Charleroi

About Charleroi

Charleroi, on the river Sambre, is the third largest municipality and fifth-largest city of Belgium. It is in Hainaut province of Wallonia, the French speaking part of Belgium. A former mining town, it is viewed unfavourably by most Belgians, who often look down on Charleroi as a poor, polluted, derelict, and violent city that is not attractive at all. Nevertheless, Charleroi indeed has its share of attractions, including unique museums such as the internationally-acclaimed Museum of Photography. It played an important role in the development of the Belgian comic strip culture, and in the world of modern dance, Charleroi has also become an important place due to its yearly festival. Charleroi also sees a high share of tourist traffic among Belgian municipalities as it is the location of the low-cost "Brussels South-Charleroi airport". While most tourists head straight from the airport to Brussels and other locations in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, the city itself is worth a go as well.

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