Sizzling Europe

Situated in the Walloon province of Hainut, La Louviere is a Belgium municipality which is the capital of the Center region.

It is a former coal mining area which is sandwiched between the Borinage to the West and the beautiful Pays Noir to the East. The city originated in the 12^th century when it was still forested, wolf-forested for that matter. La Louviere was originally named as Menaulu which means in old French as “wolf’s hair.”

It was in the 19^th century when the construction of roads, canals, and railway was implemented. It is currently the fifth largest city in Wallonia. There are numerous chapels and churches in the city which date from 13^th century to 16^th century. The four hydraulic boats found in La Louviere lift on the old Canal du Centre and these connect the Meuse River to the Scheldt. The double elevators which date from around 1900 were named by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in the year 1998.

la louviere, belgium, destination