Lens: the miracle of the North

Northern Lights: miraculous museums

Louvre Lens is an absolute masterpiece

Northern France often gets overlooked by tourists. Coming from the North -like I do- they barrel on along the Autoroute A1 until they are deep in Picardy, where the famous gothic cathedrals and impressive fortresses beckon. Or further still, in Paris. But hardly anyone pays any attention to the two northernmost departements: Nord and Pas-de-Calais.

I can't really blame anyone, because it's not exactly a pretty part of France. Large factories dominate the landscape around Calais and Dunkerque, and the urban sprawl around Lille hardly induces anyone to get out of the car. But, as so often is the case: there is a lot more to see and do in the North than you might think.

Lille, for instance, is a vibrant metropolis with a lovely old center with big Flemish squares and quirky shops. And nearby Arras boasts two of the most beautiful squares in all of Europe, elegant and harmonious.But there is also a certain drabness about the area, Belgian almost, with derelict mines and slagheaps everywhere. This is a region that has seen better days.

However: things are changing fast, and mostly for the better. Lille has, thanks to Eurostar, grown into a hi tech metropolis, the silicon valley of France. And recently, the North started putting itself on the map even more. Maybe it all started with the hugely succesful movie 'Bienvenue chez les Ch'ti', but that movie really only was seen by a French audience. The real boost came from two fantastic museums that opened in the region.

Roubaix boasts a fabulous museum in a former swimming pool, imaginatively named La Piscine. It's a pure delight to see beautiful 18th and 19th century sculptures reflected in the former pool, that still has water in it. A stroke of genius! I was reminded of emperor Hadrian's villa in Tivoli, Italy actually, with the white marble reflected in the pool. Very surprising and very worthwhile!

However, this spring saw the opening of the Louvre Lens and that's really something else. In a sleek glass and titanium building, in a beautiful garden, the Louvre created a time-machine. In one magnificent hall, you can see the whole development of European art from 4000 b.C up until the 1900's. Instead of the palace-like rooms of the Parisian Louvre, here everything is open, wide, white and spacious. In one glance, you can see the Greek and Roman sculptures, and the ones from the Renaissance they inspired. It is so exciting to see these marvellous works of art interacting, almost debating with one another. And don't think the Louvre Lens only shows stuff from the attic of the Louvre Paris. Non monsieur! It actually has some of the most important works from the collection, like the famous Delacroix revolution painting.

I conclude with a tip for all my Dutch friends: until 31 december 2013 entry to the Louvre Lens is free!