Le Bois du Cazier

About

In 1956, the Bois du Crazier coal mine was the site of the worst mining accident in Belgian history. A hoisting error ruptured electrical cables, along with oil and air pipes, setting off an underground fire. Of the 275 miners underground at the time, 263 were killed from the smoke and carbon dioxide that flooded the mine. Today, the UNESCO-listed mine site hosts a gripping video commemorating the tragedy. The mine is also a point of pride, with a museum celebrating the city of Charleroi’s heyday as a centre of steel, glass, and coal industries. Visitors will find historic machinery, a glass collection dating back millennia, or watch demonstrations of bronze-working and glass-blowing. In the heart of the complex, the former slag heaps have been transformed into a unique landscaped walking trail.