Last September, “Visit La Louvière” was selected among the three finalists of the EDEN (European Destinations of Excellence) competition in the category of cultural tourism. On January 26, the pretty town located in Hainaut won the trophy and joined a network of more than 140 European Destinations of Excellence.
Considering that tourism is a key economic activity in the European Union, the European Commission launched the EDEN project. Its aim is, among other things, to draw attention on different touristic destinations in Europe, some of which might be less known. The 8th edition of this competition, driven in Belgium by the Government Tourism Advisory Service, highlights the cultural tourism.
The Maison du Tourisme of the Park of Canals and Castles, which knows La Louvière and its cultural sites inside out, submitted the application of “Visit La Louvière” knowing it had all it needed to win. A 30-page application presenting the touristic assets of the 5th largest city in Wallonia was submitted to the jury. It highlighted for example the various museums of the city centre, the mine site of the Bois-du-Luc, the historic Canal du Centre and its Boat Lifts, the urban opera “Décrocher la Lune” or even the folklore.
The professional jury who visited the candidate city was conquered: they noted that La Louvière was working on the establishment of a sustainable management. Indeed, the city shows rational development, it organises actions involving the population and local suppliers, it organises itself in order to ensure sustainable management and social and cultural viability …It has now been awarded with the famous EDEN prize, ranking La Louvière among the 140 European Destinations of Excellence like its counterparts: Ath, Durbuy, Viroinval, the Eau d’Heure lakes and Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve.
