Lens

Lens is a district made up of the villages of Bauffe, Cambron-Saint-Vincent, Lens, Montignieslez- Lens, and Lombise.

Its lanes and alleys feature some remarkable buildings, including chapels, a calvary and a mill on the River Dender. Famous past residents of Lens include the artist, painter, sculptor and cartoonist Paul Cuvelier. Bauffe and Cambron-Saint-Vincent are essentially farming villages, perfect for walks and rides of all kinds. Montignies-lez-Lens, famous for breeding Belgian horses, is home to many remarkable farms, including Le Cense du Marais and Le Cense du Parc with its ruined watermill on the River Dender.

There is also the Our Lady of Lourdes Cave, hewn out of solid rock in 1895, and famous for its pilgrimage on 15 August. It is a copy of the famous cave in Lourdes and is a hidden gem at the end of a nondescript path. It is also known as the Grotte Notre-Dame des Bouloirs. Then there is Lombise with its stunning Grand-Place. Other fascinating features include the Chapelle de Notre Dame du Cerisier, built in around 1666 and the convent on the Avenue de l’Yser.

Did you know?
The artist Paul Cuvelier was one of Hergé’s colleagues and creator of the cartoon hero Corentin. In his workshop on the Rue des Soeurs Noires in Mons, he helped to put together the famous Tintin magazine. Today, his brother lives in the Grand-Place in Lens.

Administration Communale de Lens
Place de la Trinité, 1 - 7870 Lens
Tél : +32 (0) 65/22.04.11 - www.lens.be