Now the UNESCO World Heritage-recognized area hosts hiking trails Their presence is a reminder of both environmental and economic disaster as the mines’ closure plummeted a region—already ravaged by industry—into unemployment and poverty Today the slag heaps (also known as spoil heaps) symbolize something else What from a distance appears black turns green up close—the vegetation as promising as the sustainable tourism initiatives now starting to revitalize the region’s economy its mating call so loud you can hear it [about a mile] away.” From the café operated by the tourism office you can sign up for a range of activities on the terrils: an art therapy class This archival photo (date unknown) shows several coal slag heaps from the Lens Mining Company in Nord-Pas-de-Calais Alamy Stock PhotoCoal wagons parked in Lens coal helped boost the region’s economy.Photograph by AFP Getty ImagesMiners leave a coal mine in Douai After nearly three centuries of coal mining in the region the last mine closed in 1990.Photograph by Alain Nogues Sygma/Getty Images“It’s nature’s revenge,” says Bernard Lefrançois a former miner who guides tours at the Base 11/19 the slag heaps also represent important industrial heritage returning to his former workplace in a new tourism vocation inspires strong emotions and pride “I feel that I’m resurrecting the memory of the miners I always get chills … I cannot help but think of the toil There are monuments to the memory of soldiers who died for France all over the country; the slag heaps are the national monuments to the miners.” The French mining basin stretches about 75 miles west from the Belgian border following coal seams far beneath the earth’s surface nearly 2.4 billion tons of coal were extracted from the time coal was discovered in 1720 and the closure of the last mine in 1990 the region’s network of tunnels produced half of the French supply from 1940 to 1960 contributing to the country’s reconstruction after World War II the closure of the mines triggering a catastrophic economic collapse What to do in the aftermath? In this post-mining world, the initial impulse was to raze the slag heaps to the ground and plant them with vegetation, whatever the cost. “Helicopters flew overhead, dropping seeds, to cover up what was perceived as ugly black hills,” explains Jeremie Le Sage, a guide with Eden 62 an organization that manages and protects Pas-de-Calais’ natural sites (including 15 terrils) inhabitants began to reappropriate the slag heaps using them as motocross circuits and party spots (These abstract aerial photos show mining’s scars on the planet.) a few visionaries imagined a new strategy for the future the destruction of the slag heaps would erase a page of history “The miners are just as important as the kings in the history of France,” says Loos-en-Gohelle Mayor Jean-François Caron Preserving this important heritage could also valorize it giving the slag heaps a new purpose while safeguarding their unique biodiversity the organization tasked with the area’s redevelopment (Here’s what life is like inside India’s coal mines.) Not all the terrils can be rehabilitated; some are still dangerous and others are better left untouched as nature preserves Aerial surveillance monitors some slag heaps’ combustion with infrared cameras The Mission Bassin Minier has sought to create links between the terrils mostly along the railroads that once transported coal to serve as both nature corridors for fauna and recreational greenways for people Unemployment in Lens has been steadily decreasing since hitting a high of 15.5 percent in 2009 the region recorded unemployment of 9.4 percent Tourism businesses in the private sector are now following the large initial public investment “We started at zero and we’re still in the beginning stages of a strategic approach for the tourism economy that will last decades,” says Dailliet Julien’s brother Olivier operates a lively restaurant onsite where you can try the goat cheese and hearty regional specialties with local beer. The popular “rando biquette” (goat walk) allows visitors to join Julien on his daily transhumance across the terril, listening to his anecdotes and admiring the goats. “These terrils are emblematic of the region,” says Graf, who’s originally from Douai. “Growing up, when we would come back from a trip and see the terrils from the highway, we knew we were home. Each of these rocks has passed through the hands of miners. If these terrils were covered in forest, we wouldn’t remember that.” France has many interesting ski resorts due to the Alps but the most interesting is their lowest lying ski resort in the ski center of Nœux-les-Mines which lies at an altitude of 129 meters above sea level and winds its way down a hill of waste ore (located in a former mining area ) It is the first ski resort of its kind in Europe Snow is becoming more and more a rare commodity even in the higher lying parts of Europe Even the Alps are not immune to climate change and everything points to the fact that in the future we will no longer be skiing on real snow READ MORE: Slalom House – residential complex with its own ski slope which was laid in a former mining area in the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais the northernmost French region on the border with Belgium where you can in the ski center of Nœux-les-Mines we meander through the white fields all year round as its operation does not depend on snowfall Watch this video on YouTube From 2004 we research urban trends and inform our community of followers about the latest in lifestyle From year 2023 we offer content in major global languages From 2004 we research urban trends and inform our community of followers daily about the latest in lifestyle style and products that inspire with passion we offer content in major global languages.