Courrières

Courrières is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

Geography
An ex-coalmining commune, now a light industrial and farming town, situated some 7 mi northeast of Lens, at the junction of the D46 and D919 roads and next to the A1 autoroute. The Lens canal and the canalized river Deûle forms threequarters of the borders of the commune.

Nearest communes

 * Harnes (west)
 * Estevelles (northwest)
 * Carvin (north)
 * Oignies (east)
 * Dourges (southeast)
 * Montigny-en-Gohelle

History
The history of the area remains marked by the Courrières mine disaster which resulted in 1,099 deaths on 10 March 1906. All the regions' coalmines were closed by 1970. It was the site of a massacre in 1940.

Notable people

 * Jules Adolphe Aimé Louis Breton, painter
 * Catherine Plewinski, swimmer
 * Eric Sikora, footballer

Places of interest

 * The sports centre Centre Sportif.
 * A forest north of Courrières.
 * The church of St.Piat, dating from the sixteenth century.
 * The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery.

International relations
Courrières is twinned with:
 * 🇵🇱 Barlinek, Poland
 * Aylesham, United Kingdom