The official Wallonia tourism account for French audiences has labelled Charleroi the “ugliest city” in a recent photo reshared on its Instagram account, much to the amusement of online users.
The “@Tourismebelge” Instagram account featured an image from an Art Nouveau appreciation page of the historic entrance to a property on Rue Tumelaire 90, built by architect Hector Lecomte in 1906.
More surprising, perhaps, are the hashtags underneath the post. Alongside ordinary tags such as Wallonia, Belgium, Art Nouveau, and European City, the hashtag #ugliestcity stood out to online users.
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Indeed, Charleroi has a certain reputation as an eyesore. In 2008, Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant rated the city as the ugliest in the world, a title which has stuck for numerous years.
Once the industrial heartland of Belgium, many industries left the city towards the end of the 20th century, leaving behind a rust-belt similar to cities in the North of the United Kingdom, or Pittsburgh and Chicago in the United States.
Credit: Jules Johnston/ The Brussels Times
There are certainly those that refute this reputation. Speaking with the BBC in 2018, Nicolas Buissart, artist and city guide stressed that there is beauty in the industrial ruins. Each year, he directs urban safari visits around the city for tourists from across the world.
Granted, the city has also now invested heavily into regenerating the city centre, including a massive urban renewal project near the train station, left bank, and Ville-Basse.
In the comments section of the official Walloon region-run Instagram page, the administrators explain that the hashtag is in good humour and in line with the tourism of the city. The page states that the city’s residents use the “ugliest city” label as a badge of pride.
Credit: Jules Johnston/ The Brussels Times
“Charleroi residents have a sense of humour... and are highlighting to visitors their human assets, their ability to bounce back, especially through culture,” the Tourisme Belge page explains.
While the city may be the most appealing, the Wallonia tourism board is urging tourists to come to see it for themselves. There has been a worldwide resurgence in "urbex" (urban exploration) and seeing post-industrial spaces as sites of interest.
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Popular Instagram pages repost beautifully depressing photos from former industrial cities from across the former Soviet Union and the North of England. In Ukraine, it was once possible to book tours to explore some of the country’s industrial wastelands.
“Beyond its image of the ‘Rust Belt’ of Northern Europe, the ‘Black Country’ knows how to show its post-industrial riches. As Serge Gainsbourg sang: “La beauté cachée des laids des laids, se voit sans délai" (The hidden beauty of the ugly can be seen at once).
