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Via de Stationsstraat 124, 3665 AS

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Uitkijktoren - Uitkijktoren

Uitkijktoren

Fietsen en wandelen door het Nationaal Park - Fietsen

Fietsen en wandelen door het Nationaal Park

Toegangspoort Station As - station As

Toegangspoort Station As

André Dumont Monument - Monument Andre Dumont As

André Dumont Monument

Heiderbos - heiderbos

Heiderbos

Tuinwijk - Tuinwijk As

Tuinwijk

EnergyVille - 1

EnergyVille

EnergyVille unites several research institutions for sustainable energy and intelligent energy systems. EnergyVille strives to rank among the top five in Europe in the field of innovative energy research. It concerns a major redesignation of the former Waterschei mining site.

Terril en picknickplaats Thor Park - Picknickplaats Thor Park
Copyright Kris Van de Sande

Slag heap and picknick spot Thor park Waterschei

The spoil tips in Genk are real beacons in the landscape. Do you know how they came about? These ‘mountains’ consist entirely of piles of waste rock removed from the different layers of the coal veins. If you see a spoil tip, there used to be a mine in the vicinity! These ‘waste mountains’ unexpectedly created their own microclimate, enabling you to discover a wide range of unique plants and animals over there today. The spoil tip was declared a protected landscape in 1999. You can climb to the very top. Don’t forget to wear sturdy shoes.

Thor is a very special urban park, noted for (among other things) its various cycle trails, footpaths and picnic spots. It’s a relaxing environment for employees on the site, but also for those living round about and for visitors who want to experience the area’s natural beauty.

Thor Park Waterschei - thor 1

Thor Park Waterschei

Heritage and nature converge in Thor Park. Begin your visit at Thor Central, the main building on the site of the former Waterschei colliery, before setting off to explore the surrounding area with its imposing spoil heap, footpaths lined with little stone men and attractive picnic spots.
The 30-hectare Thor Park is part of the magnificent Hoge Kempen National Park. You can explore the park either on foot, or by bike using the Limburg bicycle network. The Schansbroek (stream), the Klaverberg (inland dunes) and the Kolenspoor (coal railway) are all nearby. The remarkable landscape is a combination of rare flora and fauna, magnificent industrial mine buildings and the garden suburbs. Hence the application for their classification as UNESCO world heritage.
Imposing spoil heap
Thor Park’s old Waterschei spoil heap, made up of waste rock adjacent to the coal seams removed during coal mining, is a nod to Genk’s rich mining history. In 1999 the spoil tip was given listed status, but you can still climb it. Just follow the little stone men to the top. You can contribute your own little stone man. At the top of the tip, you are rewarded with a breathtaking view of the impressive colliery and the KRC Genk football stadium.
The 11 walks map
To make the Thor Park area accessible to the public, eleven new walks ranging from 2 to 16 km have been mapped out. They are outlined in the handy THOR PARK map of walks, a total of more than 40 km of signposted footpaths. Information about the area is also provided. The map is available from F&B outlets at Thor Central, the main building on the site next to the C-mine Visitor Centre, or online via the National Park webshop.

Thor Central - Thor Central

Thor Central

Thor Central is an impressive industrial building which was given listed status after the closure of the mines. The option of turning the site into a technology park came up when looking for a new and meaningful use for Waterschei colliery, one that would give this magnificent building a bright new future.
Thor Central is now the beating heart of the Thor Park site. The Food Plaza is worth a visit in its own right, with the Partaasch restaurant and Lampada brasserie open to the public every day. The building is also well equipped for corporate events with meeting rooms, an auditorium, central reception and even a crèche. Exhibitions and events are organized here on a regular basis.

The Arch - The Arch

The Arch

The Berlin artists’ collective ConstructLab designed a wooden construction and lived in it for four months while developing a building brick from plastic waste. Genk citizens, visitors and chance passers-by were invited to make a brick from plastic bottle tops which were used to cover a 7-metre-high, participatory artwork called ‘The Arch’.

Mijndepot Waterschei - Mijndepot bezoek

Mijndepot Waterschei

Fancy a unique visit to the Waterschei mine building? You can! Go on a trip in spring and summer with a former mine worker. He intersperses the tour with his personal stories. You will learn all about Genk's rich past and its mine site during the exhibition ‘Mijndepot’ with film and image material and objects from the mine.

Steenmannetjes - Steenmannetjes

Little stone men

On the path to the right of Thor Central, 12 little stone men or small piles of basalt mark the shortest route to the top of the spoil pit. The principle is simple: you walk from one heap of stones to the next. Everyone will come across them at some point, suddenly and unexpectedly. And you are duty-bound to add your own little stone man!

Christus Koningkerk - Chirstus Koningkerk

Church of Christ the King

The Church of Christ the King, a so-called ‘mine cathedral’, is located in the garden suburb of Waterschei, near Waterschei coal mine. The colliers would come here to pray for their safe return and to seek comfort when a fellow miner failed to do so. The church was designed by Gaston Voutquenne and built between 1935 and 1936. It is a yellow brick cruciform church with a distinctive tall, slender tower crowned with a dome. The concrete skeleton has anchored the church, like the headframes, in the landscape for many years.

Casino Modern - Casino Modern Waterschei

Casino Modern

Don’t be mistaken, Casino Modern has nothing in common with Casino Royale. You will not find any roulette or poker tables here. The ‘casinos’ built by the mine managers served as community buildings and meeting houses of the mining region. Casino Modern is nowadays a theatre with boxes and a foyer and a workshop for visual artists (FLACC). The building also features a café and an exhibition space.

Tuinwijk Waterschei - Tuinwijk

Tuinwijk Waterschei

When you walk through Waterschei garden city, you will discover just how much of a cultural melting pot Genk truly is. Go for a stroll through the middle class suburbs in the mine cities and discover in the main shopping streets a huge variety of shops, restaurants and clubs from the different nationalities that have coloured Waterschei garden city over the years.

Stalenstraat - Stalenstraat

Stalenstraat

Stalenstraat was constructed to connect the mine with the garden suburb in the heyday of black gold. As such the street attracted a great deal of pedestrian traffic and became a flourishing commercial and entertainment centre. You’ll still find small shops of every description, including ethnic fruit and vegetable shops selling Greek and Turkish specialities. A feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds! The many cultural clubs of various nationalities add a further touch of colour to this convivial working-class street.

Oekraïens-katholieke Kerk - oekraïens-katholieke kerk

Ukrainian Catholic Church

The Ukrainian Catholic community purchased an empty lodge called ‘Terminus’ belonging to Waterschei coalmine and turned it into the Josyf Slipyj centre to a design by E. Lambrechts. The space for the congregation and the altar space are separated by an iconostasis painted by Sister Elisabeth of the ‘Vita et Pax’ priory in Schoten in 1960. The Byzantine-style stained-glass windows were made by Armand van Rompaey between 1990 and 1992.

Mijnkathedraal Sint-Albertuskerk - Mijnkathedraal zwartberg

Zwartberg Mine Cathedral

One of the nicest examples of architecture from Genk's mining past is the mine cathedral. Be sure to have a walk inside, as it was designed by Henri Lacoste, one of the leading architects of his time.

Go back to the golden years of the mines. In those days the mining companies in Limburg had churches built in all the cities. You immediately understand why they were given the name 'cathedral'. They are true giants. The majority are made of brick, with the exception of the Winterslag cathedral, which is made of natural stone.

What you need to make sure you see in Zwartberg mine cathedral are the crystal stained glass windows by Val-Saint-Lambert. These are not the usual glass in lead, but massive chunks of coloured crystal. As a result, people from Genk also call the mine cathedral 'the church with 7,000 sparkling crystals'.

Tevhid Moskee - Tevhid Moskee

Tevhid Moskee

In 1964 the Turkish miners came together on the Paul Lambert Avenue in a wooden building. Now here is a nice building with minaret. This is a tower from which the imam calls the faithful to prayer. At the back of the mosque you see a bulge. This is the niche where the imam stands for leading the prayers. This nis is facing towards the East, in the direction of Mecca.

Museum van de Mijnwerkerswoning - museum van de mijnwerkerswoning

Museum van de Mijnwerkerswoning

The Museum of the miner's House is in the heart of the old garden district around the former pit Limburg Maas. The double House was built in 1925 and is a fine example of the English ' garden city-architecture '.

Tuinwijk Zwartberg - Tuinwijk Zwartberg

Zwartberg City Garden

The garden city – often referred to as a ‘cité’ - built in Zwartberg was a copy of the garden suburb in Seraing [Province of Liège]. The plan consisted of a circular ‘square’ - Place Cockerill - with a statue of industrialist John Cockerill. This was the Cité-Noord (North) where the mine’s executives had their houses. There was a clear hierarchy between the Cité-Noord and the Cité-Zuid (South), which consisted of small workers’ houses. They all had a garden, of course, because garden suburbs had to earn their name! The two cités were separated by a railway line.

Hoevenzavellaan - Hevezavellaan Zwartberg

Hoevenzavellaan

Under the influence of the mines Hoevenzavellaan became an important commercial street in Genk and a multiculinary working-class street in Zwartberg. Thanks to its tapestry of diverse cultures, it boasts a wealth of multicultural food shops selling herbs and spices, tapas, fresh pasta and heavenly wines... They include a large number of Greek outlets, so if you come shopping in Hoevenzavellaan you are guaranteed a taste of the sun on your plate! Anyone for a souvlaki?

Je ticket voor een ruimtereis - 360° shows in Kattevennen

Je ticket voor een ruimtereis

Bospark Cultureel centrum met de directeurswoning - bospark

Bospark Cultureel centrum met de directeurswoning

The House was built in 1912 for the mine Director; They got the classic place, opposite the main entrance of the mine. When the demise of the mining shafts, turned out to be unsuitable for the place remained for the directors House preserved. the first Director-Manager that this property involved was the Walloon mining engineer Adolphe Demeure. Now this building is located in Restaurant de Mangerie and business House. Behind the former Director's home is the forest park, an area of five hectares consisting of trees and flowers.

Koninginnepark met standbeeld Koningin Elisabeth en kiosk - standbeeld Sint Elisabeth in het park

Koninginnepark met standbeeld Koningin Elisabeth en kiosk

On 16 October 1922 brought her Majesty Queen Elisabeth Eisdense a visit to the Garden District. The descent of the Queen in the mine at the time made such an impression on the people that built a park with the statue of the Queen. The image is of white Carrara marble, In the Queen's park is also a kiosk where numerous events take place

Wandelgebied Connecterra - Connectera

Wandelgebied Connecterra

Schachtbok - Schachtbok Eisden

Schachtbok

Terril - 1

Terril

Toegangspoort Connecterra - Maasmechelen - Lange Terill

Toegangspoort Connecterra - Maasmechelen

Mijnmonument in Zwartberg - Mijnmonument Zwartberg

Mine monument

Did you know that on October 1st 1966 Zwartberg was the first of the seven Limburg mines to be closed? Industrial heritage was not a hot topic at the time so the whole plant was mercilessly razed to the ground. However, to commemorate it a mine monument was placed on the concrete slab which covers Shaft II. It features five mineworkers standing on and around the symbolic headframes. They embody the men who came to work in the mine from every corner of Belgium and Europe. Their descendants made the Zwartberg district their home and still live there today.

Emile Van Dorenmuseum: Huis van landschap en kunst - Emile Van Dorenmuseum

Emile Van Dorenmuseum: House of landscape and art

Late 19th century, the Brussels landscape painter Emile Van Doren built villa “Le coin perdu” on the hillside overlooking the Molenvijver pond.
Today this villa shelters the Emile Van Doren museum and tells the story of the old landscape painters and the artist village Genck in 1840-1950.
The museum does not only show old landscape paintings, it also commissions contemporary artists who are inspired by today’s landscape.

LABIOMISTA - Studio Koen Vanmechelen - 1

LABIOMISTA - Studio Koen Vanmechelen

With support from the city of Genk and others, Limburg artist Koen Vanmechelen is creating a fascinating ‘mix of life’ in a bid to establish a new and more sustainable balance between man and nature, a place where biological and cultural diversity can flourish. Known as LABIOMISTA, it will occupy the site of the former Zwartberg mine and zoo.
The site is still under development but is due to open to the public in June 2019.

LABIOMISTA stands for connection.
Koen Vanmechelen’s wonder lab. A garden of order and chaos, an arena of culture and nature.
A park where animals (and people), plants, fungi, bacteria and sculptures enrich each other. Visible and hidden, under our feet and over our heads. Diversity as the foundation for sustainable living.
Present, past and future. Domestication and de-domestication. Heritage, nature, (living)art, architecture. Artist, city, communities, industry and nature. Each part communicating with the others.
“LABIOMISTA is looking to inspire a new generation to find sustainable ways to create a new society based on the idea of biocultural diversity.”
– Koen Vanmechelen
NOMAD LAND
The allotments on Meeuwerstraat are just a stone’s throw from LABIOMISTA. There is a strong physical link, but also a conceptual one. Nomad Land is a place created with the help of the local community and for the local community. It is a place where events can be held, a place of encounter. With F&B, a new picnic spot and the space to accommodate food trucks and to stage events

Ontdek de Vennestraat: Straat van de zintuigen - Vennestraat muurschildering

Discover the Vennestraat

What makes Vennestraat so special? The diversity! The cross-fertilisation of cultures has resulted in the creation of atmospheric restaurants, cafés, traditional and specialised shops, galleries and creative undertakings. Thanks to the mines’ cultural injection, this street has become Winterslag’s cosmopolitan artery.

Sint-Barbarakerk - Sint-Barbarakerk

Saint Barbara church

The parish church was built by the order of Saint Barbara the mine company and was designed by architect Auguste Van nieuwenborg from Uccle. It is dedicated to Saint Barbara, patron saint of the miners. the Church was built in neo-Gothic style as a building filled with brick walls of reinforced skeleton show. The Church is 56 metres long and has a 53 metre high tower. The red and blue in the beautiful stained glass Windows was initiated on the red and blue in the glass windows of the Cathedral of Chartres.
The Saint Barbara Church is only accessible at Eucharist celebrations or with guide. This is the Foundation to book through Heritage Eagle

Maasmechelen Village - Omgeving

Maasmechelen Village

At the crossroads of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, Maasmechelen Village is home to more than 100 boutiques offering leading local and international brands at reduced prices all year round. Brands like Guess, Escada, Karen Millen, Ted Baker, UGG® and Swarovski are available with savings up to 60% on the recommended retail price. Shopping is a real pleasure here thanks to the spacious 21st-century village-style setting that lends itself to a relaxed and stress-free atmosphere. And with glorious countryside, picturesque villages, historic cities and fine gastronomic heritage nearby, make your visit to Maasmechelen Village part of a longer stay in the region. With more than 1600 free parking spaces and less than an hour's drive from Brussels, Antwerp, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Maastricht, this relaxed and sophisticated shopping haven is easily accessible.

Het Kruinenpad - Kruinenpad

The Kruinenpad

As of the dike of the Zuid-Willemsvaart, you will leave for a unique adventure, literally being ‘a high-level experience’. The Tree Crown Path passes through the crowns of the trees and is a real elevated bridge installed in the mine subsidence area. This unique trail provides a privileged view of the remarkable consequences of the mine subsidence in a beautiful setting. But your eyes will also be popping out of your head with all those birds and insects between the trees. The Kruinenpad is 181 meters long.

The Kruinenpad is located between cycling junctions 48 and 55.
Do you want to discover the Kruinenpad on foot? Follow the red-blazed trail (14km) from RivierPark Maasvallei, departing from Leut.

Do you want to visit The Kruinenpad by car? Park in parallel at the end of Kerkhofstraat in Eisden-Dorp and walk towards the canal dyke. Attention! Do not park past the barrier even if it is open.

Free admission.
Open every day, from sunrise till sunset.

Kerkschatten Sint-Catharinakerk - Digitale tafel kerkschat Maaseik

Treasury of Saint-Catherine's Church

SS Harlindis and Relindis lived in idyllic Aldeneik, where their father Adelhard founded a convent for them in the 8th century. Valuable art treasures from this period, such as Anglo-Saxon textiles (the oldest surviving examples ot their kind) and Codex Eyckensis (the oldest illuminated manuscript in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg), were donated to this convent. In 1571 these precious objects were transferred to St Catherina's Church, where they are on show to visitors along with many other treasures: a silver altar cross by Maaseik-born Frederik Malders (17th century), several early medieval reliquaries...

C-mine designcentrum - Designruimte

C-mine Design Centre

The C-mine design centre provides a platform for inspirational design projects by young designers as well as established companies. Be sure to keep an eye on the calendar so as not to miss the exciting design exhibitions and shows regularly held here.

C-mine expeditie gezinsspel 'Waar is Cyriel?' - C-mine expeditie

Fun treasure hunt 'Where's Cyriel?'

Who is Cyriel? What did he do in Winterslag mine? And where is Cyriel now? You will find the answers to all these questions during this fun game. Hold on tight, as you will dive below ground in the corridors of the C-mine expedition, no less than 6 metres deep!

You will gather tips through a range of activity tasks. They will allow you to find the answer to the question 'Where's Cyriel?' Unravel the mystery and - who knows - you might just win a medal for your performance!

The game is played in the C-mine expedition and is suitable for children aged 6 to 12 years. (only in Dutch)

Do you want more inspiration? Contact us and we will help you.

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