Fosse n° 11 - 19 des mines de Lens

Fosse n° 11 - 19 is a coal mine with two main shafts representing different industrial periods in northern France. Shaft 11 displays a steel framework built in 1923, while shaft 19 features a concrete extraction tower constructed in 1960, each showing the engineering methods of their time.

The mining complex began operations in 1894 as part of the industrial boom in the Lens coal region, creating one of France's major mining centers. After suffering severe damage during World War I, it was rebuilt and continued extracting coal until 1986.

The name refers to the two main shafts that defined daily work life for thousands of people in this region. The layout of the surrounding miners' district reveals how families organized their homes and shared spaces around the industrial complex.

The site sits on Rue de Bourgogne in the town and is accessible by car or local buses. Visitors can walk around the grounds and enjoy trails on the nearby slag heaps, which offer views of the surrounding landscape.

Two enormous slag heaps dominate the landscape and now serve as hiking and paragliding spots instead of remaining mere industrial waste. These transformed hills have become habitats for plants and animals, showing how abandoned mining land can become a living part of the environment.