Follow in the footsteps of VINCENT VAN GOGH around the Borinage area of Hainaut, Belgium

This 'terril' overlooks the city of Mons, and is the largest of the series of 'mountains' created from mining waste that are found throughout the Borrinage. Getting to the top is a real challenge.

The Malogne nature reserve is a former phosphate mine that closed down in the aftermath of the First World War. The location now offers remarkable views and an abundance of walking routes.

The RAVeL, an acronym derived from the French for "Autonomous Network of Slow-paced Routes" is dedicated to a gentler kind of travel. It combines towpaths, service roads for waterways and disused railway tracks.

Having previously built a church with twin steeples, the parish priest, Charles Mahieu, went on to build a replica of the Lourdes Grotto. The grotto opened on 16 August, 1903, and hosts numerous pilgrims on the second Sunday in September each year.

Inspired by the local population of Quaregnon-Monsville, the the RAVeL boules area is a great place to play bowls in the French style, also known as pétanque, while chatting with passing cyclists.

The "Waning Mound" can be reached from the rue de la Poudrière or, via the RAVeL, from the rue de Wasmes, and reaches a height of over one hundred metres. The viewpoint at the summit can be accessed via a steep path, giving a 360°, panoramic view that extends over 30 kilometres.

The Grand-Hornu Mining Complex is located in the heart of Hainaut Province, and is a jewel of Europe's nineteenth-century industrial heritage. Since 1989, it has been owned by the Province of Hainaut, and this historic highlight now constitutes one of the most significant exhibits of contemporary art in Belgium. In addition to promoting the architectural wealth of this unique location, the staff of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) and the Centre for Innovation and Design (CID) focus on modern art, hosting large, temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, crafts and design. Each new exhibition requires the teams to create new ways to allow visitors to contemplate the exhibits: workshops, shows and seminars are supported by free, daily guided tours. ARCHITECTURE: The architecture of the Grand-Hornu Mining Complex reflects the inventiveness and daring of the visionary captains of industry who built the "cathedrals" of a new religion that would lead to Belgium becoming the second most industrialised country in the world. The site's neoclassical architecture, and its use in promoting contemporary craftsmanship and design, mean that it is now truly one-of-a-kind.

This village was formerly the site of the number 4 mine of the Hornu and Wasmes Coal Mining Company. In 1955, many of the inhabitants appeared as extras alongside Kirk Douglas in Vicente Minelli's film, "Lust for Life," starring Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh. According to several sources, Van Gogh spent a few days working in the mine.

The buildings served as a vocational school between 1934 and 1963. The vocational school was provided to improve the qualifications of young miners, thereby raising their standard of living. After the Second World War and the influx of foreign miners into the Borinage, the school also provided French lessons.

A corner of the central hall features a bust of Van Gogh by the Belorussian sculptor, Ossip Zadkine (born 1890, died in Paris in 1967). The sculpture can be viewed during business hours of the administrative services. An inscription on the sculpture reads: "Vincent Van Gogh departed form here, seeking the sun, and himself."

The building's current appearance dates from 1772, when the Abbot of Saint-Ghislain entrusted Jean Malengreau, a master mason from Quaregnon, with the task of renovating the building. General Dumouriez took up residence in the Courtyard on 5 November 1792, on the eve of the French victory over the Austrian troops at the Battle of Jemappes.

In a letter to his brother, Theo (letter 151, dated April 1879), Vincent Van Gogh recalled six hours spent underground in "one of the oldest, most dangerous mines in the area, known as Marcasse. (...) It's a dark place, and on first impressions, everything around it has a dark, foreboding appearance." The Marcasse mine closed in 1954.

Vincent Van Gogh enjoyed the hospitality of the Denis family in this house, between 1878 and 1879. Out of compassion for the destitute miners in the surrounding area, he rented a small, bare house and eventually divided his time between this hut and the Denis family home.

There is a history of Protestant communities in the Borinage, dating back to the start of the nineteenth century. However, Van Gogh never preached at this temple, as it was only built in 1897. Until then, Protestant places of worship were decidedly more modest.

Vincent Van Gogh preached here in 1879. The name of this ancient festival room comes from a local tradition, whereby people searched for a "baby" in the woods, then celebrated finding it at the local dance hall.

This sculpture is installed near to the place where the original sculpture, by Ossip Zadkine, was formerly located.

This art nouveau-influenced architectural complex opened in 1903, with the stores following in 1913. The buildings were designed by the architect, Eugène Bodson. The artist, Paul Cauchie, decorated the façade of the People's Chambers with graffiti (murals engraved in the mortar, whether coloured or not), all designed around a central theme of "the triumph of labour."

These mining works were the scene of the first experimental research centre of the Mines Authority. Watteyne was the engineer who provided the impetus to create the laboratory, the primary duty of which was to study the properties of firedamp and to provide an early warning of explosions.

This pit was the deadliest of any in the Borain basin. On 17 April 1879, 121 workers lost their lives in a gas explosion. According to letters written by the father of the Denis family, Vincent Van Gogh provided aid and comfort to the catastrophe's most severely burned vicitms. The pit closed in 1922.

The former Crachet de Frameires Colliery was closed in 1960, then completely restored by architects, Jean Nouvel and Laurent Niget, in the late 1990s. Today, the site is an original museum that encourages visitors to learn about science and technology through interactive games.

A recent enquiry undertaken by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam revealed that a watercolour painted by Van Gogh in 1879 depicts the coke ovens of the Flénu Colliery Products Company. It was indeed the site of the former Sainte Félicité coal mine, at a place known as "Gagane." The viewer's perspective is from the north, looking south.

The Levant Company of Flénu was one of the first Belgian companies to be listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange in the mid nineteenth century. In the late 1850s, shares returned a dividend of 29%. Today, the site of the Levant is private property used for leisure, where the public have access on Wednesday afternoons, on the weekends, and by appointment. The top of the 'terril' provides an exceptional view over Mons and the Borinage region.

This giant lamp was built after the Second World War in the workshops of the Rieu du Cœur Collieries in Quaregnon. Around 1958, when the colliery closed, the lamp was transferred to the courtyard of l'Héribus. With the pits closed down, the company's management donated the lamp to the Community of Cuesmes, which installed it in its current position.

The house known as the Marais ("Marsh"), where Van Gogh lived from August 1879 until October 1880, was restored from ruins by a group of supporters between 2005 and 2007. Today, the fully restored site welcomes visitors, exhibiting the original sketch of "Two Peasants Digging" which Van Gogh created at Cuesmes in 1880.