The Louvre-Lens stands on the site of a former coal mine; the museum displays part of the Louvre collections. This site brings together one of the distinctive features of Nord Pas De Calais: industrial history and art meet on the same grounds. The Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 30, 2012. For your trip, it offers a concrete introduction to a region where mining history, cities and coastal landscapes have different discoveries in store.

A mining landscape with many facets

The mining basin includes spoil heaps, fields, subsided ponds and forests, as well as headframes, canals, railway lines and conveyor belts. Workers’ housing, mining villages and places of remembrance are also part of this landscape. Technical infrastructure, settlements and memorial sites stand side by side. The area illustrates the large-scale development of coal mining in the 19th and 20th centuries.

At the Louvre-Lens, you can combine this history with a museum visit: the museum is located on the site of a former coal mine and displays part of the Louvre collections. The mining heritage extends beyond individual buildings to encompass an entire cultural landscape.

Cities and architecture across different eras

The state’s cathedral heritage in Hauts-de-France includes Amiens, Arras, Beauvais, Soissons and Cambrai. In Lille, Flemish-influenced façades define the Grand Place; the Vieille Bourse is an example of 17th-century Flemish Renaissance architecture. Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille combines Neo-Gothic and contemporary design. The Hospice Comtesse is housed in buildings belonging to a former hospital founded in the 15th century.

Roubaix also makes a former use part of the museum experience: at the La Piscine museum, works of art are arranged around a former swimming pool with a glass roof. The presentation interprets the spirit of the complex from the 1930s. In Wambrechies, a distillery has been operating for more than 200 years and is listed as a historic monument; its architecture represents the industrial architecture of the late 19th century. These places offer further perspectives on the built heritage, complementing the major city squares and cathedrals.

Coast, estuary and dunes

The coast of Hauts-de-France stretches for 210 kilometers and includes four port locations, protected coastal areas and recreational facilities for visitors. Along the Picardy coast, chalk cliffs between Ault and Mers-les-Bains are part of the landscape, as are pebble beaches. A coastal section in the Baie de Somme area includes nearly 20 kilometers of sandy beach, suitable for sailing, kitesurfing, kayaking, sand yachting and walks along the shore.

The estuary of the Baie de Somme covers about 3,000 hectares. In the Mollières, pré-salé sheep graze; in the Marquenterre, dunes form as sand gradually advances inland. The sandbanks attract seals, and wetland pools attract waterbirds and migratory birds. Rabbits live in the dunes, where maritime pines and marram grass grow. In this coastal landscape, water, grazing land and dunes meet, while each area retains its own character.

Walking and regional discoveries

Hauts-de-France has around 180,000 kilometers of marked and maintained trails, including GR, GRP and PR routes. They provide access to forests, nature reserves and mining landscapes. The GR120 follows the coast’s beaches for 284 kilometers; near the Slack dunes, walks lead through pine forests, reed beds and the foreshore. The regional Points-noeuds trail network connects routes with Flemish-influenced estaminets and hop fields. Around Compiègne, forest walks extend across approximately 15,000 hectares; Raismes and Saint-Amand are associated with local mineral waters.

Rail connections also vary along the Picardy coast: Noyelles-sur-Mer and Rue have national rail services, while Cayeux, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy are served by a tourist railway. Check the timetables before traveling. Calais offers access to Hauts-de-France via the Eurotunnel or ferry.

The region’s culinary range also extends from long-standing traditions to avant-garde cuisine. Modern bistros and high-end pâtisseries are among the different facets of its gastronomy. Alongside the contrasts between the mining landscape, urban architecture and coast, Nord Pas De Calais offers a range of themes to inspire your own trip.

Discover more destinations: Nord, Pas-De-Calais, Renty, Burgundy, Corsica, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Limousin.

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