Day stacker Genk

FROM HEATHLAND THROUGH COAL MINING COMMUNITY TO MODERN GREEN CITY

16 km

This hiking trail follows the GR 5.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, Genk was a heathland with ponds and marshy areas in the lower-lying regions. However, in 1901, the first coal seam was discovered during a test drilling. Around the coal mines, Cités (the districts of Waterschei, Winterslag, and Zwartberg) developed, which went through their own evolution. They are the reason why Genk has such a crazy structure with a center and scattered residential neighborhoods. In 1966, the Zwartberg coal mine closed, followed by the other coal mines in the 1980s. The fairy tale of black gold was over, but fortunately, the green had remained despite industrialization. The people of Genk are birds of various kinds: a third have foreign roots, spread across about sixty nationalities. So a visit to Genk also colors your day internationally!