When Limburg became the El Dorado of Belgium at the beginning of the 20th century, coal mines sprang up like mushrooms. In their wake, garden suburbs and engineers' and directors' homes were built.
In the French coal basin of Nord-pas-de-Calais, Germany's Ruhr and Saarland, England, Wales, and Belgium, coal was brought to the surface in hundreds of coal mines for many years. Today, coal mines have become heritage sites or have been demolished.
When Limburg became the El Dorado of Belgium at the beginning of the 20th century, coal mines sprang up like mushrooms. In their wake, garden suburbs and engineers' and directors' homes were built.
At the place where the Leuven professor of geology and mining, André Dumont dug up the Limburg soil from 1901 to find coal, a monument commemorates his find.
The monumental coal preparation plant of Beringen is the showcase of the Beringen coal mine. Yet the four wings of the complex were threatened with demolition for years. However, in 2023, the be-NATURE project was given the green light.
A Monnoyer-type water tower stands in the shadow of the headframe and compressor building of the Helchteren-Zolder mine.
On the eve of the reconversion of the ruins of the Hasard coal mine in Cheratte near Liège, the imposing concrete headframe was demolished.
In Pontypridd, in the heart of the Welsh coalfield, is Hetty Shaft, one of the three mining seats that was founded by the Great Western Colliery Company.
When you say Wallers-Arenberg, you immediately think of the infamous cobblestone section in Paris-Roubaix bicycle road race, but Arenberg is also the name of the coal mine site located on the forest's edge.
Get the latest stories straight to your inbox
Latest from the blog
Once a year, the Arenberg coal mine and two abandoned railway bridges play a starring role during the passage of the spring cycle classic: Paris-Roubaix.
All photos and stories are copyrighted. Of course, linking to articles on the site is possible and allowed.
If you would like to use photos or articles from this website, please contact bart@hiddenmonuments.com.
© 2003-2026 Hiddenmonuments.com