You can book for this trip as long as the Book Now button works. For practical information, please click here.
“Yesterday” we visited the modern technology at the Electrabel nuclear power plant near Antwerp, today we are digging into Belgian industrial history by visiting a genuine coal mine. The roots of the Blegny Mine between Liège and Maastricht go deep. The first hole was dug in 1779 and operations went on until 1980, when the mine was closed down. Since then it serves as a touristic attraction and get consistently very high reviews (4.5 stars on TripAdvisor). And also our friends from Cheeseweb were impressed with their visit.
In 2012 the Blegny-Mine was ranked a UNESCO World Heritage site together with 3 other major mining sites in Wallonia: Bois du Cazier, Bois-du-Luc and Grand-Hornu. This is a recognition of the role the mine played in Belgium’s industrial history and an acknowledgment of the hard lives of the miners.
We are leaving a bit after noon from Place Schuman with a 4* luxury coach with on-board toilet, DVD system with several flatscreens, and comfortable reclining chairs with extra leg space. Along the way we’ll serve you some drinks and snacks and take care and arrange some on-board entertainment.
After arrival we’ll first visit the mining museum together with a professional guide. We begin with the video-show “A stone that burns” (20 minutes). The museum itself deals with eight centuries of coal mining.
After the museum it is time to go into the mine itself. Although the lowest part is over 500 meters deep into the ground, we will “only” go to 30 to 60 meters into the ground to explore the various tunnels and galleries. To ensure we are fully prepared we first have to gear up. Everybody must wear a special jacket and a helmet with a light.
During our tour a professional guide will walk us through the mine and shows us the various equipment that was used to knock down coal and various other machine. We will learn about what it was like to work in the “Black Holes”, how hard the work was.
The tour also allows us to see the washing and sorting equipment (not for the miners, but the coal). The process to create coal is maybe less obvious than you might think. So lets explore how it’s done and see some of the machinery in action. It may surprise you that virtually nothing has changed since the last load of coal was dug up in 1980, not even the lamps that continuously light up Saint Barbe, the patron saint of the miners.
You can book for this trip as long as the Book Now button works. For practical information, please click here.
“Yesterday” we visited the modern technology at the Electrabel nuclear power plant near Antwerp, today we are digging into Belgian industrial history by visiting a genuine coal mine. The roots of the Blegny Mine between Liège and Maastricht go deep. The first hole was dug in 1779 and operations went on until 1980, when the mine was closed down. Since then it serves as a touristic attraction and get consistently very high reviews (4.5 stars on TripAdvisor). And also our friends from Cheeseweb were impressed with their visit.
In 2012 the Blegny-Mine was ranked a UNESCO World Heritage site together with 3 other major mining sites in Wallonia: Bois du Cazier, Bois-du-Luc and Grand-Hornu. This is a recognition of the role the mine played in Belgium’s industrial history and an acknowledgment of the hard lives of the miners.
We are leaving a bit after noon from Place Schuman with a 4* luxury coach with on-board toilet, DVD system with several flatscreens, and comfortable reclining chairs with extra leg space. Along the way we’ll serve you some drinks and snacks and take care and arrange some on-board entertainment.
After arrival we’ll first visit the mining museum together with a professional guide. We begin with the video-show “A stone that burns” (20 minutes). The museum itself deals with eight centuries of coal mining.
After the museum it is time to go into the mine itself. Although the lowest part is over 500 meters deep into the ground, we will “only” go to 30 to 60 meters into the ground to explore the various tunnels and galleries. To ensure we are fully prepared we first have to gear up. Everybody must wear a special jacket and a helmet with a light.
During our tour a professional guide will walk us through the mine and shows us the various equipment that was used to knock down coal and various other machine. We will learn about what it was like to work in the “Black Holes”, how hard the work was.
The tour also allows us to see the washing and sorting equipment (not for the miners, but the coal). The process to create coal is maybe less obvious than you might think. So lets explore how it’s done and see some of the machinery in action. It may surprise you that virtually nothing has changed since the last load of coal was dug up in 1980, not even the lamps that continuously light up Saint Barbe, the patron saint of the miners.
