to a free-flowing visitor experience.

A place for more in-depth exploration, the Glass Pavilion has transparent walls and hosts annual themed exhibitions, with the park providing a lovely backdrop conducive to rest and reflection.

Guided tours, creative technique workshops for beginners, and workshop-tours for children are regularly organised at the Louvre Museum in Lens.

A place of relaxation and leisure, the museum park is free to enter every day, from 7 am to 9 pm between mid-May and mid-September, and from 8 am to 7 pm between mid-September and mid-May.

Visit ideas nearby

Related articles The Louvre Museum in Lens

Lens tourism and travel guide

Photo is of Arras Carriere Wellington at 17 km from Lens

Visit Lens: highlights and tourist information

Lens is situated in the Pas-de-Calais department and Hauts-de-France region.

Below you can see some of the places that we have visited and reviewed and can recommend when you are sightseeing close to Lens in Hauts-de-France.

Popular places to visit nearby include Arras Carriere Wellington at 17 km and Arras at 17 km.

Lens, France: places to visit and attractions

Note that all distances below are 'direct' and real driving distances will be greater!

Arras Carriere Wellington

Aire-sur-la-Lys

Les Jardins de Sericourt

Saint-Amand-les-Eaux

... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Pas-de-Calais

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Map of places to visit near lens, markets in and near lens.

Market days in Lens: weekly market: Tuesday & Saturday & Friday;

• Lens: market Tuesday & Saturday & Friday (0km)
• Avion: market Thursday (2km)
• Lievin: market Wednesday & Sunday (4km)
• Harnes: market Thursday (5km)
• Billy-Montigny: market Sunday (6km)
• Grenay: market Tuesday (7km)
• Henin-Beaumont: market Tuesday & Friday (8km)
• Bully-les-Mines: market Thursday (8km)
• Courrieres: market Wednesday (9km)
• Carvin: market Saturday (11km)

More information about Lens, Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Tourist attractions near lens, france.

What to do at Lens? Some places with official tourist classifications and other places of interest to visit nearby that should provide inspiration if you are visiting Lens.

Heritage sites

• Beffroi et hôtel de ville d'Arras (Belfries of Belgium and France) (16km)
• Arras citadelle (Vauban fortifications) (17km)
• Beffroi de Béthune (Belfries of Belgium and France) (18km)
• Beffroi de Douai (Belfries of Belgium and France) (19km)
• Beffroi de Loos (Belfries of Belgium and France) (24km)
• Beffroi de Lille (Belfries of Belgium and France) (28km)
• Beffroi d'Armentières (Belfries of Belgium and France) (29km)
• Beffroi de Bailleul (Belfries of Belgium and France) (35km)
• Beffroi d'Aire-sur-la-Lys (Belfries of Belgium and France) (39km)
• Beffroi de Comines (Belfries of Belgium and France) (39km)
• Beffroi de Lucheux (Belfries of Belgium and France) (39km)
• Beffroi de Cambrai (Belfries of Belgium and France) (40km)
• Beffroi de Doullens (Belfries of Belgium and France) (46km)

Recommended detour towns (fr: plus beau détour)

• Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (42km)

Regional Natural Parcs

• Scarpe-Escaut (41km)

Churches and religious monuments

• Cathédrale Notre Dame de La Treille (Lille) (28km)
• Eglise de Notre Dame de Vaucelles (Les Rues-des-Vignes) (49km)

Remarkable gardens

• Le parc Barbieux (36km)
• Parc du château de Sericourt (40km)
• Le jardin du Manoir-aux-Loups (45km)
• La ferme du mont des Récollets (48km)

Protected historical centre (fr: secteur sauvegardé)

(see also historical French towns )

• Lille (28km)

Sites of natural beauty

• Réserve naturelle régionale du Marais de Wagnonville (17km)
• Réserve naturelle du Jardin écologique du Vieux-Lille (29km)
• Réserve naturelle régionale de la Tourbière de Vred (29km)
• Réserve naturelle régionale du Pré des Nonnettes (30km)
• Les Prés du Hem (30km)
• Réserve naturelle nationale des étangs du Romelaëre (55km)

Towns of Art and history

• Arras (17km)
• Roubaix (38km)
• Cambrai (41km)
• Saint-Omer (54km)

Villages in bloom 4* (fr: ville fleurie)

• Wattignies (23km)
• Wasquehal (34km)
• Mastaing (36km)
• Tourcoing (40km)
• Boubers-sur-Canche (45km)

Zoo and/or wildlife park

• Parc zoologique de Lille (28km)

Geography and distances

Lens is in the north of France at 16 kilometres from Arras, the department capital (general information: Lens is 178 kilometres from Paris).

Geographical Information

Commune: Lens

Canton: Lens

Arrondissement: Lens

Department: Pas-de-Calais

Region: Nord-Pas-de-Calais

New region: Hauts-de-France

Postcode: 62300

Distance to Lens

from Arras (prefecture): 16 km

from Paris: 178 km

from Calais: 90 km

from Nice: 820 km

from Bordeaux: 672 km

from Strasbourg: 410 km

Getting here

For driving distances to Lens from anywhere in France see driving distances and route planner .

We have 20 other places listed as being close (less than kilometres from ): Acheville , Angres , Annay , Avion , Billy-Montigny , Bois-Bernard , Eleu-Dit-Leauwette , Estevelles , Fouquieres-les-Lens , Givenchy-en-Gohelle , Harnes , Hulluch , Lievin , Loison-sous-Lens , Loos-en-Gohelle , Mericourt , Noyelles-sous-Lens , Rouvroy , Sallaumines and Vendin-le-Vieil .

This page in French: Visiter Lens

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Lens in Northern France | a city reinvented

• Guest writer
• Nord-Pas de Calais

Lens in the Nord department, a few kilometres south east of Bethune and just to the north of Arras was for three centuries a major production area for the coal mining industry. When production ceased in the late 20 th century, Lens for a while, had an air of dejection. Today, that’s certainly completely changed, however, sections of the coal mining industry have been preserved for posterity serving as educational and cultural reminders of the once great industry that contributed so much to the French economy.

UNESCO listed slagheaps

Any visitor to Lens won’t fail to spot the vast slag waste heaps that dominate the regional landscape. There are 51 of them. The sight is quite spectacular and forms part of a new artistic culture that has brought regeneration to the area. They’ve even achieved UNESCO world heritage status. Unesco defines the region as an “organically evolved” cultural landscape, part of a list of “distinct geographical areas or properties uniquely representing the combined work of nature and of man”.

The coal slag piles are constantly monitored by specialist engineers. They are quite safe and accessible for climbing. I walked right to the top of one and admired the breath-taking views over the surrounding countryside from the summit. It was a clear day and the Belgium coast could be seen in the distance. The man-made terrain has a rough and grainy substance that is easy to walk on. Entrance is free and takes around an hour and half for the climb and return.

There are other reminders of the days of the mines. Mining pits, workers cottages and mining villages, an original cast iron lift shaft. They form a powerful component and symbol of what has now been transformed into an imposing, landscaped art form. And a tourist attraction.

The slag heaps are becoming transformed by vegetation, trees and plants, even vines. One has become a dry ski slope.

You don’t have to take a guided tour but they are offered at Base 11/19 de Loos-en-Gohelle.

Lens Louvre Museum

Lens is also the base for an annex of the prestigious Louvre museum in Paris. The glass and aluminium art gallery, very different from the Paris museum, is a vast and imposing sight. It stands in grounds landscaped to represent the old coal mining fields as an artistic statement. The ‘Louvre-Lens’ museum displays artworks from its parent in Paris on a regular exchange basis. Entrance to the museum is free. Read more about: Lens-Louvre Museum

Lens town and around

Pop into the town for something to eat and drink, there are plenty of friendly cafés. And the art deco train station is well worth a look. Built to resemble a steam train, it is a listed National Heritage Site.

Lens is close to many sites including Vimy Ridge, the Ring of Memory and Notre Dame de Lorette also known as Ablain St.-Nazaire French Military Cemetery.

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