Genk Flights:
Flights to Genk
Located in the province of Limburg, in the east of Belgium is the city of Genk. Though one of the region’s major industrial cities Genk still offers a number of tourist attractions, making this an interesting alternative to other Belgian cities.
If you are looking to get a flight to Genk from South Africa, you will want to arrange an arrival at the Brussels Airport (airport code: BRU), about 75 kilometres to the west of Genk. With that plan, you can get several 1-stop flights to Genk (arriving in Brussels) with major airlines. Swiss Air will connect in Zurich; Egyptair goes through Cairo, and South African Airways will make a stop in London. British Airways and Lufthansa also have flights to Brussels. From there you can get a train or bus to Genk.
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The Tourist Attractions of Genk:
Genk is a sizeable city and one of the most important industrial centres for the Flanders region of Belgium. The city is believed to have been founded in Celtic times as a small village and was converted to Christianity in the 10th century. Genk remained small until into the 20th century but when a large amount of coal was discovered in the nearby village of As, and then in Genk itself, this began to change. The village grew as immigrants were attracted and today, though the coal mines are now closed Genk remains industrial as it’s home to the production plant of the Ford Motor Company.
Genk’s Coal Mines
The coal mines in Genk and close by to the city may not be mining for coal any more but they’re being somewhat revitalised as tourists are taking an interest in them. Zwartberg, Waterschei, and Winterslag are the three main mines in the Genk area and they are now beginning to open their doors. Visitors will be able to see some of the old mine buildings and also some of the old housing that the workers used to live in.
Bokrijk Open Air Museum
Just outside the city of Genk is Bokrijk and its open air museum, one of the top tourist attractions in the area. Though Genk is an industrial city this open air museum provides a truly rural atmosphere in its collection of historic buildings from around Flanders. The buildings date mainly from between the 17th and 19th centuries and actors provide re-enactments to show visitors what life was like here during that period.
Europlanetarium Genk
A very different attraction is Genk’s Europlanetarium, a planetarium and observatory. This is several attractions in one and is particularly popular with visitors interested in science and astronomy.
When Should You Visit?:
Genk and the Flanders region has a mild though quite wet climate so you should expect rainfall at whatever time of year you decide to visit. Summers are usually the best time, with July being the hottest month when the average temperature is 18C. January is the coldest month and temperatures are cool at this time, especially when combined with the damp weather. The average temperature in January is 3C.