Charleroi Car Hire

Guide of Charleroi

Geography

Charleroi, situated on the Sambre River, is the fifth-largest city in Belgium after Brussels, Antwerp, Liège, and Ghent. It is a city and a municipality in the Belgian province of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut. Charleroi's terrain was shaped by the valley of the river Sambre, which runs west to east until meeting the Meuse near Namur.

Climate in Charleroi

Charleroi, like the rest of Belgium, has an oceanic climate. It has mild, partly overcast summers and lengthy, extremely cold, windy, and gloomy winters. The annual average temperature ranges from 1 to 23°C.. Travelling to Charleroi in the late summer or early fall allows you to take advantage of the city's many outdoor activities.

Culture

The town is named after Charles II, King of Spain at the time. Because of this, the locals are commonly referred to as Carolos. In 1830, the city became a part of the newly independent Kingdom of Belgium, having previously changed hands numerous times between the Spanish Crown, France, the Netherlands, and the Austrian Empire. It wasn't until the city's local coal reserves sparked a fast rise in mining, metallurgy, and glassmaking that Charleroi became a boomtown. European immigrants flooded into Charleroi and the surrounding cities.

Things To Do in Charleroi

Visit the iconic BPS22

Charleroi, the capital city of the Belgian province of Hainaut, is home to the incredible BPS22 art museum. Located in a glass and iron factory that served as the Walloon Art Palace for the 1911 Charleroi exposition, the museum is now a protected historic landmark. Photos, paintings, and installations by a wide variety of artists from Hainaut are on show over its about 2,500 square metres of gallery space. In addition to its more traditional exhibitions, BPS22 also presents more experimental events that forge connections between the visual arts and other forms of performance and expression, such as music, theatre, and dance.

Check out the Glass Museum

Charleroi is home to a museum dedicated to the exploration of the industrial and aesthetic histories of glassmaking. Once upon a time, Charleroi was renowned for manufacturing some of the world's highest quality glass. You may learn everything about that time period and glass production in general from the Glass Museum. Located in a renovated lamp shop, this museum features both ancient Egyptian glass bottles and contemporary glass sculptures that visitors may try their hand at blowing. The museum displays works of art from all around Europe and illustrates how glass may be worked with and the processes involved. Both real artefacts and digital displays are on show.

Walk the Comic Strip Route

Fans of comic books are going to really like this two-kilometre route in Charleroi. Murals and sculptures may be observed at various points along the walk. The first issue of Spirou, a Belgian comics magazine containing characters like Lucky Luke, The Smurfs, and the title character himself, Spirou, was published in Charleroi in 1938, making the city a significant part of the development of Belgian comics culture.

Eating Out in Charleroi

You may not immediately think of Charleroi as a culinary destination. However, because of its significant industrial history, the city now offers a wide variety of international cuisines. Charleroi is a working-class city, so there is no shortage of inexpensive restaurants. 2 Fenêtres is situated in the heart of Charleroi, and serves substantial Italian fare. The restaurant is vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free meals may be prepared daily upon request as well. Chez Duche, owned and operated by Christophe Duchêne, serves high-quality French food at affordable prices, but it fills up fast so reservations are recommended. The equine fare served here is a speciality of the establishment. At Restaurant Chermanne, Chef Stéphane Chermanne earned at Brussels' renowned Comme Chez Soi, and his years of expertise there are evident in the restaurant's superb fare. The chef tends his own garden, so he always knows when it's prime time for everything he's using. The ambience is homey and romantic, making it a perfect date spot.

Transport

Airport

Though it is about 55 km away, Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) is often assumed to serve the city of Brussels (34 mi). Both Ryanair and Wizzair operate flights from Charleroi to dozens of cities around Europe and North Africa.

Getting Around Charleroi

The Charleroi South railway station, on the other side of the Sambre River from the city centre, serves the city as its primary rail hub. From this point, you may take the A bus to the airport. TEC, a regional operator responsible for public transit in all of Wallonia, is in charge of providing public transportation in Charleroi. Charleroi has a light-rail Metro system and bus routes. Car hire is also a popular option among business travellers and those on a tight schedule.