Mazingarbe Between Heritage and Nature

Mazingarbe offers several distinct points of interest for a trip: historic administrative and religious buildings, leisure activities in Parc Mercier, and natural features at Terril n° 58a. When looking for a hotel in Mazingarbe, it may help to decide in advance which focus you want to shape your stay: architecture and building history, the stories behind the chapels, or the connection between mining history and habitats for amphibians. Mazingarbe is one of the municipalities whose heritage was recognized and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

Architecture and Building History

Mazingarbe's Hôtel de Ville was built at the beginning of the 20th century under the direction of Louis Mercier. At the time, Mercier was the managing director of the Compagnie des Mines de Béthune. The building was later put to a different use: from 1946 to 1970, it was converted into a maternity clinic. These time periods should be distinguished: the building's early history and its later conversion describe different chapters in the life of the same building.

The Eglise Sainte-Rictrude presents a different architectural focus. It is built from white stone in the 12th-century pointed-arch style; its exterior was extensively renovated in 2006. This gives it different specific features to compare architecturally with the Hôtel de Ville: here, the material, style and renovation date are prominent, whereas the town hall's history is shaped by its construction and later use.

Chapels with Different Histories

The Chapelle Saint-Roch was built in 1724 by the Dupuich family. They built it to express their gratitude for the protection of their family members and the villagers during the Suette epidemic. This connects the chapel to a specific event and identifies both the family and the people for whose protection they prayed.

The Chapelle Saint Hubert has a different origin story: Béharelle, a farmer from Saulchoy, built it in 1745. Since March 28, 1977, it has been listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. The two chapels can thus be distinguished by their different historical associations: the circumstances of its construction are central to Saint-Roch, while Saint Hubert is associated with its named builder and its subsequent listing in the inventory.

Leisure Activities in Parc Mercier

Parc Mercier has a miniature golf course and a pump track. Tennis is also available there free of charge; a reservation through Maz'Appli is required. Booking arrangements may change, so check the reservation details before making plans. The availability of miniature golf and the pump track may also change. If either facility is important to your visit, check in advance whether it is available. This lets you distinguish between the activities according to your interests without treating the tennis reservation as applying to the other two activities.

Parkland and Nature at the Terril

The former Château Mercier includes a large park with ponds. This means that, alongside the buildings and chapels, a parkland setting is also part of the historic landscape of the town. Its status as a former château is part of how this site is understood.

Terril n° 58a – Grenay Mazingarbe is connected with the nearby former coal facilities of Mazingarbe. Ponds on the terril serve as breeding grounds for the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita), the parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus) and the midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans). Here, a connection with the former coal industry meets a specific ecological function of the ponds. For trip planning, these topics differ from building history and the chapels: they lead from the historic built environment to a habitat for three named amphibian species.

Discover more destinations: Fiennes, Marles-Sur-Canche, Le Touquet, Landrethun-lès-Ardres, Carly, Reclinghem, Agnez-lès-Duisans, Labroye.

For the broader travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.