Charleroi

Named after King Charles II of Spain, the largest city in Wallonia and the fourth largest city in Belgium has been known as an industrial hub and a destination for low-cost flights. Although Charleroi has been a settlement since the prehistoric times – its original name was Charnoy, it was only given city rights in the 17th century. Like most of the other areas, Charleroi was not spared from the ravages of sieges and wars – from the Dutch, the Spaniards, the French and then the world wars. What propelled its economic progress though were all the industrial activities which took roots in the area during the Industrial Revolution – glass production, metallurgy and coal-mining attracted migrants and fueled the city’s growth. Charleroi now has a population of about 220,000 called Carolos.

Because most of the city’s area is devoted to industrial commerce, tourism has not been a strong point. In fact, first-time visitors to the city might find it paling in comparison to the other metropolitan areas in Belgium. Still and all, the city has its share of interesting attractions. There are two city centers in Charleroi: the Ville Basse (downtown) and the Ville Haute (uptown). Some of the most famous museums in the city include the world-renowned Museum of Photography, the Musee des Beaux Arts which holds 19th and 20th century paintings, the Jules Destree Museum, the Musee du Verre or the Glass Museum and the Fine Arts Museum of Charleroi which displays works of Flemish and Dutch artists such as Rene Magritte, Pierre Paulus, Felicien Rops and Constantin Meunier. The belfry of the City Hall is one of the 56 belfries of Belgium and France named into the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Another place worth seeing is the castle of Monceau-sur-Sambre, an imposing 17th century castle complete with an English-style park. The castle is not open to the public but visitors can take a walk on the park.