Q81046

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 "

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 stop

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 C

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