Euro 2016: Lens city guide

The small northern city of Lens will host England’s second Group Stage match versus Wales at this summer’s Euro 2016 along with two other Group Stage matches and Last 16 tie.

The industrial city is built on its mining heritage and tourists are advised to access the city by travelling to nearby Lille first, before making the short 28km trip to Lens by rail, car or bus.

Despite only having a population of 34,000, Lens is a city which finds itself perfectly located between three European capitals in London, Paris and Brussels.

The city was reduced to rubble during the First World War and suffered even more during the Second World War as the German troops occupied the city.

Today, the aftermath of the war forms part of the city landscape. Surrounding the town the aftermath can still be seen, with wartime trenches still visible.

Lens has since undergone a huge revival and is a close knit community with a popular university, several museums and a thriving sports stadium. Football plays a leading role in the city where the stadium capacity holds more than the city’s population.

The local team, RC Lens play their matches at the Bollaert-Delelis Stadium which was recently rennovated ahead of UEFA Euro 2016.

Fixtures in Lens:

Group A: Albania v Switzerland - Saturday 11th June - 14:00

Group B: England v Wales - Thursday 16th June - 14:00

Group D: Czech Republic v Turkey - Tuesday 21st June - 20:00

Round of 16: Winner Group D v 3rd Group B/E/F - Saturday 25th June - 20:00

*Kick-off times UK GMT

UEFA Euro 2016 Tickets are available to purchase today from Football Ticket Pad as you follow your country around France to see if they can reach European glory.

Getting Around Lens:

All public transport in Lens is provided by a private company called Tadeo and access to the stadium from the city centre can be reached by the busses 22 and 40.

Lens is easily accessible from the UK and is only a half hour drive from the Port of Calais and 17km from the department capital, Arras.

The city is also served by high speed rail link to Paris which is one hour away and is is easy to access neighbouring towns and cities in Valenciennes, Dunkirk and Lille.

The Gare de Lens rail station is only a 45 minute journey from neighbouring Lille which is the closest airport to the city on Lens.

Most fans will opt to travel in and out of the city and stay in neighbouring Lille or Paris. There is not a lot of choice for hotels, but they tend to be affordable and get decent reviews.

Where to watch the game:

The Bollaert-Delelis Stadium originally built in 1933 by unemployed miners,  has undergone redevelopment and reopened again in August 2015. The ground is easy to get to and is only a 15 minute walk from the city centre.

A Fan Zone will also be present in the Town Hall Square. This will be open everyday across the month long tournament and will be able to hold up to 10,000 people. The Fan Zone is only 1km away from the stadium so it guarantees to provide a good atmosphere on a Euro 2016 matchday.