The building of these collieries began in 1860. Closed in 1977, the coal mine in Cheratte belonging to 'Les Charbonnages du Hasard' still retained 600 miners, but during the production peaks this number was over 1500. It was the first coal exploitation electrically powered in Belgium.
Thirty years later, the site is still here, right in the middle of the small town of Cheratte. Everything has been left there, and the cultural heritage of this site is incredible. These abandoned places have been sold to a private owner that let sadly everything rust, although the site was listed as an historical monument in 1982.
Remains go from the miner safety helmet and gas mask to the workforce archives. Local associations fight for the rehabilitation of the site but unfortunately nothing happens.
The site itself is composed of nice medieval-like buildings. We visited it luckily on a sunny morning and enjoyed it. To explore it all, you would need a couple of days...
Could someone please tell me if it's possible to enter the tunnels where they used to dig. Or if you have to go down like you had to do with the elevator. Now if it's possible can someone please explain me how you get there because it may be hard to find and I really want to see them
Hi! I would appreciate contact from people who where there! thanks in advance!
phisjol at gmail.com
it's still possible to have a look there!
I'll go for my 3th time within a couple of weeks!
Cheers & enjoy the exploration
PS: mind for the gaps & the iron stairs! Those aren't stable anymore, everything in conrete is quite safe!
Do you leave in Belgium? I would love to organize a day trip there, I left the subscription to this conversation, anyone interested feel free to reply and we will find a way to get to each other
Somebody went there recently? Still possible to have a look there?
I go next week. I hope to see nice things here on the pfoto's it looks good
Yesterday we are on the Area. Its really nice to take Photos. The Entrance to Mountain (in German "Stollen" or "Gallerie" in French is open.
It was magnificent experience getting inside the buildings and tower. November 24, 2013 was my first real urbex experience which convinced me to go out to deserted places more.
Contact me for more details
I visited the coal mine on the 31st of August. I entered through the forest behind the buildings, quite steep path on the way down so be prepared. Once you enter you are gonna be amazed by the rich cultural heritage and terrific industrial relics of this site. I highly recommend it. Find more about my visit here: urbanmethexis.wordpress.com Enjoy!
Visited this place yesterday (13.05.19) and it is a great location for making pictures. The so called concierge however is a fraud. He pretended to have a key to unlock the lock hanging at the gate but the key didn't fit and he blamed kids for putting glue in the key lock. He cashed 50 euro and promissed to be back at a certain time to have the gate realy open, however he never showed up again. Lucky for us we did not pay the whole amount of money he asked us to pay. But don't let this stop you to visit this location, there certainly must be other ways to explore this great place. But be on the look out for holes. Take your time as we only stayed here for 1 hr to continue our tour to Liege, 1 hr is really not enough to explore this great place.
scary beautiful I was there a month ago. We saw it from autobahn on our way to liege. So we left the road and tryed to the mysterious buildung. It was quiet easy to find it. As we arrived we searched for a way to get and maked some picture from the front. And the a man looked from his window through as and asked if we want to get in. yes, of course was our answer and then he camed out and we talked a little bit and he told us that he is the concierge of the building. he had the key and for a little bit money, he opened the door for us. I dont know how to contact him again and I think that he wasnt an offical man or something like that. But whatever! It was amazing! But if you go there you really had to look where you go and be careful. Sorry for my bad english
I went there yesterday, the buildings are really easy to enter, you can either walk around to the back of the forest like mentioned below through a little garden next to a monument on rue de belle fleur, or climb over the front, probaly best to enter through the back and leave over the front. once you walk around the back theres no problem about entering, its a really nice place to visit, lots of buildings and loads to explore. also to get there without a car you take the 140 bus from liége guillemen, enjoy it while it lasts! we were a ease when we were there as there were other people taking photos aswell!
Is the building still there? is the Building near the road or somewhere else? because when I look at Google maps I only see a vast open field and some housing next to the road or am I looking in the wrong place?
Ive been there a month ago , all doors locked up , enterance in the front was blocked bij fences and big chainlocks ... Started to rain pretty hard and didnt want to get my gear sooked ... There's indeed a path next to the mountain that gets you in cheratte , its verry steap
I considered to go to Traindepot @ Montzen , Cheratte will be on my list soon ...
Visited hasard cheratte couple of weeks ago.. It's still accessible by different ways.. 1 is to walk through some kind of garden and walk your way up the mountain at the right side of hasard cheratte.. Other is the 1 Lina, 2 comments below me has explained.. through a small path leading from the mountain behind..
I've taken the first way going to hasard cheratte.. and the 2nd leaving.. Both quite easy to do, 2nd is just a bit more safe as you don't have to walk through a garden..
The site itself is great to visit, I also came across another urban explorer during my visit!
I really recommend this site for every urban explorer who has got the chance.. It really is easy to visit compared to some other sites.. and it's really easy to find as well!
I was there just a month ago. Saw it from the expressway and it was quite difficult to find the building. After i was there, i asked a neighbour how its possible to come in and he showed me the normal entrance and told me that i just jump/climb over it.
This was very easy. Inside the location, it was just fantastic. Unfortunately i had no time, cause i was on my way back to germany. I was there for about 40 Minutes.
There is a way in, not an easy way though! You have to get up on the small mountain behind the building and then take a small path leading down to the place. It's very steep, so make sure you have good shoes with you! I was there last week, and the place is still fantastic! There seem to live some people there now and then though. A friend of mine went in to a room that was cleaned and it was obvious that someone lived there. We also heard a few times that we weren't alone in the building.
Thanks for Forbidden Places, it's always wonderous to pop in now and then and catch up with your new explorations and adventures (those feisty Catalonias are fun!) or just to look back on the archives. Great stuff, keep diggin'!
Amazing pictures - I guess places like that are hard to find outside of Europe...
gorgeous... I recently photographed some abandoned buildings as well. but none of them compare to THIS ONE you were sooooooooo lucky to have entered the place
@ Matthias ..... Cheratte betritt man nicht durch die Türe... ;-))
Been there on September 13, 2009 and haven't found a way in.
Every gate, door or window is locked with brand new locks and/or chains
would like to see more of this one if you get a chance---- I didnt feel like I saw enough of it somehow---but as always the pics you got were great
No way inside? come on Sometimes the doors are even open
You can find adress of lots of locations with the google map tool on the website. Just drive to a street close to the arena and open your eyes ! Also where checking out lots of locations this week , so if any one wants to join , just let me know
Went to the mine , but there was no way inside , 2 all the people that are planning to head over there in the future . There were papers on the gate , that they have got plans to demolish ( But i were pappers of jan 2008)
I would really love to go to several places mentioned at this website, but unfortunally the most of them are without any adres. Sometimes (but really rarely) at least with a map.
It would be great to have city, street / houseno. and roughly area discription.
My last trip to Liége cost too much time regarding to the fact that we had to asked at least 8-10 people to find the old barracks.
Thanks in advance.
What a nice walk down memory lane for my landlady to see her dad's workplace.
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