Sochez (rivière) - Canal de Lens walks

A route that takes you through the Fouquières marshes. You'll climb the wooded slag heap 83, offering a view of a mysterious artificial valley. You'll then head for slag heap 94 (staircase slag heap), passing the schlamm bins (storage of mining waste) and the Harnes fishing pond. Return along the path that runs alongside the Lens canal.

This route will take you to the top of the flat 80 slag heap (shaped like a plateau), offering a beautiful view of the mining basin and the Artois hills. The rest of the route follows the course of the Souchez river in a green and peaceful setting.

This easy circular route takes you on a discovery of the Carency valley and the commune of Souchez.You will appreciate the role of the embankments, which are essential for agriculture, and admire several buildings that were rebuilt identically after the village of Souchez was completely destroyed during the First World War.

Slag heaps are not just piles of dead rocks; reactions are still taking place at their core. As evidence of these reactions, gaseous fumaroles escape from them. To see this for yourself, head to Harnes, starting from the Bois de Florimond, and make your way towards the slag heap. Then follow the signposted path known as the “Sentier des Fumerolles” (Fumaroles Trail), marked by concrete posts, which will take you to Slurry Heap 230. It is a surprising journey offering a wide variety of landscapes and points of interest: views of fumaroles, a viewpoint over the south-east of the mining basin, a viewpoint over the canyon, and more.

Starting from Place de Souchez, you’ll reach the Canadian memorial. The Battle of Vimy took place in April 1917. From the start of the war, the Germans held the heights of Vimy and the entire mining basin. After numerous unsuccessful attempts by the French and British to recapture these positions, it was the Canadians who drove them back, at the cost of 11,000 dead in their ranks.

After a fairly gentle start on wide farm tracks, the walk becomes more challenging as you cross the Bois des Bruyères in Angres, where the paths are very wet.Next comes the climb up Lorette, ending with a double crossing of the equally damp Bois de Noulette. ROUTE CHANGED IN SEPTEMBER 2025. However, as the trail between points 19 and 20 is very difficult in wet weather, I have noted the end of the old route, from point 15, in the practical information section.

This walk, starting from Angres, will take you through the Bois de l’Abîmes and Givenchy, passing over the Pinchonvalles slag heap. Angres was inhabited during the Gallo-Roman period, but is best known for its mining industry (from 1907), with pits No. 6 and No. 6 bis. These were destroyed during the First World War. Mining resumed in 1920, before closing down permanently in 1984.

This walk, starting from the old ponds, will take you to the Pinchonvalles slag heap via the woods of l’Abîme, les Bruyères and Givenchy, all along good paths, before returning via the Ancienne Fosse N°6 in Liévin.

Starting from the pond, this walk takes you around the Bois de l'Abîme via Givenchy-en-Gohelle. After a short climb, the walk takes you back down through the Bois des Bruyères.

Starting from Étang du Brochet, this hike will take you up Terril du Lavoir, before crossing the Méricourt mining village and then the necropolis of 10 March 1906, a memorial site following the mining disaster that claimed 1,099 lives.

This hike, starting from Angres, will take you through the Bois de l'Abîme and the Bois des Bruyères before descending to Souchez. You will then pass through Prés Molaine and Ablain-St-Nazaire before climbing to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, the highest point of this hike, before a more leisurely return.

A short hike for the whole family. Starting from the old station, you will walk to Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, passing in front of the old church and along the Souchez. This hike can be enjoyed in all seasons.

This local hike starting from La Pyramide will take you around Souchez along good paths. You will walk along the Souchez river and then climb up to the site of Notre-Dame de Lorette before returning to the village via Parc Cassin.