Charleroi is not a conventional tourist city, but it has genuine substance for those willing to look. The Bois du Cazier in Marcinelle is the city's most important site — the former coal mine where 262 workers died in the 1956 disaster, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site with excellent industrial and glass museums. The city's comic strip heritage is real: the Marcinelle school of Franco-Belgian comics was born here, with Éditions Dupuis publishing Spirou, Lucky Luke, and the Smurfs from this city. Look for Spirou statues in the metro.
The Belfry in the upper town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best vantage point in the city. The Musée de la Photographie in Mont-sur-Marchienne, housed in a 19th-century Carmelite convent, is one of the finest photography museums in Europe. The Ville-Haute (Upper Town) around Place Charles II has the best architecture, including the neoclassical Cathedral of St. Christopher and the elaborate Maison Dorée.