HAINAUT TOURISM

Hainaut is home to an astonishing 20 UNESCO-listed sites and traditions—more than any other province. Gothic belfries tower above former coal basins, folklore erupts in the form of giants and unique carnivals, and modern cultural centres mingle with medieval fortresses. Mons is its cultural heart, surrounded by the Borinage and Pays Noir former mining areas, canals with engineering marvels, vineyards and Comines–Warneton exclave. Lakes, terrils, abbeys and repurposed industrial sites give Hainaut a gritty, compelling character that keeps reinventing itself.