To export the millions of tons of coal produced in one of the seven Limburg mines, a coal railway line zigzagged from one coal mine to another.
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.
To export the millions of tons of coal produced in one of the seven Limburg mines, a coal railway line zigzagged from one coal mine to another.
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.
Get the latest stories straight to your inbox
Latest from the blog
On the occasion of International Art Nouveau Day, celebrated each year on June 10, a look at how this ornate architectural movement found its way into the most unlikely of places like coal mines, power stations, and railway yards and the long, sometimes heartbreaking battles to save what remains.
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