Waterschei

Story of place by the girls:

Waterschei is first and foremost the cité, the garden neighbourhood with its green spaces, characterful homes and mining heritage. A place with a strong identity, Watiska, 3601, where diversity, multilingualism and living together are part of everyday life. People feel at home here, you can knock on anyone’s door, it feels like family. Neighbours know and help each other, and celebrate together. That warmth and sense of connection may be Waterschei’s greatest strength.

Secondly, there is Thor Park: the former mining grounds where energy is once again at the centre. Where the mine once shaped people’s lives, new stories are now emerging around innovation, education and technology. Here, Waterschei’s mining past and its future come together.

And thirdly, there is Stalenstraat, the local shopping street that is deeply connected to the mining community. Its shops, smells, languages and cultures reflect the many communities that have shaped Waterschei. Turkish, Italian, Greek, Moroccan, Belgian, Bulgarian and many other stories meet here.

Waterschei is therefore more than a place: it is a community that carries its past while looking towards the future. It is the green spaces, heritage, diversity, local organisations and, above all, its people that make you feel accepted and at home.