Beringen is a small city of 44,000 inhabitants located in the Belgian province of Limburg. It is 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Dutch border and has a history shaped by coal mining and agriculture. The city center is anchored by the lively Market Square, with its Town Hall, centuries-old church, and cafes scattered with traditional row houses. The modest shopping streets and residential neighborhoods of Beringen have a mix of modern buildings and historic homes built of brick and whitewashed stone.
Beringen’s past as a coal mining hub starting in the 1900s is showcased at the be-MINE site, an impressive former mine turned multi-purpose hub. The towering black steel mine shafts now house a youth hostel, museum, and start-up offices innovatively carved out of the industrial infrastructure. The residential district of Blueberry Fields has streets lined with early 20th-century homes next to modern developments. Its unique name comes from the many blueberry bushes dotting the area’s fields and parks.
Where is Beringen?
Beringen is a city located in the Belgian province of Limburg and has a population of 44,000 residents. The city center of Beringen is around the Market Square (Marktplein), where the historic Town Hall (Stadhuis) and Church of Saint Peter in Chains (Sint-Pietersbandenkerk) are located.
Beringen is where be-MINE resides, which is a former coal mining site that has been transformed into a creative and cultural place. It is located at Koolmijnlaan 201 in Beringen. The facilities at the be-MINE site include conference venues, co-working spaces, a youth hostel, restaurants, and a museum about the mining history of Beringen.
The Blueberry Fields is a residential district in Beringen located to the east of the city center and has its own square called Blueberry Plein. The Blueberry Fields get its name from the many blueberry bushes that grow in the area. It consists primarily of detached houses and residential streets such as Blauwbessenlaan, Vlierbessenstraat, and Bosbessenstraat.
How can visitors get to Beringen?
Visitors can get to Beringen by car, public transportation, or bicycle. Firstly, Beringen can be reached by taking the E313 highway, which connects Antwerp to Liège by car. There is an exit to the E313 at Junction 29, and take the N72 towards Beringen. Visitors will follow the N72 for 6 kilometers (4 miles) before exiting onto the R11 ring road that encircles Beringen city center. There are parking facilities available at Market Square, the train station, and various other lots around Beringen.
Secondly, Beringen railway station in the city center has regular train connections to Hasselt, Genk, Leuven, and Brussels. The Market Square is a 10-minute walk from the train station. There are buses operated by De Lijn that provide service to Beringen from nearby towns and cities. Lastly, cyclists can reach Beringen via the F2 bicycle route, which connects Hasselt to Eindhoven in the Netherlands. There are also regional bicycle nodes that connect to Beringen, and there are bike parking available throughout the city center.
If the destination is be-MINE of Beringen, head east from the Market Square on Mijnschoolstraat, then take a turn right onto Koolmijnlaan and travel 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) until reaching the entrance to be-MINE. If the Blueberry Fields of Beringen is the target, take Koerselsesteenweg east from the Market Square, and after 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), turn right onto Bosbessenstraat, which leads into the residential district. The area is also accessible by bicycle via the F103 route.
What are the best attractions in Beringer?
Listed below are the best attractions for visitors in Beringer.
- be-Mine.
- Blueberry Fields.
- Lopifit.
- TODI Dive Center.
- Hall Alpamayo.
- Adventure Mountain.
- Slag heap Beringen.
- Sportoase Beringen and be-MINE Boulevard.
1. be-MINE
Be-Mine is an old coal mining site located in Beringen, Belgium. Converted into a tourist attraction, be-Mine offers visitors the chance to explore Belgium’s industrial past while enjoying contemporary amenities. The mining museum allows you to relive the history of coal mining in Limburg through interactive exhibits and anecdotes from former miners. For the adventurous, be-Mine’s mining ridge has been transformed into Adventure Mountain with mountain biking trails, a rope course, and Europe’s longest slide integrated into the landscape. The Todi diving center offers snorkeling with tropical fish and wreck dives in an indoor pool, while the Alpamayo climbing hall caters to both novice and expert climbers. Those seeking relaxation can unwind at Sportoase’s saunas and swimming pools or enjoy the shopping boulevard’s diverse retail options. Be-Mine provides something for everyone with family-friendly activities for all ages. The site can be visited year-round, though winter months offer special events like ice skating at be-Mine on Ice. Contact Tourism Beringen to inquire about guided tours and discounted tickets to fully experience this one-of-a-kind preserved mining heritage site.
The be-MINE site of Beringen is open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, including access to the buildings housing the youth hostel, restaurants, conference rooms, and exhibits. There are guided tours of the mining museum that are offered on Saturdays at 2:00 pm and Sundays at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm.
Blueberry Fields of Beringen does not have specific opening hours, and Blueberry Plein Square is publicly accessible at all times. The facilities in the district, like the pharmacy on Bosbessenstraat, are open on weekdays from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, with shorter weekend hours.
The Beringen Mijnmuseum (Mining Museum) located at be-MINE charges an entrance fee of 5 € ($5.60, £4.50) for adults, 3 € ($3.35, £2.70) for children ages 6 to 17, while seniors ages 65+, and children under 6 are free, which gives access to the Beringen Mijnmuseum exhibits and a guided tour of the coal mine buildings.
The “regular” museum consists of different exhibition rooms that tell the story of the mine of Beringen, but also of the other mines in Belgian Limburg, from their opening until their closing. It explains their historical context and zooms in on individual mine workers’ stories.
I’ll never forget the little suitcase hanging from the ceiling that was gifted by Rocco, a 90+-year old former mine worker.
The underground simulation gives visitors an idea of what it was like hundreds of meters below the ground. It shows them what the most important underground halls and chamber of the mine looked like and under what circumstances the miners had to work. Super interesting and quite confronting as well to see what kind of work people were willing to do in those days – and probably still are in other corners of the world.
The old mining buildings guide you along the same route the workers had to take to go down into the mines and come back out again.
What’s especially striking is how, as you make your way through the different rooms, you can see what time the workers would be there. In only 17 minutes, 1.000 workers arrived, got ready, and descended into the mines while, at the same time, the previous shift of 1.000 workers got up again.
It’s incredible to see and learn how efficiently everything was organized and which control and security systems were in place.
I saw an old mine train taking some kids for a ride, a narrow wagon to transport the injured, and held my hands to my ears when the sound of just one drill gave me an idea of how loud it must have been in the mines when not one, but 50 workers or ore were drilling.
A visit to the Mine Museum is a real must and easily takes up a morning.
Individual visitors can freely visit the regular Mine Museum. The underground simulation can be visited with a guide three times a day.
2. Blueberry Fields
Blueberry Fields is a 22 hectare natural estate located in Beringen, Belgium. The fields lie right next to the nature area called the Valley of the Black Creek. Twelve hectares are covered with blueberry plantations interspersed between pastures like a patchwork quilt. All blueberries are handpicked and a portion of the harvest is processed onsite into products like jam, juice, wine, and tea.
Blueberry Fields is a family-owned company specialized in growing and manually processing blueberries. Part of its fields is reserved for people from the area (or beyond) who come to pick their own berries and when I was there, so were a bunch of people gathering the blue goodies. If you’re more into the result than the process, then you can simply buy some berry products at the store or enjoy some blueberry pie at the large terrace. Blueberry Fields also sells blueberry plants for those interested in growing their own berries.
People should visit to walk the short hiking trails running through the plantations and nature area. Informational signs detail facts about blueberries and trees. Visitors can also pick their own berries in summer, shop for products, and relax on the cafe terrace. The food truck offers blueberry-inspired dishes as well. Experiencing the peaceful, picturesque landscape is a highlight.
June through August are ideal times for activities like self-picking berries, enjoying food and drinks outdoors, and taking part in seasonal events. The plantation and trails are open year-round, however, for walks. Guests can learn about blueberry cultivation during winter as well.
3. Lopifit
The Lopifit is a mix of a bike and a treadmill. In fact, it’s a bike with a treadmill. Instead of cycling forward, you walk forward. While standing on the bike.
Because the Lopifit is a bit less flexible than a regular bike (it’s larger), the tourism board created three specific routes that you can follow with it.
You can rent a Lopifit at the tourism office, as well as regular bikes, electric bikes or tandems at the tourism office.
4. TODI Dive Center
Dive Center TODI is unique. Yes, you can learn how to dive there, but that isn’t all. The water tank is filled with more than 6 million liters of water. That’s almost three Olympic swimming pools.
More than 2.000 tropical live in the tank and swim past car wrecks, a copy of a mining hall, and an underwater bar.
The whole compound sits comfortably under a roof and the water is a consistent 23°C.
At TODI, both beginning divers as advanced divers train and enjoy themselves. If diving isn’t your thing, you can also get a full-face mask to go snorkeling.
Want to stay dry or short on time? No worries, the tank actually sits at level two and three of the building and you can walk up the stairs and around it to look at the fish through the glass. So cool!
On the ground floor, there’s a bistro where you can end your visit with a snack or a drink (or both ;-)).
I had a drink elsewhere at be-MINE, though…
Prices at TODI depend on the activity you’d like to do, when you’re going, whether you need to rent equipment and if you want a diving insurance.
5. Hall Alpamayo
Climbing hall Alpamayo is located in what used to be the mine’s electricity central and that’s still visible when you enter the cafe. Buttons, meters and electricity cabins are stacked along the walls while control panels make up the bar.
Because the cafe is at a height of six meters, you can see right into the climbing hall through plexiglass and even from a little open balcony.
The climbing hall itself has about 1.300m³ of climbing space and a maximum climbing height of 18 meters. Both beginners and expert climbers come here.
You can pay per visit, for multiple visits at once or get a subscription. It’s also possible to rent climbing gear on-site.
6. Adventure Mountain
The Adventure Mountain lies on a slag heap. On one side, the heap is covered with a “climbing and crawling” adventure route up the mountain and a staircase leading to the top, from where you get great views of the entire mine site.
On the other side of the heap lies a mountain biking field with both an easy and a very technical, heavy route.
The Adventure Mountain is freely accessible from sunrise to sunset.
7. Slag heap Beringen
There’s another slag heap nearby that’s a nature area with walking routes – yes, also to the top. The top offers a great view of Beringen and the mine site in the distance, as well as of the rest of the surroundings.
The path is wide and easily walkable, though it can get a little steep sometimes. Not hard to manage, but you might have to catch your breath when you reach the top. Not that I’d know anything about that :-)
The slag heap is freely accessible. You can walk there from be-MINE or park at the free parking lot right in front of one of the entrance paths at the bottom of the heap, at Orgelwinningstraat 62.
8. Sportoase Beringen and be-MINE Boulevard
There are two other spots at be-MINE that you can get active at, but I hadn’t had time to visit those. One is Sportoase, a sporting complex mostly known because of its many swimming pools. The other is be-MINE Boulevard, a small shopping street.
Are there any tours available to Beringen?
Yes, there are a few different guided tour options available to explore Beringen. The Beringen Tourist Office offers 90-minute walking tours of the city center on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm, and cost 5 € ($5.60, £4.50) per person and take visitors to sights like the Market Square, St. Peter in Chains Church, and historic buildings.
Be-MINE guided tours of the former coal mining buildings and mine shafts are provided daily as part of the admission to the Mijnmuseum. These tours last 45 minutes and are offered in Dutch and English. Be-MINE also offers conference and event space with optional tech tours showcasing the innovative transformation of the mine infrastructure.
Blueberry Fields, on the other hand, does not have formal guided tours, as it is primarily a residential neighborhood, however, the Beringen Tourist Office provides a self-guided walking tour pamphlet of the district highlighting architecture and history. There are also cycling tours along the F103 bike route that also pass through Blueberry Fields.
What is the highlight of a visit to Beringen for a tourist?
The be-MINE site is a top attraction in Beringen. Visitors can tour the former coal mines and learn about Beringen’s mining history at the interactive Mijnmuseum. The buildings also showcase adaptive reuse with cafes, a youth hostel, and creative workspaces built into the old mine shafts and towers. Be-MINE provides a look at Beringen’s past economy and future potential. The Market Square (Marktplein) is the central highlight of Beringen’s city center. It is surrounded by historic buildings like the Stadhuis and Sint-Pietersbandenkerk, and the lively square hosts markets, events, and cafes. The Blueberry Fields offers a scenic residential area for walking and cycling tours. The neighborhood’s unique history as a 15th-century agricultural hamlet that expanded into a mining community can be explored while admiring the architecture and natural beauty. Some of the Beringen highlights include the century-old beech forest at Koersel Kapelleke, the green corridors along the Kleine Beek River, and the Paasfoor fun fair during Easter. The high-quality beer at authentic Bruin cafes and dining at restaurants like L’Artista and De Elders are also tourist draws.
Is Beringen child-friendly?
Yes, Beringen is a child-friendly city, especially with attractions like be-MINE and Blueberry Fields providing fun options for families. The city center has pedestrian zones around Market Square, making it easy for families to stroll through safely. The annual Paasfoor fair has rides and games tailored for children, while museums like the Mijnmuseum offer interactive exhibits, kids’ workshops, and reduced pricing for children’s tickets. Beringen parks, such as the Koersel Kapelleke Forest and the mining museum grounds, provide space for outdoor play.
Be-MINE is very child-friendly, given its transformational concept blending education, creativity, and youth-oriented accommodations. The museum brings history to life through simulations and recreated environments ideal for kids. Be-MINE also hosts child-centered festivals and events, with nearby dining, playgrounds, and grassy fields, making it an engaging place for families. Blueberry Fields’ residential setting has low-traffic areas perfect for cycling, playing, or taking peaceful walks. The neighborhood’s fancy street names, mixed with the historic architecture, create an imaginative backdrop.
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Tony Toto says
I enjoyed this article and how you showed the revived mine with all the amenities. I know you didn’t climb the wall but I would think you had a slice of blueberry pie.
Sofie says
Hey Tony!
I actually did not have any blueberry pie. Can you imagine? :D