Visit Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin, France (UNESCO sites)

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UNESCO calls it a "remarkable cultural landscape", the remnants of a once-thriving mining industry in northern France now included among the world's greatest landmarks as part of the organization’s listing of World Heritage Sites. Coal was extracted from the pits that dot the region from the 17th to the 20th centuries until the economy brought the industry to a halt. The region presents well preserved examples of its contribution to the mining industry which included advanced extraction methods used for underground coal seams, design of worker housing and urban planning. Preservation of the old pits, railway stations, workers' estates and mining villages lay in testament to the international human migration that accompanied the industrialization of Europe. The slag heaps (“Terrils”) remain as evidence of the area’s mining past while simultaneously standing as symbols of great hope for the future. The Terrils at Rieulay have been developed as an area for walking and water sports; the Noeux-les-Mines has been reincarnated as an artificial ski slope. Due to internal heat generated from the mining waste, the Terrils have developed their own unique ecosystems where plant and animal life not usually found in the region flourishes including the recent appearance of wall lizards. The Goriaux Pond (the result of mining subsidence) has become the home of a nature reserve at the heart of the Raismes, Saint-Arnaud and Wallers forests harboring more than 300 bird species. The Mining Basin in Nord-Pas de Calais stretches between France’s border with Belgium and the seaside town of Boulogne-sur-Mer where a good selection of accommodations, restaurants and services are found. Your trip to Northern France could be made even more special by scheduling some time to Visit Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin. Add this UNESCO World Heritage site to your list today.

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