A Day In The Mine
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Port
Dunkirk (Lille), France
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
Information Not Currently Available
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$255
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 9 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
A panoramic drive from the pier brings you to Arras, known for its rich architectural heritage. Two magnificent Baroque squares are the nuclei of the town, collectively forming an enchanting architectural ensemble. Arras' belfry and its citadel are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Take a scenic ride through the city, orienting you to the main highlights; then, visit the Boves. These are tunnels carved out in the 10th century, creating subterranean limestone quarries. Initially a place of chalk extraction and endless toil, these underground galleries became cellars -- storeplaces for the merchants of the town's squares -- and later a shelter for the townspeople during the bombardments of World War II.
Your next destination is Lewarde, where you will enjoy lunch.
Then, discover a former coal mine turned into a museum at the Lewarde Mining History Center. Amazingly, this is the largest mining museum in France, lying at the heart of the Nord-Pas de Calais coalfield and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Follow your guide through the informative galleries and immerse yourself in the miners' working environment. Take the staff footbridge to the coal breaker and relive, through sounds and images, the work of the women and apprentices responsible for sorting the coal. Descend in the elevator to the extraction sites and the associated galleries to understand how techniques and conditions at the coalface evolved over time.
After the visit, drive back to Dunkirk.
Please note: Dress in layers. It can be cooler in the mine.