Charleroi

The historic Bois du Cazier coal mine near Charleroi draws attention to the history of Belgium's third largest city. The coal mine has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. It is not only a reminder of one of the greatest mining disasters in history, it also highlights the economic importance of coal for the rise of the Charleroi region. Local coal mining can be traced back to the Middle Ages, later joined by a flourishing steel industry. But there is a second UNESCO World Heritage Site in the city, which in turn is a reminder of Charleroi's cultural importance: the Charleroi Belfry, which is one of the Belfires of Belgium and northern France classified as significant by UNESCO. Charleroi has important cultural institutions - the photography museum Musée de la Photographie, known beyond the city borders, and the glass museum dedicated to craftsmanship. Modern artistic works are rooted in the city thanks to the resident famous comic publisher Dupuis. Perhaps the most important publisher of its kind within Belgium, Dupuis published famous works from the École Marcinelle - including Spirou, Gaston and Lucky Luke - starting in the 1930s. Also, surrealist artist René Magritte lived in the city for a time. Along Charleroi flows the 193-kilometer-long Belgian-French Sambre River. Within the city limits can be admired the hexagonal Place Charles II with the City Hall and the church Église Saint-Christophe de Charleroi, which is considered the historical heart of Charleroi.