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tourism

Katy Holliday
Modest: A table of
wab tools and a makeshift
display are currently
the extent of the
mines’ tourist facilities

I
t’s Sunday afternoon and I’ve just jumped off the bus in
Spiennes. I walk through the sleepy village looking out
jean louis dubois

for the occasional confusing signpost to point me in the

right direction. The only human activity I see is a man
walking his dog. Crossing a bridge over the small stream of
the River Trouille, I find simple farmland in quaint, peace-
ful countryside. Bright yellow wildflowers dot the meadows
where fat cows laze and horses graze.
As I walk up a quiet one-lane road, there is no sign or wel-
coming board at my destination. In fact, I feel quite lost. All
I can see is a few parked cars in front of a derelict portable

Katy Holliday
toilet (the extent of the WC facilities) and an abandoned
shed erected from sheets of corrugated iron overgrown with
weeds and shrubbery in a state of neglect.
I’m at the Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site that dates back 6,000 years. The site’s
tourism is as primitive as the mines themselves. Fortunately,
Jean-Louis Dubois, vice-president of the Société de Recher-
che Préhistorique en Hainaut (SRPH), had sent me all the
information I needed to get there.
Walking onwards, I hear a few murmurs and laughter
through the bushes and follow the sounds to the entrance of
the site – a shabby fence once again overgrown. People wear-
ing safety harnesses are grouped underneath the roof of a
small makeshift shack of corrugated iron. A wooden shelf on
the back wall acts as the museum display, with a modest col-
lection of Neolithic tools consisting of a polished stone axe,
core blades, antler picks and a few hand-drawn diagrams.
It’s the very opposite of the flashy tourism package you

might expect from a
World Heritage Site.
The entrance to the
mine shaft looks like a
well. A ladder protrudes
from within. Visitors in
single file are hooked
up by the harness to
a lengthy rope and
descend the long, rusty
ladder eight metres into
the dark pit.
Jean-Pierre Joris
greets me in French. He

The skeletons of a Fact file The declaration in
This Neolithic period is referred to as the year 2000 by
young girl and her the ‘Age of the Polished Stone’ UNESCO protecting
the Spiennes mines
newborn baby were The site was mined 6,000 years ago, for was highlighted by
2,000 years three main criteria:
found, suggesting the 1) They provide
It is the largest and one of the earliest exceptional
pair did not make it concentrations of ancient mines in testimony to
Europe early human
through the birth inventiveness and
It covers approximately 100 hectares of application

g
Underground,,
has been at the mines downland (open chalk hills) 2) The arrival of
since 1953 and began the first excavations and tours on the Neolithic cultures
site. He is also the president of the SRPH. He summons Michel It comprises eight to 11m deep tunnels marked a major
Woodbury, a photographer-cum-archaeologist employed by (some as deep as 16m) and a large milestone in
the Walloon region for more than 10 years, to begin the Eng- network of horizontal galleries human cultural
lish tour with me. and technological
Reaching the bottom of the abyss, I’m in complete dark- Thousands of shafts were drilled development, vividly

overground
ness while my eyes adjust. Light from the shaft entrance illustrated by the
casts down and bounces off the white chalk walls. Woodbury Miners began by the River Trouille, but vast complex of
explains that this is how the Neolithic miners worked, rely- quickly realised the flint tunnelled back ancient flint mines
ing on the reflective capabilities of the chalk. Fire would have much further at Spiennes
used up their precious oxygen. 3) They are
Dark days: Woodbury reconstructs life in Neolithic times, when whole Older flint mines are known in Italy in outstanding
The caves oak forests were removed with their polished stone axes to the Gargano area (La Defensola A site) examples of
were lit only practise agricultural activities. These technologies that took where mining was practised as early as Neolithic mining
by reflections millennia to cross from the Middle East into Europe sub- 5800-5600 BC of flint, which
fom the walls stantially increased standards of living. Despite the wealth marked a seminal
Once the heart of a Neolithic community, now a little-known tourist attraction: in trade and culture, times were still hard and the shafts

g
In 2003 a new flint mine was discovered stage of human
– fire would
have used up Spiennes’ subterranean heritage should be overlooked no more were sometimes used as graves. The skeletons of a young girl near Madrid (Casa Montero) and was technological and
and her newborn baby were found, suggesting the pair did dated back to 5400-5200 BC, making it cultural progress
the oxygen
Katy Holliday not make it through the birth. Woodbury turns the artificial older than Spiennes

26 - Summer 2010 Summer 2010 - 27

 
wab tourism
Other World
Heritage Sites
in Wallonia:
The four hydraulic boat-
lifts on the Canal du
Centre (Hainaut):
Representing the 19th
century’s industrial land-
scape, these four hydraulic
boat-lifts are an engineer-
ing masterpiece. They
are the only remaining (of
eight) boat-lifts in the world
from their time still in origi-
nal working order. The lifts
operate when two ships
are secured and locked
into two basins side by
side. Both basins are filled
with a little water, one with
more than the other, which
acts to push the other boat
upwards through hydraulic
power. The lifts were
necessary because there
is a rise in height of the
canal in a short distance.
If you’re a keen walker,
you can amble down the
4km promenade that runs
beside the canal for a
chance to see the four in
action.
The Belfries: Belfries
were built between the
11th and 17th centuries
and are fine examples of
Roman, Gothic, Renais-
sance and Baroque styles
of urban architecture.
There are seven listed
belfries in Wallonia, with
the majority being listed
by UNESCO in 1999. The
belfry of Mons is the only
one in Belgium built in the
Baroque style, classically
decorated, and the belfry
of Tournai is the oldest in
Belgium. Charleroi has
the youngest. Belfries
are said to represent the
wealth and influence of
the town.
For a full listing of Bel-
gium’s UNESCO World
Heritage Sites, go to
www.whc.unesco.org.
28 - Summer 2010
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agend a
A summer of festivals awaits visitors to Brussels and Wallonia, by Sarah Crew
OPT-RicardodelaRiva
lights on, revealing an incredibly complex network of hori-
zontal galleries and shafts. He explains that the mines are
an “engineering genius” and were over-exploited for 2,000 Wallonia Les Ardentes July 8-11
years. The miners excavated the flint stone with red-deer Summer in the ‘passionate’ city of Liège wouldn’t be com-
antlers for picks (sharp and durable) and recycled the waste Street Arts Festival of Chassepierre August 21 & 22 plete without dropping in on the popular electro-rock fes-
chalk by stabilising the foundation beneath them with it. Head south to the picturesque Gaume region and enter the tival in Parc Astrid. Now in its fifth year, it keeps getting
It created beautiful archways and pillars that, Woodbury magical world of this international street arts festival. For bigger and this year features more than 80 Belgian and
muses, they never saw. two days, the whole village is international artists. The musi-
It was “a collective experience of several generations of taken over by acrobats, jugglers, cal line-up includes Babysham-
miners, a mining tradition that was handed on from father to actors and fantasy creatures bles, Charlotte Gainsbourg,
son, and it shows us that they were a specialised community intent on entertaining young and Cypress Hill, Erykah Badu,
who exploited the flint mines and made tools out of them. It’s old alike. Considered one of the Birdy Nam Nam, Jamie Lidell,
the beginning of civilisation,” he says. most beautiful villages in Bel- Xavier Rudd, N.E.R.D. and
“Here it is possible to get rare materials important for the gium, Chassepierre, near Floren- Missy Elliott. Off-stage attrac-
economic life of the time. We think that the flint exploitation ville, has outstanding views of tions at the Meuse riverside
stops with the appearance of metal work – copper and then the Semois valley and Ardennes park include global cuisine
bronze – 2,000 years BC,” he continues. forests. Take advantage of the stands in La Route des Saveurs.
The chalk waste also makes an excellent source of trapping two-day event and pitch a tent at www.lesardentes.be
Masterpiece: information. “Archaeologists are able to make a reconstruc- the festival campsite on the banks
the Canal du tion of the environment, and get a picture of something that of the Semois river.
Centre boat-lifts happened 6,000 years ago. We found the people themselves, www.chassepierre.be Dour Festival July 15-18
their tools, their vessels, their meals and so on.” This is the biggest festival gig
OPT-JPRemy
Indeed, a picture is painted of Neo- in Wallonia, with 200 alterna-
lithic life that almost seems present Festival de l’Eté Mosan tive rock and pop bands taking
still. Woodbury informs me that the July 16-September 4 to the stage at Dour in the Hai-
“It was a mining
Katy Holliday
mining settlements were made in naut region. Attracting the
“clans”. Families lived with other For a lyrical stroll along the Meuse hottest up-and-coming names
tradition that was families in dwellings of up to 40 valley, don’t miss the annual eight- with genres ranging from punk
metres long. It was a “collective life: week festival that combines a to techno and hip-hop, Dour is
handed on from living, sharing and working together” promenade tour of the region’s also the place to party, with per-
to share the wealth of the mines. architectural heritage with an formances running until 5.00 in
father to son. It’s All this exploration of an important equally diverse musical pro- the morning. Belgian favourites
part of our world history leads me to gramme of orchestral, choral and Absynthe Minded and Sharko
the beginning of wonder why the City of Mons is not chamber concerts and piano recit- are among the line-up.
exploiting the mines some more with als. Celebrating its 34th edition, the www.dourfestival.be
civilisation” a well-managed tourism project. festival commemorates Pergolese,
I pose the question to Woodbury Alessandro Scarlatti, Chopin, Schumann and Albéniz. The Brussels
and the answer is rather exciting. opening concert links up with Dinant Jazz Nights for a per-
Couleur Café June 25-27
The Walloon region and the City of Mons with the support formance by Steve Houben and continues with appearances by
of Europe (Fond de Convergence) are preparing to launch a Queen Elisabeth competition prize-winners, Baroque music, This annual Brussels festival retains its African and Car-
pavilion over the mines aimed for 2015, when Mons will be string ensembles and children’s performer Geneviève Laloy. ibbean roots while still delivering an eclectic world music
the European Capital of Culture. The pavilion will include The Mosane valley offers a lush and varied landscape and this bonanza of hip-hop, reggae and rap. Heading the line-up
a museum with perhaps the remains of the skeletons, the is a rare chance to discover hidden architectural jewels such as are Snoop Dogg, Nas and Damian Marley, with Mexican
miners’ tools, the production workshop and archaeological Roman churches, ancient abbeys, historic castles and bucolic acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela plus Congolese artists Papa
research and analysis in multimedia presentations. And of farms. Wemba, Staff Benda Bilili, Baloji and Fredy Massamba.
course with all this will come the advertising that is absent www.etemosan.be Expect an exotic flavour at the festival site in Tour & Taxis.
at the moment. www.couleurcafe.be
Currently, there are approximately 1,000 visitors annually
to the mines, including student excursions, and admission is Dinant Jazz Nights Festival July 16-21
generally limited to the first Sunday of every month. When As the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxo- Bruxellons! Theatre Festival July 13-September 25 
asked why a full-scale tourism operation was not already in phone, Dinant has long been a beacon in the world of jazz. Launched more than 10 years ago to provide performing
place, Woodbury answered, “We could supply more informa- Its foremost event is Dinant Jazz Nights, a summer festival arts fans with a theatrical fix during the otherwise quiet
tion [to the public] but it’s not so easy to handle tourists with- staged in the idyllic setting of Saint-Norbert park in the gar- summer season, Bruxellons! is now firmly established in the
out the infrastructure, but when the pavilion is in place, there dens of the historic Leffe Abbey. The festival’s godfather is city’s French-speaking theatre calendar. With
will be a team of specialists to welcome the tourists.” Manu Katché, a French musician of Ivorian origin. As one of 12 shows and four premieres, the 2010 edition
Until then, I would advise getting to Spiennes before the the most celebrated contemporary drummers and songwrit- promises a feast of entertainment in the mag-
coach tours arrive to destroy the serenity. Take advantage of ers, he has played alongside some of the top rock, pop and nificent Karreveld Castle in the northern sub-
a fleeting opportunity to see the Neolithic flint mines in their jazz names since the mid-1980s, including Peter Gabriel and urbs. The programme is packed with comedies,
original, rustic environment. Sting. Joining him in the event is jazz diva Dee Dee Bridge- from Molière’s Le Malade Imaginaire to Dieu du
water performing Lady Day, her Billie Holiday tribute, along Carnage, the razor-sharp satire by Yasmina Reza
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with Belgian favourites Steve Houben, Philip Catherine, the that has wowed audiences across the country.
Towering: The For information on how to get to the site or to book Eric Legnini Trio and Jan Garbarek Group, plus tributes to Another attraction is the lakeside setting, the
belfry of Mons a tour, contact Jean-Louis Dubois via the SRPH web- Michel Petricciani and Claude Nougaro. perfect spot for a pre-theatre aperitif or buffet.
site, www.minesdespiennes.org, or call 065.35.34.78 www.dinantjazznights.org www.bruxellons.net
Summer 2010 - 29