Charleroi, third largest city in Belgium, sits on the Sambre River in French-speaking Wallonia. Located in the "pays noir"---for its coalmines---Charleroi developed coal and glass during the industrial revolution. Today, remnants of its ancient and industrial past fill the landscape. Modern landmarks from the notable to the notorious are scattered among Art Deco, Art Nouveau, neo-classical and Romanesque sites.
One of the first shopping malls in Belgium, the Passage de la Bourse---stock exchange passage---was built on the site of the Capuchin convent. It is the work of the architect Legraive, and now houses decorator and second-hand bookshops.
Passage de la Bourse
Centre Commercial
Rue de Marchiennes
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
Built in 1936, this neoclassical town hall houses the Fine Arts Museum and the Jules Destré Museum. Its stone and brick, 230-foot Art Deco belfry is a relatively young addition to UNESCO's World Heritage List. Bells from the 47-bell carillon ring on the quarter hour to a popular Jacques Bertrand tune.
Museum of Fine Arts and Jules Destré Museum
Hôtel de Ville, 2ème étage (2nd Floor)
Place Charles II
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
+32-71-86-11-34
charleroi-museum.org
A small Baroque-style church dating from 1667, the structure underwent various transformations through the centuries. Enlarged in the 18th century after bomb damage by the French army, then extended again in 1957, the latest renovation took place in 1994. Expect to see a copper cupola and inside, 1957 mosaic by Jean Ransy.
St. Christopher Basilica
Place Charles II
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
Architect Alfred Frère built one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau in Charleroi, the Maison Dorée, in 1899. The structure is named for the gilded images on the façade.
Maison Doree
Rue Tumelaire
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
The center of the lower city, Place Albert I is the site of fortifications built in 1675. The Saint-Antoine de Padoue church in the place is an example of neoclassical style. Two noteworthy paintings hang in the church: "Notre-Dame des Affligés" by F.-J. Navez and "Saint Antoine de Padoue" by his son-in-law Portaels.
Eglise Saint-Antoine de Padoue
Place Albert I
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
Site of a 1956 coal mining disaster in which 262 men of 12 different nationalities were killed, is now a museum dedicated to science and industry. These buildings now are listed as national monuments and fine examples of industrial architecture.
Bois du Cazier
Rue du Cazier, 80
6001 Marcinelle.
+32-71-88-08-56
leboisducazier.be
Formerly in the upper city, the new home of the National Institute of Glass museum is on the grounds of the Bois du Cazier. The museum showcases glass forging and blowing techniques through the centuries, as well as the creation of flat glass and cut glass styles.
Musée du Verre
Site du Bois du Cazier
Rue du Cazier 80
6001 Marcinelle
Belgium
+32-496-59-92-14
charleroi-museum.org
A 17th-century castle, the Monceau-sur-Sambre displays an example of Mosan-style architecture---Romanesque art from the Rhine and Meuse regions---in a military application.The nearby Arboretum of the Monceau-sur-Sambre estate was developed in 1999. This beautiful park has a circuit of 28 sites introducing visitors to the main tree species of the region.
The Arboretum of the Monceau-sur-Sambre
Parc communal de Monceau-sur-Sambre
Place Albert I, 1
6031 Monceau-sur-Sambre
Belgium
+32-71-86-14-14
charleroi.be
Charleroi gave birth to the Marcinelle School of comic strip, illustrated by Dupuis Publishers. Famous characters seen in the city center, public squares or underground include: Spirou and Fantasio, the Marsupilami, Lucky Luke, and Boule et Bill.
Fantasio photographing Spirou
Avenue Général Michel
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
Marsupilami
Square Jules Hiérnaux
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
Lucky Luke
Parc Reine Astrid
bd Audent et Rue Willy Ernst
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
Boule et Bill
bd Dewandre
6000 Charleroi
Belgium
An unofficial Dutch poll dubbed Charleroi the "ugliest city in the world." In response, a new tourism industry is cashing in on the notoriety by offering tours of the city's infamous locations. On the list are the site where Magritte's (Belgian painter) mother committed suicide on the Sambre River; the house of Marc Dutroux (pedophile and serial killer), Avenue Philippeville, 128 in Marcinelle; former home of Muriel Degauque (suicide bomber in Iraq), Rue de l'Europe, 33 and the most depressing street of Belgium, Marchienne au Pont. Other sites on the tour include the "ghost metro" (unfinished subway stations) and numerous abandoned factories and slag heaps (waste coal pile) called terrils.
Charleroi Adventure City Safari
+32-494-98-26-43
charleroiadventure.com
