Choose your country/language to continue your visit

Pictogram identifying a member of the VISITWallonia.be Pass
  • Attractions
  • Museum or Interpretation Centre
  • Industrial heritage
  • Minin heap

Listed by UNESCO as one of the major mining sites in Wallonia, the Bois du Cazier is a particularly touching memorial. Located South of Charleroi, this preserved industrial heritage site stretches along 26 hectares. A remarkable orientation trail has been designed to present its 3 heaps and architectural features.

Thanks to an IOF (International Orienteering Federation) map featuring the relief, vegetation, constructions, visitors can explore the site, looking for markers. The latter will give information on the mining site, including their biotope structure.

Bois du Cazier

Please accept marketing-cookies to watch this video.

A remembrance place

The Bois du Cazier highlights immigration and conditions of industrial workers. The site is known as the location of a major mining disaster on August 8th, 1956, with 262 killed. The victims came from a wide range of countries, 35 different ones in total, the majority being Italian.

The site, closed in 1967, was left abandoned for years before being revalorised thank to European funding. It opened to the public in 2002 as a touristic attraction and memorial, a place part of the industrial history of Wallonia. Following its motto "The past, present for the future", it offers a didactic trail dedicated to coal, iron and glass, showcasing human know-how with its many successes and failures.

The museums

The Bois du Cazier shelter permanent and temporary exhibitions in the following buildings:

  • The Musée de l’industrie, which features tools, machines used for mining, steel works, offers incredible insight into the workers' life.
  • The Musée du verre, where you can admire a selection of glass pieces produces in Belgium between in the 19th - the beginning of the 20th century, as well as more contemporary masterpieces

The digital touch

Why not download the Bois du Cazier app to explore the site? There are 4 itineraries to choose from:

  • The fun trail: designed for families with children 6-12 years
  • The off the beaten path: featuring 20 amazing points of interest on the site
  • The heaps trail: to discover the flora and fauna of the site

Families

  • Mini Miner leaflet: a playful way to explore the site
  • Orienteering trail: a real challenge but not a sporty one, everyone can go at their own pace
  • Family walks: the site is or
     

The Bois du Cazier is a wonderful mirror of an industrial expertise but also of its failures: a fascinating page of Wallonia's rich history.

 

We do our best to keep you informed. It's best, however, to check the latest news with the attraction you are visiting, or operator you have booked an activity with. Read our travel advice.
This information is given for indication purposes only, best to check with the site you hope to visit before heading there - by phone, email, social media or simply by visiting their website.

VISITWallonia.be Advantage Pass

Your Advantage Pass

Official logo of the VISITWallonia.be pass

-10% off the individual rate

Offer valid until 31/12/2024 according to opening hours, excluding events and on presentation of the VISITWallonia.be Pass. This offer cannot be combined with other offers from the partner.

Wallonia has developped Access-i, a network gathering sites offering facilitie and/or services dedicted to Travellers with special needs. Click here to see the details for Le Bois du Cazier.

Services

Outdoor catering - Indoor catering

Equipement

Cafe - Daylight - Shop - Training materials on request - Training materials provided - Car parking - Motor Home parking - Cycle rack - Parking - Restaurant

Animals

Pets allowed

Visites

Guide available/groups - EN - FR - IT - NL - Audioguide/mobile app/tablet

VISITWallonia.be Pass

VISITWallonia.be Pass

Enjoy Wallonia for less with our selection of special offers.

Get your Pass
Brochures

Brochures

Wallonia, Destination Nature

Download