May 8-9 2026 at the 9-9bis UNESCO site in Oignies. 5 distances: 10km, 23km, 46km, ultra 80km (night start Friday). Trail running through iconic slag heaps and industrial landscapes of the mining basin. Registration on the official website.

Bike Festival in Loos-en-Gohelle: get on your bike on May 9!

📅 Saturday May 9, 2026, from 10am to noon
📍 Place de la Mairie, Loos-en-Gohelle (62750)

As part of Cycling Month (Mai à Vélo), Loos-en-Gohelle is organising a 100% two-wheel festival morning. A free discovery ride on the EuroVélo 5 starts from the Town Hall Square, open to ages 10 and up (helmet recommended). The EuroVélo 5 crosses the heart of the mining basin, passing through emblematic slag heaps and UNESCO-listed sites.

Free event, open to all. A great opportunity to discover the region by bike!

The Route du Louvre: hike and run between Arras and Lens on May 10, 2026
📅 Sunday May 10, 2026

📍 Departures: Saint-Laurent-Blangy (23 km hike), Place Jean Jaurès Lens (10 km and 5.3 km), Ablain-Saint-Nazaire (14 km hike)

On Sunday May 10, 2026, the 21st edition of La Route du Louvre links Arras to Lens through the plains of Pas-de-Calais and landscapes marked by mining history. A sporting and cultural event accessible to all levels.

Four formats for all tastes:

8:00 a.m. — 23 km hike (€6) — departure from Saint-Laurent-Blangy nautical base
9:15 a.m. — 10 km race (€14) — departure from Place Jean Jaurès, Lens
10:25 a.m. — 5.3 km hike (€6) — departure from Place Jean Jaurès, Lens
10:30 a.m. — 14 km hike (€6) — departure from Ablain-Saint-Nazaire

Registrations for the 10 km race were open until May 3, 2026, but the hikes welcome participants on the big day. The Route du Louvre is an opportunity to cross emblematic landscapes between Artois and Lens-Liévin, with the Louvre-Lens as a landmark. Find all the information on the official website.

A great family or sporting outing to discover the territory differently, between heritage and nature. Share this meeting with your hiking friends!

Trail of the Black Pyramids 2026: climb the slag heaps of the mining basin on May 8 and 9!
📅 May 8 and 9, 2026

📍 9-9bis mining site, Oignies (62590) — departures also from Liévin and Auchel

The most unusual sporting event in Nord-Pas-de-Calais is back! On May 8 and 9, 2026, the Black Pyramids Trail takes over the slag heaps of the UNESCO World Heritage Mining Basin for its 11th edition.

Five formats are offered for all levels:

Ultra 123 km — 23 slag heaps, 1800 m elevation gain, departure from Auchel
70 km — 13 slag heaps, 1000 m elevation gain, from Noeux-les-Mines
46 km — 9 slag heaps, 550 m altitude difference, departure Saturday May 9 at 9 a.m. from Liévin
23 km — 4 slag heaps, 300 m elevation gain, departure Saturday May 9 at 10:30 a.m. at 9-9bis
10 km — 2 slag heaps, 100 m height difference, accessible to all

The trail starts from the legendary 9-9bis site in Oignies, a former mining site classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, transformed into a place of culture and meetings. Participants cross a unique landscape: green slag heaps, settlements, mining towns… a total immersion in the working history of the North.

The event is organized by the Mission Bassin Minier, with a supportive and festive atmosphere throughout the route.

Whether you are an experienced runner or simply curious to discover the slag heaps in a different way, the Trail of the Black Pyramids is an event not to be missed. Sign up and share this great challenge with your loved ones!

Great news for all cyclists in the mining area! This summer 2026, the area will host the largest bow tie network (RPN) in the Nord department: nearly 1,500 km of marked routes to explore the region by bike.

What is a network of bow ties? It’s a very simple marking system: each intersection on the network has a number. To compose your route, simply string together the numbers you want to reach. No need for a complicated map, no need for an application: you choose your circuit in a few numbers and you pedal!

This network will cover the entire mining basin, from Valenciennes to Lens, via Douai. More than 5,000 signs will be deployed to guide cyclists through slag heaps, parks, villages and industrial landscapes transformed into green spaces.

Pending full opening, part of the network is already available in the Scheldt plains. Free maps can be collected from the tourist offices of Valenciennes, Porte du Hainaut, Douaisis, Cœur d’Ostrevent and Pévèle-Carembault.

Our mining area is becoming a real cycling destination. With its unique landscapes – slag heaps, settlements, canals – it deserves to be explored on two wheels. Prepare your bikes: this summer is going to be exceptional!

📍 Mining Basin — from Valenciennes to Lens (via Douai)

📅 Full opening planned for summer 2026

🔗 More information: info.lenord.fr

May will be cycling month in the Pays d’Artois! The “May by bike” operation invites all residents of the region to get on their bicycles to explore the artesian landscapes.

Throughout the month of May, guided bike rides and hikes are organized in the Arras region. Families, beginners or experienced cyclists: there are outings for all levels. This is an opportunity to discover the countryside, villages and landscapes of the mining basin other than by car.

And to end this month in style, a bicycle fair is organized on May 30 in Arras. Do you have a bike to sell? A child who has grown up and whose bike is too small? Or are you looking to equip yourself for the summer without breaking the bank? This is the ideal meeting place to buy, sell or exchange used bikes.

Our region has more and more cycle paths and greenways. The mining basin, with its slag heaps and transformed industrial landscapes, offers surprising and magnificent cycling routes. Take advantage of the month of May to explore them!

Contact the Arras Pays d’Artois Tourist Office to obtain the detailed program of guided outings.

📍 Arras and communes of Pays d’Artois

📅 May 2026 — Bicycle exchange on May 30

🔗 More information: arraspaysdartois.com

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

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

This weekend of April 15, 16 and 17, the Aquaterra park in Hénin-Beaumont is offering an exceptional nature program for the whole family. Three days to reconnect with life, just a stone’s throw from home.

On the program:

Wednesday April 15 — Discovery of bees: who are they? How do they live? Why are they so important? A fun and educational activity for young and old alike.
Thursday, April 16 — Exploration of garden insects: under the magnifying glass, in the grass, under the stones… the world of insects will no longer have any secrets for you.
Friday April 17 — Outdoor spring concert, to celebrate the awakening of nature with music.

Aquaterra is a natural space set up along the river, accessible to all and free. An ideal place to take the children out during the school holidays while learning about local biodiversity.

To consult the complete agenda of activities at Aquaterra: Agglo Hénin-Carvin website.

This weekend, we’re taking out our boots and heading out to explore nature with the kids!

The Route du Louvre celebrates its 21st edition on Sunday May 10, 2026! Marathon (42 km from Seclin), 10 km, 5 km and hikes of 5 to 24 km through slag heaps, villages and along the Deûle. Arrival in the Louvre-Lens gardens.

Pasta party and musical entertainment on site. Registrations until May 3.

Source: laroutedulouvre.fr