Union Hall of Miners
Lens is a city in Hauts-de-France, France. A former industrial city, its wealth was founded on textiles and coal mining. In 2009, the Louvre opened a branch in Lens, called - naturally enough - Louvre-Lens.
Get in
Lens is connected to the TGV network, with high speed trains to Paris.
Get around
See
- 1 Gare de Lens, Place du général de Gaulle. The railway station, built in the 1920s, an early Art Deco work.
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Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial
- 2 Vimy Monument. Of particular interest to Canadians and World War I buffs, the column of limestone surrounded by allegorical figures. Re-dedicated after extensive renovations in 2007, the site is also home to an interpretive centre and two small cemeteries. The whole site is Canadian territory, donated by the French people in recognition of Canada's sacrifices during that war. Walking from Vimy railway station to the monument takes about one hour, and only 2 trains stop there every day day, so getting a taxi from Lens or a bus tour from Lille or Arras may be easier if you don't have your own transport.
Do
- Watch football: RC Lens were promoted in 2020 so they play soccer in Ligue 1, the top tier of the game in France. Their home ground is Stade Bollaert-Delelis (capacity 38,000), 1 km northwest of the railway station.