Béthune

For other uses, see Bethune (disambiguation).

Béthune
Grand Place
Coat of arms of Béthune
Béthune
Location within Nord-Pas-de-Calais region  Béthune
Administration
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Department	Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement	Béthune
Canton	Béthune-Nord and Béthune-Sud
Intercommunality	Artois
Mayor	Stéphane Saint-André (2008-)
Statistics
Elevation	18–42 m (59–138 ft) (avg. 26 m or 85 ft)
Land area1	12.97 km2 (5.01 sq mi)
Population2	27,900  (2006)
- Density	2,151 /km2 (5,570 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	62119/ 62400
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

East of Pas-de-Calais (Béthune, Lens, Hénin-Beaumont)

Béthune (archaic Dutch: Betun) is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.

Geography

Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated 73 kilometres (45 miles) south-east of Calais, 33 kilometres (21 miles) west of Lille, and 186 kilometres (116 miles) north of Paris.

Landmarks

Béthune is a town rich in architectural heritage and history. It has, among other features, a large paved square with shops, cafés, and a 47 meter (133 steps) tall belfry standing in the center from the top of which the Belgian border can be seen. The chime of the belfry is composed of thirty-six bells.

History

First World War 1914-1918

During the war, Béthune was mostly defended by British forces, including units of the Canadian and Indian armies, and initially suffered little damage. It was an important railway junction and hospital site, holding the 33rd Casualty Station until December 1917. However, during the second phase of the Ludendorff Offensive in April 1918, German forces reached Locon, 5 km (3 mi) away from the town, and on 21 May 1918 launched a bombardment which virtually flattened it. The whole town has since been rebuilt. Many combatants from both sides are buried in Béthune Town Cemetery.

Transport

The Gare de Béthune railway station serves the town. There are 7 daily TGV services to Paris, a journey which takes 1 hour 15 minutes. There are also regular trains to Lille, Amiens, Dunkerque and several regional destinations.

By car, Béthune is accessible from the A26 which intersects the A1 (Lille to Paris) 42 kilometres (26 miles) to the South-East. By road, it is 2 hours 30 minutes from Paris, 1 hour from Calais, 30 minutes from Arras and 40 minutes from Lille. By using the Channel Tunnel and the A26, Béthune is 3 hours 30 minutes from London and 6 hours 45 minutes from Manchester. Using road connections on mainland Europe it is nearly 2 hours from Brussels, 3 hours from Aix-La-Chapelle, 3 hours from Cologne, 8 hours 30 minutes from Berlin and 3 hours 30 minutes from Amsterdam.

Notable people

Béthune was the birthplace of:

• Jeen Buridan, philosopher
• Antoine Busnois, composer and poet of the early Renaissance
• Jérôme Leroy, former captain of RC Lens and current FC Sochaux midfielder in France
• Pierre de Manchicourt, Renaissance composer
• Nicolas Fauvergue, footballer

Béthune is also associated with the following historic personalities:

• Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully, general and statesman
• Conon de Béthune, crusader and trouvère poet

Sport

Stade Béthunois Football Club represent Béthune and were formed in 1902. They currently play in La Ligue Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Béthune is twinned with:

• Schwerte in Germany

Gallery

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See also

• Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

References

• INSEE commune file

External links

• Béthune city council website (in French)
• Béthune on Heritage Towns
• "Histoire de Béthune" (in French)