In 1810, Henri De Gorge turned the coal mine of le Grand-Hornu in the Borinage upside down. From 1816, architect Bruno Renard was commissioned by the Gorge to build an industrial complex around an oval-shaped courtyard. Nearby, 450 workers' homes, a school and a library were also built. The Gorge dreamed of the ideal city for its workers. The Gorge's utopian mine remained in operation for nearly a century and a half, but coal production ceased in 1954.
Today, the former coal mine has been rebuilt from head to toe. Only the engine room located in the courtyard was preserved as a ruin. Since 2002, le Grand-Hornu has housed the MAC, the Musée des Arts Contemporains. The coal mine, together with three other Walloon mining sites, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2012. During the opening hours of the museum you can visit the outdoor areas (free of charge).
Source: Industriecultuur.be
Azure
| | Public | Danish • Dutch • French • German • Italian • Spanish
Address: Rue Sainte-Louise 82, 7301 Boussu, Région Wallonne, Belgium
Statistics
Select one of the most popular activities below or refine your search.
Discover the most beautiful and popular trails in the area, carefully bundled into appropriate selections.
Select one of the most popular categories below or be inspired by our selections.
Discover the most beautiful and popular attractions in the area, carefully bundled in appropriate selections.
With RouteYou, it's easy to create your own customised maps. Simply plot your route, add waypoints or nodes, add places of interest and places to eat and drink, and then easily share it with your family and friends.
Route planner
<iframe src="https://plugin.routeyou.com/poiviewer/free/?language=en&params.poi.id=8540910" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
More than 11,800,000 routes
More than 15,000,000 users
More than 4,500,000 points of interest
Kerkstraat 108
9050 Gentbrugge, Belgium
© 2006-2026 RouteYou - www.routeyou.com
