Mines de Beffrois

Le blog touristique du bassin minier

Author: f.deschodt@gmail.com

  • The Wellington Quarry in Arras: go underground in the footsteps of the soldiers of 14-18

    There are 20 meters under the cobblestones of Arras, another world awaits you. The Wellington Quarry is one of the most moving memorial sites in our region.

    In 1916, New Zealand tunnel boring machines dug and connected the ancient medieval quarries of Arras to create a network of underground galleries capable of housing up to 24,000 soldiers. On April 9, 1917, these men emerged to the surface to launch the Battle of Arras. Many did not come back.

    Today, this place of memory opens its doors every day, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The visits are only guided (with guide and audio guide), which guarantees an immersive and educational experience. We descend 20 meters, helmet on our heads, and we discover the dormitories, the inscriptions left on the walls, the soldiers’ daily objects.

    Currently, a special exhibition on “personal memory” is offered to families until April 26. An additional opportunity to live an extraordinary experience with your children.

    Whether you are passionate about history or simply curious, the Wellington Quarry is an experience that leaves no one indifferent. A must for memory tourism in Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

    📍 Carrière Wellington — Rue Delétoile, 62000 Arras

    📅 Open every day 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Family exhibition until April 26, 2026

    🔗 More info: careerewellington.com

  • Beer Festival in Arras: craft beers take over the Grand’ Place

    On May 2 and 3, 2026, the spectacular Grand’ Place d’Arras is transformed into a temple of craft beer. The Beer Festival returns for a weekend of celebration and discovery.

    Imagine: dozens of brewers – local, regional, and perhaps a few from further afield – setting up their stands under the magnificent Flemish facades of one of the most beautiful squares in France. Blonde, dark, red, ales, stouts, seasonal beers… for all tastes and all occasions.

    Nord-Pas-de-Calais is traditionally a land of beer. La Ch’ti, la Choulette, the beers of Gayant: the region has always known how to brew good things. And in recent years, a new wave of local micro-breweries has been renewing the genre with talent and passion.

    The Arras Beer Festival is the perfect opportunity to meet them, taste their creations and support the local economy. A friendly outing, ideal with friends or family for older children.

    Arras is easily accessible from Lens, Douai, or even Lille by train. Take the opportunity to stroll through the historic center before or after the festival!

    📍Large’ Place d’Arras — 62000 Arras

    📅 Saturday May 2 and Sunday May 3, 2026

    🔗 More information: arraspaysdartois.com

  • Soup Festival in Monchy-Breton: a bowl of artesian conviviality

    In the villages of the Pays d’Artois, local festivals have something authentic and precious. This Sunday, April 19, 2026, Monchy-Breton is celebrating its traditional Soup Festival.

    It’s the kind of event that warms the heart as much as the stomach. Locals and visitors come together to share local recipes, often passed down from generation to generation. The soup, a modest and generous dish, is elevated here to the rank of symbol of artesian conviviality.

    Monchy-Breton is a small village located in Pas-de-Calais, a few kilometers from Arras. This type of event is the perfect opportunity to discover the villages of the mining basin in a different way: far from the classic tourist circuits, closer to the local people and their traditions.

    If you’re looking for a simple, warm and real Sunday outing — this is exactly it. And then, let’s admit it: a good homemade soup on Sunday lunch, there’s nothing better.

    Share the information with your neighbors and friends in the area: this type of party lives thanks to the people who come!

    📍 Monchy-Breton — Pas-de-Calais (Pays d’Artois)

    📅 Sunday April 19, 2026

    🔗 More information: arraspaysdartois.com

  • Zero Waste Week: give a second life to your objects in the Hénin-Carvin Agglomeration

    What if your “waste” became someone else’s wealth? This is the challenge of Zero Gaspi Week, which takes place from April 20 to 25, 2026 in the recycling centers of the Hénin-Carvin urban area.

    For six days, the Agglo highlights reuse and waste reduction. Activities are organized to raise awareness among residents: how to sort better, how to give a second life to objects, how to consume differently.

    On the practical side, collection points for objects in good condition will be set up to allow their redistribution rather than their destruction. Furniture, clothes, books, appliances… rather than throwing away, consider depositing!

    This citizen initiative is part of the sustainable development policy carried out by the Agglo Hénin-Carvin, a territory which makes the ecological transition a priority. The mining area, a land of tradition and solidarity, has always known how to promote what has value — including everyday objects.

    Take the opportunity to do some spring sorting at home and participate in this collective momentum. Every gesture counts!

    📍 Agglo Hénin-Carvin recycling centers — Several municipalities

    📅 From April 20 to 25, 2026

    🔗 More information: agglo-henincarvin.fr

  • Aquaterra: a week of nature activities to end your vacation in style

    Spring vacation is ending soon, but nature is still here. And at Aquaterra, the Hénin-Beaumont environment center, the week of April 20 to 24 promises great discoveries for families.

    On the program for these five days:

    Monday April 20 — “The Princess and the Frog at the Pond”: observation of amphibians at the water’s edge
    Tuesday April 21 — “Seeds to sow”: gardening and botany workshop for children
    Wednesday, April 22 — “Winged Parade” at Aquaterra, and “What is this seed? » in Noyelles-Godault
    Thursday April 23 — “Silence… things move in the reeds”: discovery of wetland fauna
    Friday April 24 — “Explorers of the Living World”: a morning of curiosity and exploration

    Aquaterra is an old wasteland converted into an educational and natural space, at the entrance to the Parc des Îles. A free place, accessible to families, where children discover local biodiversity through workshops supervised by passionate facilitators.

    Hours during school holidays: Tuesday to Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. FREE ENTRANCE. Don’t forget the right shoes!

    📍 Aquaterra — 1573 boulevard des Frères Leterme, 62110 Hénin-Beaumont

    📅 From April 20 to 24, 2026 — Free entry

    🔗 More information: agglo-henincarvin.fr

  • The 9-9bis of Oignies questions mining risk in a new exhibition

    At the heart of the mining basin, the 9-9bis site in Oignies continues to honor the memory of the miners with a new exhibition open since April 4, 2026.

    It is called “Going back to the day, living with risk, questioning the limits”. Its title says it all: it explores what it meant, for a miner, to go down to the bottom every morning and come back up in the evening – knowing that nothing was ever guaranteed. Risk was part of everyday life, of the profession, of identity.

    The exhibition is visible from Wednesday to Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and entry is free. It will be present until December 6, 2026, so you have time to discover it.

    And if you want to go further, guided tours of the site are always offered at €3. A heritage mediator takes you to explore the rooms of the hanged, the machine building and the other remarkable buildings of this site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012.

    The 9-9bis is much more than a museum: it is a living place, a place where the history of our families in the mining area takes on its full meaning. A visit to take, to share, to pass on.

    📍 9-9bis — Rue Alain Bashung, 62590 Oignies

    📅 April 4 – December 6, 2026 — Wed-Sun 2 p.m.-6 p.m. — Free entry

    🔗 More information: 9-9bis.com

  • The Comédie-Française at the Louvre-Lens: a free exhibition not to be missed

    Did you know that the “Maison de Molière” has a collection of paintings and sculptures that are often unknown to the general public? The Louvre-Lens is currently exhibiting it, and it’s completely free.

    Since February 14 and until December 7, 2026, the museum’s Mezzanine space (level -1) will host around twenty works from the Comédie-Française collections. Portraits of famous actors, sculpted busts, sets: so many pieces that tell the story of this theatrical institution founded in 1680.

    The scenography is particularly successful: it is directly inspired by theater sets. We enter the exhibition as we go on stage. It’s fun, accessible, perfect for introducing children to the history of French theater.

    Take advantage of it during your visit to the Louvre-Lens: entry to this space is free and free, without a ticket. You can continue with the Galerie du Temps, also free, for a complete cultural day without spending a cent.

    A great opportunity to discover a part of our national artistic heritage, here, a stone’s throw from our home in Lens.

    📍 Louvre-Lens — 99 rue Paul Bert, 62300 Lens — Espace Mezzanine (-1)

    📅 From February 14 to December 7, 2026 — Free entry

    🔗 More information: presse.louvrelens.fr

  • The Louvre-Lens takes us to the land of the Thousand and One Nights

    The Louvre-Lens opens the doors to a fabulous world this spring. Until July 20, 2026, the exhibition “Beyond the Arabian Nights. Stories of orientalisms” awaits you in Lens.

    Imagine nearly 300 major works brought together in the museum: paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, miniatures… All celebrate this dream of the Orient which has fascinated Western artists for centuries. Great masters rub shoulders with contemporary artists, from the 17th century to today.

    The exhibition explores the multiple perspectives on the Orient: sometimes exotic, sometimes fantasized, often misunderstood. It invites us to think about how the arts have constructed — and deconstructed — these images. A rich journey, accessible to all, which combines wonder and reflection.

    And the setting is not insignificant: the Louvre-Lens, with its large, bright galleries and modern architecture, offers a perfect setting for this trip. The museum is easily accessible by train from Lille, Arras or Douai. Entrance to the temporary exhibition is chargeable, the Galerie du Temps remains free.

    For families, special activities are offered on weekends and during school holidays. Do not hesitate to consult the complete program on the museum website before your visit.

    An exhibition not to be missed in our mining area this summer. Share the information with your loved ones and prepare your visit now!

    📍 Louvre-Lens — 99 rue Paul Bert, 62300 Lens

    📅 Until July 20, 2026

    🔗 More information: www.louvrelens.fr

  • Arras Local Wine Fair: three days for lovers of good wines

    From April 24 to 26, 2026, the city of Arras hosts the Salon des Vins de Terroir. An unmissable event for lovers of French wine, in the heart of the magnificent Arrageoise Grand Place.

    Independent winegrowers, family estates and local producers will be present to taste their vintages. Wines from the South-West, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire Valley… the diversity of French appellations will be in the spotlight for three days.

    The Salon des Vins de Terroir is above all a friendly atmosphere where you take the time to chat with the producers, to understand what is in your glass, and to leave with a few favorite bottles under your arm. Ideal for preparing your purchases before the spring holidays or simply for having a good time.

    Arras, with its monumental squares listed as UNESCO World Heritage, offers an exceptional setting for this event. Take the opportunity to visit the town, climb the belfry or stroll through the streets of old Arras.

    For the program and opening hours: Arras Pays d’Artois Tourisme.

    To your glasses! And don’t forget to designate a driver to take you home!

  • Béthune Rétro 2026: the biggest rockabilly festival in the north of Paris is back

    Mark a red cross in your diary for August 28, 29 and 30, 2026: Béthune Rétro returns for its 23rd edition! The town center of Béthune will once again be transformed into a time machine, heading back to the 1950s and 60s.

    For three days, all of Béthune lives to the rhythm of rockabilly, swing and rock’n’roll. On the program:

    47 free concerts on several open-air stages in the city’s streets and squares
    A vintage market with retro clothing, accessories, vinyls and 50s decor
    Exhibitions of vintage cars: hot rods, American convertibles and vintage European vehicles
    A competition of elegance for the most beautiful models
    A unique atmosphere: residents and visitors dress up in costumes, hairdressers offer retro cuts, the windows play the game

    It’s the largest rockabilly festival north of Paris, completely free, and it’s in Béthune — just a few kilometers from the mining basin. A golden opportunity for a memorable outing with family or friends.

    To follow the news of the festival and its upcoming program: official website of the City of Béthune.

    Take out the polka dot skirts and cowboy boots — Béthune Rétro is the place for summer!

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