This well known sacred urban explorer pilgrimage
is the main focus of today’s episode.
The coal mine of Hasard de Cheratte is a site with a very long history
and by now it’s probably famous all over the world.
We were glad when we finally had the opportunity to see this place for ourselves.
But there was one tiny thing which we didn’t expect.
This coal mine was already a construction site.
After all these years of stagnation
building workers just started to break down the buildings a few weeks ago.
Well…
No problem for the adventurous Broken Window Theory crew!
A handful of construction workers can’t stop us from exploring a fantastic place like this!
The history of this coal mine in Liège actually dates back to the 1850s.
Back then the first shaft was dug to a depth of 250 meters.
Today the abandoned site is decaying.
Anyway, it’s hard to get in
because it’s tightly closed off for any kind of visitors.
...at least when you’re trying to enter from the street.
On the back there are some hills and no kind of barrier at all.
It's slippery here!
So we chose this way to sneak in.
The hills were actually pretty bold and the slopes were slippery too.
It was onerous but worthwhile
...as we found out later.
What makes this place so special is the remarkable historic architecture.
This coal mine looks like a castle to us.
Nice!
Dude, this looks so sick!
After an accident in the first shaft in 1877
this coal mine closed for the first time.
The old buildings were demolished around 30 years later.
Shortly after that this site re-opened and operated until 1977.
We noticed that the whole area is uncommonly small for a coal mine.
Surrounded by houses and the hill the site couldn’t really expand.
Also remarkable are the pithead baths.
In Germany for example the bundles of clothes get pulled up to the ceiling
but in this coal mine there are clothes lockers.
...for man and women.
So women worked in these mines too which isn’t very common in other countries.
It’s even said that women in the tunnels bring ill luck to male miners.
Dude!
There are four workers.
- Four in total? - I think so.
Two workers are next to the digger, one guy is operating it and the fourth one is sitting in the second digger.
Okay.
Fucking nice!
In total three vertical shafts were dug.
In the 1930s, the coal mine of Hasard de Cheratte reached its apogee with 1.500 miners.
Dude, look at this massive machine...
When it closed in 1977 around 600 people were employed.
Just look at how huge this nut is! It's as big as my hand.
I'm just glad we entered this site.
The access was super easy. Kinda felt like a mission of some sort of video game.
- It's like Assassin's Creed. - Yeah, or we're climbing like in Tomb Raider.
We are dodging people like in Splinter Cell.
- Looks like a knight's castle. - Yes! Like a keep or the tower of an evil magician!
We have to be more careful of where we're stepping.
I just saw a breach in the plates.
Right behind you.
We have to be careful with the steps.
Since 1997 this coal mine has been under monumental protection.
...which means nothing actually.
There were no signs of any maintenance measures or something like that at all.
Since the beginning of 2017 the remediation of this site is in full swing.
It is said that only some buildings
which are probably contaminated with asbestos
will be knocked down.
The heritage-protected part of this site
these are the buildings we have explored
won’t be demolished.
They will be refurbished in the future.
So after 40 years of decay the coal mine of Hasard de Cheratte finally gets a new purpose
and we can cross this site off our bucket list.
That's so nice!
A book and a coffee would be cool.
No, no, no, nonoNONONONONO!
OH SHIT!
FAIL!
- What was that? - My binoculars. They're still rolling down the hill! - NO!
WHAT'S HAPPENING!?
With that video clip I'm getting rich on FailArmy!
NO! I forgot to film that...
I don't know whether I filmed it or not...
But I just dropped my binoculars and I
...but I just found them.
I'm sure they're broken now...
They just fall down the hill.
They probably hit this stone wall too.
No way!
Dude...
As good as new!
THEY'RE ALIVE!
The exploration of this unique coal mine was a thrilling experience
and dodging the construction workers was fun too.
We hope you enjoyed our infiltration of this famous site.
Now only one more episode of our big urbex road trip that we took in February is left.
Don’t miss the big finale, you definitely won’t regret that.