Charleroi

Understand

History While there are remains of human settlements dating back to prehistoric times across Charleroi, it is actually a rather new city. It was only created in 1666 when the Spanish, who then controlled the Low Countries, started building a fortress there. It is the then King of Spain, Charles II, that the name of the town alludes to. This is why the inhabitants of the town are often called Carolos. The city was created at the beginning of a turbulent period, when it saw itself being turned over many times between the Spanish Crown, France, the Netherlands and the Austrian Empire, before finally becoming a part of the independent Kingdom of Belgium in 1830. It was only then when Charleroi became a boom town, as the local supplies of coal fuelled rapid expansion of mining, metallurgy and glass manufacturing. Charleroi and the neighbouring municipalities saw an influx of immigrants from all over Europe, especially Italians. This community remains highly influential to this day. This all came to a halt following the rapid decline of mining and heavy manufacturing in the area following World War II. From the 1970s up until the late 1990s, Charleroi was battling rampant unemployment, urban decay, and poverty rates that had seldom been seen in western Europe, to the point where it was compared to many declining cities in the rust belt of the USA. But since the early 21st century, the city started reinventing itself, most notably as a hub for modern industries, such as bioscience, engineering, and healthcare. However, the biggest boost to the city came in the resurgence of its airport, which in turn encouraged the local government to invest in transportation (such as modernizing the railway station and upgrading the city's light rail system as a new metro) and tourism.

Comic strip capital Charleroi lays claim to being one of the birthplaces of the Belgian comic strip culture, as the Spirou magazine was published there first in 1938, featuring such popular comics as "Lucky Luke" and "Smurfs". This heritage is subtly reminded about throughout the city, e.g. at the metro station Parc you can see Lucky Luke murals, while further characters await for you at the Janson station.

Administrative organisation The present-day Charleroi municipality actually comprises much more than just the historic city of Charleroi - it has been expanded in 1977 to encompass fourteen other directly neighbouring and farther small municipalities around the city. Therefore, there are as many as fifteen former town halls and fifteen separate town centres across Charleroi. That way,

Getting there

By plane 1 Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL IATA) (a few kilometres to the north of the city). This airport is sometimes implied to serve Brussels even though the distance is some 55 km (34 mi). Ryanair and Wizzair both fly out of Charleroi to many European and North African destinations. Ryanair serves more than 100 routes from here. Getting there/away:

TEC, the regional bus company, operates a bus line A1 between the airport and the Charleroi-Sud train station. A ticket can be bought on one of the ticket machines on the bus stop near the train station or at the driver when coming from the airport. The ticket costs €6 (as of Apr 2025), the ride takes 17 min, operates half-hourly from 4:30 to 23:30; ticket allows transfers to/from regular lines on your outbound or return journey and is valid for 60 minutes. There are 2 other airport shuttles - A2 to Fleurus SNCB station, and A3 to Luttre SNCB station, these also cost €6. Bus routes and timetables. There are regular trains to Brussels and other Belgian destinations from Charleroi-Sud train station. From Fleurus SNCB, you can take a train to Ottignies and Leuven. From Luttre SNCB to Brussels and Antwerp. Flibco operates buses directly to the airport from Bruges, Brussels Midi Station, Ghent, Mons and Lille. A single ticket to Brussels costs €19.95, 1 hr; to Lille — €19-24, 2 hrs (prices as of Apr 2025).

By train 2 Central railway station (formerly Charleroi-Sud/Charleroi South), Square des Martyrs du 18 Août (on the other side of the Sambre river, opposite of the city centre), ☏ +32 71 602 294. There are self-service baggage storage lockers available, with the minimum rental time being 24 hours. Prices: €4.50/small, €6.50/medium, €9.00/large. Direct trains exist from Brussels (all stations), including Brussels Airport-Zaavantem, via the S19 train. (updated Jan 2025) Getting there/away: bus line A1 to the airport starts here. When coming out of the main building, keep left to reach the metro and bus stops.

By bus 3 Central intercity bus station (Charleroi Gare du Central), Rue de la Villette. Flixbus operates from this station couple of buses a day to Paris (4-5 hrs), Liege (2 hrs). (updated Jan 2025)

Getting around

On foot Charleroi's centre as well as the immediate surroundings can be easily explored on foot.

By public transport Public transportation in Charleroi is provided by TEC, which is a regional operator responsible for public transit in all of Wallonia. In Charleroi, they operate a light-rail Metro system and bus lines. TEC is an acronym for Transport en commun which means public transportation.

TEC Charleroi (City Bus service), Place des Tramways 9, Tel: +32 71 23-41-11 or +32 71 23-41-15 TEC Charleroi, Esplanade de la Gare du Sud, Tel: +32 71 23-41-11. Ticket office at the north-west corner of Charleroi-Sud railway station in the métro léger station.

By metro

Métro léger de Charleroi, which translates as "light metro of Charleroi", is a light rail system that is a combination of underground rail and street-level tram/light rail. In the city centre, it travels underground over a loop line, while going into the suburbs it becomes a ground-level light rail with separate right-of-ways or a street-level tram using the tracks of Belgium's former vicinal system. There are four metro lines in Charleroi, all sharing the central loop and branching out to various suburbs and even as far as other municipalities.

M1 and M2 travel eastwards of the centre sharing the route towards Anderlues M3 goes northwards to Gosselies M4 goes eastwards to the Soleilmont intermodal terminus in Gilly M5 was a line that was completed, but never opened, for a large portion of its route (and many stations abandoned). It sat abandoned for more than 40 years due to Belgian politics and funding issues, but construction resumed in 2024. It is forseen to open in 2027. The tourist office at the Charleroi-Central railway station has a pamphlet describing sites and an itinerary along the Charleroi-Pétria métro léger line. It is effectively a tour by tram. You will probably want a day-pass for such an itinerary. Despite the extensiveness of the system, there is no direct connection by metro to Charleroi Airport.

By bus There are also several bus lines running across Charleroi.

By S Train SNCB has five S Train lines in Charleroi. S19 connects with Bru Airport but also serves some areas west of the Bruxelles–Charleroi Canal. S62 serves the general northwest of Charleroi, S63 southwest, areas not served by the metro. S61 connects the northeast and southeast, areas not served by the M4 metro line. S64 connects the south with the central area.

By bike Unlike the cities in Flanders, it's rare to see any cyclists at all in Charleroi - by and large the locals prefer to drive everywh

See

Centre The centre of Charleroi is relatively compact and walkable, encompassed within a ringroad known as the Petite Ceinture de Charleroi. Because Charleroi is located on a slight hill, the northern part of the centre is known as Ville Haute ("upper town"), and the southern part as Ville Basse ("lower town").

Ville Haute The hexagonal Place Charles II marks the very centre of the city, featuring the uniquely eclectic Saint-Christophe church, which has seen additions from just about every architectural style since it was built in 1667, and the elegant town hall (Hôtel de ville) built in 1936 in an eclectic style mixing Art Deco with classicism. Its hind side faces the Place du Manège and features a tall belfry. On the other side of Place du Manège is the Palais des Beaux-Arts, featuring a Museum of Fine Arts. The Ville Haute features numerous wide, tree-lined boulevards. On one of them, in the former barracks, you can find Musée des Chasseurs à pied. Walking through the streets of Ville Haute you can admire the architecture of the golden age of Charleroi, which fell between the historicizing eclecticism of the late 19th century and Art Nouveau. Some of the more interesting buildings are the 'Maison Maison Dorée at 15 Rue Tumelaire and Maison des Médecins at 40 Rue Léon Bernus.

1 Musée des Beaux-Arts, Boulevard Mayence, 67 (near the police tower), ☏ +32 71 86 01 01, [email protected]. Jules Destrée Museum - dedicated to the notable Wallon politician - Hotel du Ville, Place du Manege, +32 71 86 11 32346 2 Musée des chasseurs à pied. Located in former barracks, this museum is dedicated to the history of the chasseurs, the Belgian rapid-action infantry who played a major and heroic role in the bloody fighting during the First World War. The barracks themselves are named after corporal Léon Trésignies, a chasseur hero of that period. 3 BPS22, Boulevard Solvay 22, ☏ +32 71 27 29 71, fax: +32 71 27 29 70, [email protected]. Temporary exhibitions of contemporary art €6 adult, €4 seniors, €3 students, under 12 free.

Ville Basse The most picturesque part of the Ville Basse is the Sambre, whose right (northern) bank features the tree-lined elegant boulevards Quai de Brabant and Quai de Flandre. The left (southern) bank is dominated by the Gare du Charleroi-Sud, the city's main train station, with an imposing historic building dating back to 1874, the middle of Charleroi's own golden age, and renovated in 2011.

South Two of the most interesting attractions in Charleroi are situated in the south of the municipality, in the former communes that were annexed

Do

Markets: If you are in Charleroi on a Sunday, do not miss the markets that spread out from Place Charles II over neighbouring streets. Cinéma Le Parc, Rue de Montigny 58 2338. A cinema. Football: Royal Charleroi SC, Les Zèbres, plays soccer in Pro League, Belgium's top tier league. Their home ground (capacity 15,000) is Stade de Pays de Charleroi, Rue des Emailleries, 500 m southeast of city centre. Basketball: Spirou Charleroi plays at the Spiroudrome in Belgium's top-tier basketball league. Hiking: Noticed the hills all around Charleroi? Most of them are actually slag heaps, a remnant from the mining industry. Called terril in French, some of them can be climbed for a great view over the city. One of the highest and most easily accessible is probably 1 Terril des Piges, which provides 360 degree views on a fine day; access is via Cour Rainchon, barely 10 minutes to the west of the city centre on foot. The first uphill path after leaving the carpark is steep and slippery after rain, but you can follow the main one, turn left once reaching the heap's backside and use stairs that have been installed for an easier ascent.

Buy

1 Tropica BD, Rue de Dampremy 39. The comic strip bookstore with a selection of albums full of Charleroi-born characters. 2 Ville 2, Grand Rue 143, ☏ +32 71 28 62 10. A mall just northeast of the centre. (updated Jan 2018)

Eat

Budget All these are in the city centre:

1 Le Chateaubriand, Rue de Montigny 16. (updated Feb 2023) 2 Sandwicherie l’Impériale, Rue du Mambourg 8. (updated Feb 2023) 3 Emirdag köftecisi, Bd Jacques Bertrand 51. (updated Feb 2023) 4 Cappadocia, Bd Jacques Bertrand 64. (updated Feb 2023) 5 La Petite Maison - Küçük EV, Place de la Digue 33 Kucuk Ev. (updated Feb 2023) 6 Makitime Charleroi, Rue du Pont de Sambre 6. (updated Feb 2023) 7 Shanghai, Rue de Dampremy 9. (updated Feb 2023)

Mid-range 8 Le Croc Midi, Rue du Calvaire 22a, 6041 Gosselies, ☏ +32 71 35 04 58, [email protected]. (updated Feb 2023) 9 La bouche des gouts, Rue Vauban 14. (updated Feb 2023) 10 La Brasserie de la Cour, Rue Emile Tumelaire 43. French restaurant (updated Feb 2023) 11 Le Cribbi, Pl. de la Digue 36. African restaurant (updated Feb 2023) 12 L'APtit restaurant, Rue du Grand Central 51. (updated Feb 2023)

Splurge 13 De Vous a Nous, 42 Rue du Grand Bry, 6110 Montigny-le-Tilleul, ☏ +32 71 47 47 03. In Montigny-le-Tilleul, a neighbouring commune south of Charleroi. 14 La Table de La Manufacture Urbaine, Pl. Emile Buisset 10. (updated Feb 2023)

Drink & nightlife

There are no water fountains in Charleroi, however the train station has a bottle refill station in the small passage connecting the main hall with the platforms.

Sleep

Given the short distances to other Belgian cities, most people staying overnight are likely to be passengers at "Brussels South" airport. There are no hotels at the airport terminal, and reaching those nearby is difficult without a car. However, several hotels offer shuttles to the airport.

1 ibis Charleroi Gare, 12 Quai de Flandre (facing the Gare du Sud and the bus station just across the river Sambre), ☏ +32 71 206060. Based in a historic building at the Quai de Flandre, this ibis hotel has an extremely convenient location. Inside, it is a standard ibis outfitted according to the brand's former standards. €59. 2 ibis Charleroi Aéroport, 590 chaussée de Charleroi, 6220 Fleurus (7 km away from the terminal at a motorway junction), ☏ +32 71 810130. €59. Hotel de la Basse Sambre, Rue de la Persévérance 19 (off N90 Rue de la Basse Sambre), ☏ +32 71 420168. Very basic hotel, good for main highway, and with luck you'll arrive not too many weeks after its sporadic clean. B&B double €50. (updated Sep 2019) Park Hotel Airport (formerly Piersoulx), Rue du Grand Piersoulx 8, ☏ +32 71 303140, [email protected]. Convenient mid-range hotel with 20 rooms just north of airport. B&B double €100. (updated Sep 2019) It might be possible to stay overnight in the airport terminal. The Gare du Sud station building is closed at night, so don't plan on staying there. The nearest youth hostels are in Mons, Brussels and Namur.

Go next

Thuin — an attractive town partly set on a hilltop. It is 20 minutes away by train from Charleroi-Sud station. For rail fans, there is a tram museum with operating historical trams.