Béthune and Arras are towns that have been influenced by the Flemish and, to a certain extent, the Spanish people. They represent the limits of an extensive tract of land lying between the Artois plains, the mining area and the farming villages. They bear the marks, in the same way as Lens and Liévin, of the First World War, immortalized in the many white crosses and the landscape scarred by memories.

The Artois hills are dominated by beautiful churches and a particular type of architecture in brick and stone. The slag heaps have shaped the landscape, becoming areas for walking and outdoor pursuits. And Lens will be the site of the Louvre Lens in 2010!