Mines de Beffrois

Le blog touristique du bassin minier

Author: Luc Hermes

  • Urban Beach in Bruay-La-Buissière — Family Summer from 24 July to 9 August

    Urban Beach in Bruay-La-Buissiere — Family Summer from 24 July to 9 August

    📅 From 24 July to 9 August 2026
    📍 Bruay-La-Buissiere (location confirmed on the town hall website)

    The Bruay-La-Buissiere urban beach is back for summer! Sandpits, water games, inflatable structures and activities for children: everything you need for a great holiday without leaving the mining basin.

    Every year, the town of Bruay-La-Buissiere transforms a green space into a temporary seaside resort. Children can enjoy the water games while parents relax on deck chairs. Sports and leisure activities are organised throughout the day.

    It’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy the sunny days in a festive, family atmosphere. The urban beach is free and open to all. Don’t forget your sunscreen and swimsuit!

    Source: Town of Bruay-La-Buissiere

  • Vimy Ridge Tunnels and Trenches Guided Tours — Living History

    Vimy Ridge Tunnels and Trenches Guided Tours — Living History

    📅 Until 30 September 2026
    📍 Canadian National Memorial, Vimy (Pas-de-Calais)

    Canadian student guides take you on a discovery of the preserved trench and tunnel system at the Vimy site. A moving visit through underground passages where soldiers lived and fought over a hundred years ago.

    The Canadian National Memorial site at Vimy is one of the most moving places in Pas-de-Calais. The original trenches, preserved as they were during the First World War, help visitors understand the soldiers’ living conditions. The tunnels, dug into the chalk, sheltered thousands of men before the assault.

    Guided tours by bilingual Canadian students provide unique insight into this chapter of history. The memorial itself, with its impressive sculptures, is a masterpiece not to be missed.

    Source: Lens-Lievin Tourist Office

  • Exhibition Concrete, Marble, Flowers, Fire at Cambrai Tank 1917

    Exhibition “Concrete, Marble, Flowers, Fire” at Cambrai Tank 1917

    📅 From 24 June to 13 August 2026
    📍 Cambrai Tank 1917, 16 rue du Calvaire, 59267 Flesquieres

    Cambrai Tank 1917 hosts a fascinating exhibition: “Concrete, Marble, Flowers, Fire”. This artistic exploration blends military heritage and contemporary creation in a place steeped in history.

    Cambrai Tank 1917, an interpretation centre located at the Flesquieres site, is dedicated to the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, the first large-scale use of tanks. The current exhibition offers an unexpected dialogue between the raw materials of war (concrete, steel) and the beauty of reborn nature (flowers, fire).

    A cultural and memorial rendezvous that shows how art can transform our perspective on history. Accessible to all audiences, the exhibition complements the visit to the interpretation centre.

    Source: Cambresis Tourism

  • Arras Summer Guinguette — Concerts and Atmosphere at Val de Scarpe

    Arras Summer Guinguette — Concerts and Atmosphere at Val de Scarpe

    📅 Until 30 August 2026
    📍 Val de Scarpe, rue de la Piscine, 62000 Arras

    The Arras Summer Guinguette is back for a season of concerts, encounters and conviviality by the water! Set up at the Val de Scarpe, it offers musical evenings in a green and relaxed setting.

    Every week, local and regional artists take the stage for free open-air concerts. The atmosphere is family-friendly and warm: refreshment bar, food stalls and an outdoor dance floor. It’s the must-attend summer rendezvous in Arras, attracting locals and tourists alike.

    The Val de Scarpe, with its tree-lined walkways and water feature, is the ideal backdrop for successful summer evenings. Check the full programme on the Tourist Office website.

    Source: Arras Pays d’Artois Tourisme

  • Holiday Workshops at Arkéos — Medieval Activities for Children in Douai

    Holiday Workshops at Arkeos — Medieval Activities for Children in Douai

    📅 From 7 July to 27 August 2026
    📍 Arkeos Museum-Park, 4401 route de Tournai, 59500 Douai

    This summer, the Arkeos museum-park in Douai offers holiday workshops for children! On the programme: medieval embroidery, creating a knight’s coat of arms, and even becoming a herald for a day.

    The Arkeos museum-park immerses visitors in medieval life, with authentic reconstructions and practical workshops. Children can discover the art of embroidery, create their own coat of arms, and learn the codes of medieval heraldry.

    These workshops are an excellent way to combine education and entertainment during the school holidays. The site also offers guided tours and an outdoor trail through a reconstructed medieval village.

    Source: Douaisis Agglo Tourisme

  • Climbing the Loos-en-Gohelle Twin Slag Heaps — Nature Hike

    Climbing the Loos-en-Gohelle Twin Slag Heaps — Nature Hike

    📅 From 22 July to 26 August 2026
    📍 Loos-en-Gohelle Twin Slag Heaps, 62150 Loos-en-Gohelle

    Make the most of your holidays with family or friends and recharge at the top of the twin slag heaps! These guided nature hikes offer breathtaking landscapes and a panoramic view over the entire mining basin.

    The Loos-en-Gohelle twin slag heaps, iconic symbols of the mining landscape, rise nearly 190 metres. Former mining waste hills, they have been reclaimed by nature and offer an exceptional panorama over the region. The climb, led by naturalist guides, will help you discover the remarkable biodiversity that has settled on these heights.

    It’s also an opportunity to understand the mining history of this UNESCO-listed territory, where industrial heritage meets natural reclamation. Walking shoes recommended.

    Source: Lens-Lievin Tourist Office

  • La Guinguette Bohème in Lens — Summer Drinks and Live Music

    La Guinguette Boheme in Lens — Summer Drinks and Live Music

    📅 From 9 July to 30 August 2026
    📍 Lens (location confirmed on the Tourist Office website)

    The guinguette that won over the public last year is back to liven up your summer evenings! Live concerts, local drinks and a relaxed, festive atmosphere: La Guinguette Boheme de Lens has become an essential summer rendezvous in the mining basin.

    Every week, enjoy open-air concerts, local refreshments and a warm atmosphere. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet up with friends or family after a day of exploring the Louvre-Lens museum or walking the slag heaps.

    The guinguette embodies the spirit of the North: conviviality, local beer, live music and sunsets over the terril. Don’t miss this authentic mining basin experience.

    Source: Lens-Lievin Tourist Office

  • Wellness Sessions at the Louvre-Lens Park — Summer Relaxation

    Wellness Sessions at the Louvre-Lens Park — Summer Relaxation

    📅 From 5 July to 30 August 2026
    📍 Louvre-Lens Park, 99 rue Valentin Meunier, 62300 Lens

    Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the Louvre-Lens Park differently. Yoga, tai chi and outdoor relaxation sessions in an exceptional green setting, surrounded by landscape artworks designed by Catherine Mosbach.

    The Louvre-Lens Park, labelled a “Remarkable Garden”, offers a haven of nature in the heart of the mining basin. In summer, it transforms into a true wellness destination with professionally guided sessions. Yoga, meditation, tai chi: there’s something for everyone and all levels.

    Whether you’re a regular practitioner or a beginner, these sessions are open to all. A health and nature rendezvous not to be missed this summer in Pas-de-Calais.

    Source: Lens-Lievin Tourist Office

  • Underground Breakfast — A British Breakfast 20 Metres Underground at Wellington Quarry

    Underground Breakfast — A British Breakfast 20 Metres Underground at Wellington Quarry

    📅 Until 30 August 2026
    📍 Wellington Quarry, rue Delétoille, 62000 Arras

    Experience something truly unique: enjoy a traditional British breakfast 20 metres underground! In the mysterious atmosphere of the Wellington Quarry, discover the history of First World War soldiers while savouring an authentic English meal.

    The Wellington Quarry, located in the heart of Arras, is a place steeped in history. These underground galleries sheltered thousands of British and New Zealand soldiers before the Battle of Arras in 1917. Today, this memorial site offers an immersive visit that plunges you into the soldiers’ daily lives.

    The Underground Breakfast allows you to relive this history through your senses, enjoying an authentic English breakfast in the very same galleries where soldiers ate over a hundred years ago. An unforgettable moment to share with family or friends.

    Source: Arras Pays d’Artois Tourisme

  • Herbin Exhibition ‘Dialogue of Alphabets’ at the Matisse Museum in Le Cateau

    Herbin Exhibition ‘Dialogue of Alphabets’ at the Matisse Museum in Le Cateau

    📅 From May 23 to September 20, 2026
    📍 Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Musée Henri Matisse, Place du Commandant Richez

    The Musée Henri Matisse in Le Cateau-Cambrésis pays tribute to Auguste Herbin, an artist born in Le Cateau and a pioneer of abstract art, through the exhibition ‘Dialogue of Alphabets’.

    This exhibition offers a fascinating dialogue between Herbin’s plastic and musical alphabets. A major figure in geometric abstraction, his vibrant works of colors and geometric forms converse with the creations of his contemporaries.

    Born in Le Cateau-Cambrésis in 1882, Auguste Herbin left his mark on 20th century art history. Co-founder of the Abstraction-Création movement, he developed a unique system of correspondence between colors, shapes and sounds.

    The Matisse Museum, a heritage gem of the Cambrésis region, provides an ideal setting for this retrospective that’s worth the trip from the entire mining basin.

    Source: Destination Cambrésis — Agenda

    An exhibition that brings art and music into dialogue! 🎨🎵

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