Mines de Beffrois

Le blog touristique du bassin minier

Author: Luc Hermes

  • Visible Storage Tour at the Louvre-Lens — Behind the Scenes of the Museum Revealed

    🖼️ Visible Storage Tour at the Louvre-Lens

    📅 From 29 March to 31 December 2026
    📍 Louvre-Lens, 99 Rue Valentin Looi, 62300 Lens

    From the Louvre-Lens reception hall, a staircase leads to the museum’s behind-the-scenes areas. The visible storage is a unique space where works are presented thematically, outside the usual display paths.

    It’s an exceptional opportunity to see how a museum conserves, studies and exhibits its collections. Paintings, sculptures, art objects: the reserves offer an unprecedented look at the richness of the Louvre’s collections.

    A visit that changes perspective — here, you don’t just look at the works, you also understand the invisible work that makes it possible to present them to the public.

    Practical info: Included in the Louvre-Lens visit. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm.

    🔗 More info on tourisme-lens.fr

  • Vimy Ridge Underground Tunnels Tours — In the Footsteps of Canadian Soldiers

    🪖 Vimy Ridge Underground Tunnels Tours

    📅 From 31 January to 30 September 2026
    📍 Canadian Memorial of Vimy — Vimy (62580, Pas-de-Calais)

    Canadian student guides take you to discover the preserved trench system of the First World War. These tours immerse you in the history of the soldiers who lived and fought in these underground tunnels over a hundred years ago.

    Vimy Ridge is one of the most impressive memorial sites in Pas-de-Calais. The preserved trenches, underground tunnels and the Canadian commemorative monument tell a poignant story of courage and sacrifice.

    A moving and educational visit, ideal for families, school groups and anyone who wishes to understand the history of the Great War on site.

    Practical info: Free guided tours, by reservation. The site is accessible from April to October for underground tunnel guided tours.

    🔗 More info on tourisme-lens.fr

  • The Comédie-Française at the Louvre-Lens — Theatre Takes Over the Mining Basin

    🎭 The Comédie-Française at the Louvre-Lens

    📅 From 14 February to 7 December 2026
    📍 Louvre-Lens, 99 Rue Valentin Looi, 62300 Lens

    The Comédie-Française, the oldest theatre company still active in France, takes up residence at the Louvre-Lens for an exceptional season! From classical repertoire to contemporary creations, discover the best of French theatre in the unique setting of the Lens museum.

    This is a rare opportunity to see the sociétaires of the Comédie-Française on stage in the mining basin. A programme that showcases the great works of the repertoire, performed by the actors of the house of Molière.

    The Louvre-Lens thus confirms its cultural vocation for the entire territory — art is not just a Parisian affair!

    Practical info: Reservations recommended. Check performance dates and prices on the Louvre-Lens website.

    🔗 More info on tourisme-lens.fr

  • Exhibition Land Art Mon Amour — Video Art and Photography at the Louvre-Lens

    🌿 Exhibition “Land Art, Mon Amour!” at the Louvre-Lens

    📅 From 5 June to 26 August 2026
    📍 Louvre-Lens, 99 Rue Valentin Looi, 62300 Lens

    This video and photography exhibition, conceived by choreographer Sarah Nouveau, explores the links between art and landscape. Land Art — art that uses nature as its canvas and material — takes on a sensitive and contemporary dimension here.

    Video and photographic works invite you to rediscover the landscape, to see nature as a space of creation and contemplation. The exhibition resonates particularly in the mining basin, where slag heaps and reclaimed landscapes have become works of art in their own right.

    An invitation to look differently at the territory around us — a territory transformed by human hands and then returned to nature.

    Practical info: Included in the Louvre-Lens visit. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm. Closed on Mondays.

    🔗 More info on tourisme-lens.fr

  • Exhibition Silence After Impact — War Ruins Photography at the Louvre-Lens

    📸 Exhibition “Silence After Impact” at the Louvre-Lens

    📅 From 2 May to 30 August 2026
    📍 Louvre-Lens, 99 Rue Valentin Looi, 62300 Lens

    The exhibition “Silence After Impact. War Ruins Photography” explores the photography of war ruins, from the First World War to the present day. Through a poignant visual journey, discover how photographers have captured the silence of landscapes devastated by conflict.

    From bombed-out Picardy to contemporary ruins, this exhibition questions our relationship with the memory of destroyed places. The images, often silent and striking, confront us with the aftermath — when the din of weapons has ceased and only the visual echo of destruction remains.

    A powerful reflection on war, memory and landscape, in a museum itself located in the heart of the mining basin, a territory marked by conflict.

    Practical info: Entry to the temporary exhibition pavilion. Check times and prices on the Louvre-Lens website.

    🔗 More info on tourisme-lens.fr

  • The Mining Basin & RCL at the Cinema — When Football Meets the Silver Screen

    🎬 The Mining Basin & RCL at the Cinema

    📅 From 20 June to 6 September 2026
    📍 Lens Tourist Office — Place Jean Jaurès, 62300 Lens

    When Racing Club de Lens takes the stage! RCL doesn’t just thrill a stadium: it also inspires cinema. This exhibition-screening dives into the intertwined history of Lens football and filmmaking in the mining basin.

    Through archive images, testimonies and screenings, relive the great moments of RCL and the mining basin as seen by filmmakers. It’s an opportunity to understand how football and mining culture have become entwined to forge the identity of an entire region.

    A rich programme combining sport, memory and cinema — perfect for summer in Lens!

    Practical info: Open Wednesday to Sunday. Check opening times on the Lens Tourist Office website.

    🔗 More info on tourisme-lens.fr

  • 48th Garlic Fair of Locon — A Sunday in the Countryside Between Traditions and Flavours

    🧄 48th Garlic Fair of Locon

    📅 Sunday 23 August 2026
    📍 Locon (62400, Pas-de-Calais)

    The 48th Garlic Fair of Locon is a true Sunday in the countryside! Sale of garlic braids, onions and shallots by local producers, vintage tractors, Trait du Nord horses, farrier demonstrations and the famous Loconoise soup.

    This year’s theme is “Peasant of the World.” You’ll discover artisans at work with their exhibitions and sales, painters in the streets, and the magnificent vintage tractors. From 11:30am, watch the gestures of yesteryear: 1950s threshing, bean sorting and wheat threshing.

    Flavour-wise, don’t miss the famous Loconoise garlic soup, a traditional recipe that warms hearts. The Trait du Nord horses will also be on hand for demonstrations of strength and elegance.

    This is an authentic country fair, a unique moment to rediscover the taste of simple things and peasant know-how.

    Practical info: Free admission. Food available on site. Parking signposted at the village entrance.

    🔗 Full programme on foirealail.fr

  • Ducasse of Béthune — The traditional funfair on the first weekend of August

    🎉 Ducasse of Béthune — Traditional Funfair

    📅 From 1st to 2 August 2026
    📍 Béthune (Pas-de-Calais)

    The Ducasse of Béthune is THE traditional event on the first weekend of August in the mining basin! Rides, game stalls, candy floss and a festive atmosphere await young and old alike in the heart of the city.

    This funfair is a true institution in the region. Every year, showpeople set up in town for two days of spectacle and entertainment. Ferris wheel, bumper cars, shooting galleries and of course the unmissable candy floss and churros: there’s something for everyone!

    The Ducasse of Béthune is an authentic Northern funfair — a traditional fair with many ride operators and the warm, friendly atmosphere typical of Pas-de-Calais.

    It’s also an opportunity to discover the town of Béthune, its UNESCO-listed belfry and its lively streets during this festive week.

    Practical info: Free access to the surroundings. Rides and stalls have their own prices. Come with family or friends for a truly Northern convivial moment!

    🔗 More info on fetes-et-foires.com

  • Les Petits Bonheurs Festival – Street Art in Freedom in Bethune-Bruay

    All summer 2026
    Bethune and Bruay-La-Buissiere

    The Les Petits Bonheurs Festival takes over the streets of Bethune and Bruay-La-Buissiere all summer! Street art works, created by renowned artists in collaboration with people with disabilities, transform the city into an open-air gallery.

    Collages, anamorphoses, graffiti: each creation is the result of a meeting between a creator of happiness and a professional artist. The result is surprising, colorful and touching. Stroll through the streets of Bethune and discover these ephemeral works that celebrate creativity in all its forms.

    Feel free to take photos with the creations and share them! An artistic parcours accessible to all, free and outdoors.

    More info: Bethune-Bruay Tourist Office

  • First Sunday of August at 9-9bis – Cyanotype, Tour and Free Concert

    Sunday, August 3, 2026
    9-9bis, Rue Alain Bashung, Oignies

    Every first Sunday of the month, the 9-9bis offers a special program around the exhibition “Remonter au jour”! On the program for Sunday, August 3:

    Initiation to cyanotype (10am, teens/adults): discover this 19th-century photographic process that produces blue prints. Create your own artwork from the exhibition photographs. 10 euros / 5 euros for subscribers.

    Emotional tour (10:30am, ages 3-6): toddlers explore the exhibition through emotions. 3 euros per child.

    Cyanotype for ages 6-12 (4:30pm): a creative workshop for children around solar photography. 5 euros per child.

    Concert by Maxime Mouquet (5:30pm): the singer performs his intense songs in the ecosystem of the exhibition. Free, registration recommended.

    Guided tour of the exhibition (4:30pm, 45 min): a mediator gives you the keys to understanding “Remonter au jour”. Free.

    More info: 9-9bis

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