A historic site of primary importance, this hill was the main target of relentless attacks during the Great War. The largest French military cemetery surrounds the vast basilica. The 1914-1918 Living Museum and the “Lens 14-18 Interpretation Center” are located in this memorial site. The impressive Ring of Memory presents the names of the 580,000 soldiers who died in the region, with no indication of nationality. The lantern tower pays homage to them every night, sweeping the plains of Artois each night with a ray of light.

Made of glass and aluminum, the Louvre-Lens Museum displays its modernity in a minimalist style. It is surrounded by 20 hectares of greenery and hosts the first decentralized antenna of the great Parisian museum. Its astonishing Galerie du Temps will take you on a journey through works produced by different civilizations, but designed at the same time. Intended for temporary exhibitions, the Glass Pavilion exhibits works from museums in the region.

Culminating at the ridge, where Canadian troops won the Battle of Vimy in April 1917, the two white towers of the memorial dominate the plain of Lens from a height of 257 meters. Discover a free visit to this highly symbolic place, the trenches, the cemeteries of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the underground passages of the First World War.