This industrial city in Limburg has transformed from a coal mining center into a cultural hub, with C-Mine arts complex and three major Belgian football academies.
In Genk, a city in Belgium's Limburg province, you'll find art exhibitions inside the towering machinery halls of C-Mine, a former coal mine complex. You can cycle through water on Bokrijk's sunken bike path, walk past purple heathlands in Belgium's only national park, or watch craftspeople work in centuries-old buildings at the Bokrijk Museum. Many of the city's industrial buildings now house cultural centers and science parks.
What to See at Bokrijk Museum
At Bokrijk, you can walk through 150 authentic buildings from across Flanders, including farmhouses and workshops dating back to 1507. Watch blacksmiths forge tools, bakers prepare bread in wood-fired ovens, and farmers tend to vegetable gardens using historical methods. The museum spreads across woodland and ponds, with each section representing different regions and time periods of Belgian rural life.
Cycling Below Water Level
The Fietsen Door Het Water path splits a pond in Bokrijk, placing you at eye level with ducks and swans as you cycle. The concrete path sits 1.5 meters below the water surface and connects to Flanders' cycling network through numbered nodes. Many cyclists stop here to take photos of the water appearing to part around the path.
C-Mine Arts and Culture
Inside the 1900s Winterslag coal mine, you'll find theater spaces, design studios, and art galleries. The original engine rooms still contain massive steel machinery, while the 60-meter ventilation shaft now serves as a lookout point over Genk. Take guided tours to learn how this industrial site became a cultural center, or see rotating contemporary art exhibitions in the former machine halls.
Hoge Kempen National Park Trails
Walk through 5,700 hectares of pine forests, purple heather fields, and sand dunes in Belgium's only national park. From the Kattevennen entrance in Genk, follow color-coded trails ranging from 3 to 12 kilometers. The visitor center uses touchscreens and 3D models to explain how ice ages shaped the landscape. Climb to the 80-meter-high Lieteberg viewpoint to see across three countries.
Getting Around Genk
De Lijn buses run between all main attractions in Genk. Trains depart every hour to Hasselt, where you can connect to other Belgian cities. The Albert Canal carries cargo ships past the city's northern edge. A network of paved cycling paths links the main sites, and you can walk between central attractions in about 20 minutes.
Annual Events and Festivals
During the last weekend of June, Genk on Stage fills streets and squares with more than 100 free concerts. The May festival includes flower-decorated floats and evening fireworks. Carnival brings masked parades and street parties in the week before Ash Wednesday. In November, children carry paper lanterns through the streets during the Saint Martin procession, following a tradition that dates back centuries.
