188 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp268–9 and pp294–5

The gigantic Ascenseur Funiculaire de Strépy-Thieu at Canal du Centre

Musée Royal de

Mariemont w

Chaussée de Mariemont 100,
Morlanwelz; 24 km (15 miles) W
of Charleroi. Road Map C3.
Tel (064) 212193. @ # Tue–Sun.
& 0 http://www.musee-mariemont.be

Built in 1975 in the pleasant
Domaine de Mariemont, a
large park with an arboretum,
this uncompromisingly
modern museum is home to a
major collection of decorative
arts. The estate once belonged
to a castle built in 1546 by
Mary of Hungary. This was
des troyed by the French
Revolutionary Army in 1794,
and its ruins can be seen
today. Another mansion,
con structed by the Warocqué
family of industrialists in the
20th century, was also
des troyed, but many of its
con tents were saved. Today,
the museum also has sculpture
and artifacts from ancient
Egypt, Greece, the Far East
and Gallo-Roman times;
illu minated manuscripts; lace;
and the world’s largest col-
lection of Tournai porcelain.

Canal du Centre t

Rue Tout-y-Faut 90, Houdeng-

Goegnies; 3 km (2 miles) N of La

Louvière. Road Map C3. Tel (064)

847831. n Place Mansart 21; (064)


847832. 8 Apr–Oct: Tue–Sun (boat
        trips). http://www.canalducentre.be

Forged between 1882 and

1917, Canal du Centre was

used to transport raw materials

and goods to the North Sea,

France and Germany. The

original canal tackled the 68-m

(223-ft) rise in the land with a

series of locks and four hydrau-

lic boat lifts spread over 7 km

(4 miles) between Thieu and

Houdeng-Goegnies. Boats –

one going up and the other

down – enter a pair of metal

counterbalanced containers.

As water is pumped, one rises

and the other goes down.

After nearly a century, a

more efficient system was

devised for a new cut of the

canal designed to take the

1,350-tonne (1,330-ton) canal

boats of the modern era. Here,

the rise of 73 m (240 ft) is

dealt with by a single huge

Écomusée Regional

du Centre r

R St-Patrice 2B, Houdeng-Aimeries;

4 km (3 miles) NW of La Louvière.

Road Map C3. Tel (064) 282000.

# mid-Apr–Oct: daily; Nov–mid-Apr:

9am–5pm Mon–Fri. @ & 9 -

http://www.ecomuseeboisduluc.be

This industrial heritage site of

note has been in existence for

over 25 years, recalling the

long history of coal mining in

Belgium (1685–1973) and at

the St Emmanuel mine in

particular. It features the pater-

nalistic industrial village that

was created here, with its

La Louvière e

20 km (12 miles) NW of Charleroi.
Road Map C3. * 77,000. £ @
n Place Mansart 21-22; (064)

261500. http://www.lalouviere.be

The town of La Louvière was
once the hub of the coal and
steel enterprise. Industrial her-
itage is a big theme here, but

the town also has art centres.

The Centre de la Gravure et

de l’Image Imprimée mounts

exhibitions of engravings and

prints and also has a

collection of 5,000 prints. The

Musée Ianchelevici, in the

former law courts, celebrates

the life and work of

Romanian-born scul ptor Idel

Ianchelevici, who came to

Belgium in his youth.

E Centre de la Gravure et

de l’Image Imprimée

Rue des Amours 10. Tel (064)

278727. 
        

        during exhibitions

        
        

        only: 10:30am–5:30pm Tue–Fri. &
        http://www.centredelagravure.be
        E Musée Ianchelevici
        Place Communale 21. Tel (064)

        
        


278728. 
        

        2–6pm Tue–Sun.

        
        

        http://www.ianchelevici.be

        
        

orderly grid of more than

166 miners’ dwellings, plus

shops, a church, schools and

an infirmary. Offices, work-

shops and equipment stores

cluster around the mine

shaft that descends 558 m

(1,830 ft) below the surface.

Pillars and sphinx – ruins of the old
castle at Domaine de Mariemont