The Mine Museum is situated at the former mine site of Beringen Belgium and is in full development. It consists of unique historical buildings form a wonderful setting to relive the mining past of yesteryear. The coalmines play a major role in the history of Limburg. In Beringen the mining past is still very present. The former mining settlement was almost fully preserved and is a gem of industrial archaeology. The first coalmine was dug out of the Campine subsoil in 1901. Coal production reached its peak after World War Two and lay at the basis of the economic development of Belgium. In the late 1950s coal had to deal with competition from cheaper sources of energy. To limit loss, the various mines merged in ‘NV Kempische Steenkoolmijnen’ in 1967, but closing down became inevitable. The last Limburg coalmine closed in Zolder on 30 September 1992.
