Hainaut

Hainaut is the westernmost province of Wallonia, the francophone region of Belgium. It is densely populated and has an intensely industrial heritage related to coal mining and heavy industry attracted by its once-rich coal deposits. Once a target of economic immigration from entire Europe, it has been suffering economic decline once its core industries floundered, and is now a relatively impoverished area, while the industrial heritage render it less attractive to many compared to regions more rich in earlier, gothic, renaissance and baroque architecture or unspoiled nature. That said, Hainaut is not without its fair share of attractions.