{"id":6969,"date":"2026-06-18T12:24:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/interview-be-mine-limburgs-most-charming-spot\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T07:58:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T07:58:05","slug":"interview-be-mine-limburgs-most-charming-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/interview-be-mine-limburgs-most-charming-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: be-MINE, Limburg\u2019s most charming spot"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interview: be-MINE, Limburg\u2019s most charming spot<\/h2>\n

Ayfer Gemici and Karoline Lenaers have been living near be-MINE for more than ten years. From their front-row seats, they\u2019ve watched as this abandoned industrial heritage site has transformed into the most charming spot, as they so beautifully describe it. This is the story of be-MINE, as seen through the eyes of local residents Ayfer and Karoline. <\/p>\n

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Love brought both Ayfer and Karoline to Beringen more than ten years ago. \u201cI still vividly remember the moment my partner Kris first invited me to his home on Kioskplein in Beringen. It\u2019s such a charming square, with all those stately houses and the mining shaft towering proudly above them. I fell in love with this place instantly,\u201d Karoline recalls. Karoline and Kris have now been living on Kioskplein for nearly fifteen years, together with their children Fran (8) and Leon (10). <\/p>\n

Ayfer also followed her husband to Beringen thirteen years ago. Together they have a son, Ahmet (10 years old). Ayfer and Karoline got to know each other through their children. \u201cLeon and Ahmet went to the same daycare. We started talking there, and ten years later, both our children and we are still good friends,\u201d Ayfer says with a smile. <\/p>\n

\u201cUnintentionally, be-MINE has contributed to this, because in my view, be-MINE is a place that fosters encounters and spontaneous chats. It all starts with the wide range of activities offered on the site. Ahmet, for example, goes to \u2018Straf!\u2019 here\u2014the preschool and elementary school located in the mine\u2019s former bathhouses. Is there a school party planned? Then the children put on a dress rehearsal for the residents of the assisted living facility, which is also located here at be-MINE. Even when the children celebrate Carnival, the residents of the assisted living facility join in the festivities. It\u2019s a particularly wonderful exchange that constantly brings a lot of activity, excitement, and interactions to the site.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Wildly enthusiastic<\/h4>\n
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\u201cAnother factor that certainly contributes to be-MINE\u2019s success is the range of before- and after-school activities,\u201d adds Karoline. \u201cFor example, Leon and Fran learnt to swim at the Sportoase pool; at the weekend, Leon goes mountain biking at the skills park on Adventure Mountain, whilst Fran loves skating on the Corten steel path\u2026 There are so many fun things to do here all year round, and everything is within walking distance of each other.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s absolutely true,\u201d Ayfer nods in agreement. \u201cVarious organizers of children\u2019s camps are cleverly capitalizing on what the site has to offer and creating fun combinations out of it. And be-MINE also offers plenty of options for birthday parties. For example, we once threw a party for Ahmet at the Alpamayo climbing center; all the kids were absolutely thrilled. And the adventure mountain is always a hit, no matter what. If we have a little time in the evening or on the weekend, we walk over there. The kids can really let loose climbing and scrambling; and Ahmet, for example, also likes using that hill to train for soccer.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/article>\n

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From a mosque to a cathedral<\/h4>\n
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\u201cWe stick to hiking ourselves. There are four hiking trails that start here; our available time usually determines which one we choose,\u201d says Karoline. \u201cAlong the way, you get fantastic views and several nice picnic spots. And no matter how many times we\u2019ve done these hikes, we never get tired of them. I\u2019m especially impressed by the majestic feeling you get on the Corten steel walking path: surrounded by historic landmarks, with a unique view of the towers of the Mine Cathedral and the mosque. And nature plays a key role in all of this, because year after year, be-MINE is becoming greener and greener.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ayfer: \u201cThat\u2019s what I think is so great about be-MINE. It has grown into a small town in its own right, with all the necessary amenities. In addition to schools, daycare, and sports facilities, you can also do your grocery shopping, go shopping, and enjoy a good meal there. At the same time, be-MINE exudes a sense of tranquility, and so much green space has been added in recent years. You can feel in everything that nature and biodiversity are just as important as all the other amenities at be-MINE. As local residents, we really appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe combination of industrial heritage and nature also makes be-MINE a photogenic location for First Communion or wedding photo shoots! Scattered throughout the site, you\u2019ll still find old mine cars\u2014perfect for instant Instagram-worthy photos. And in the evening, the site is beautifully lit,\u201d Karoline adds. \u201cFrom our house, we look out onto the two illuminated mine shafts. It\u2019s hard to imagine a more beautiful way to daydream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vertical Green Park<\/h4>\n
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\u201cWhen you stop to think about all of that, the transformation really is impressive,\u201d Ayfer confirms. \u201cWhen we first moved here, be-MINE was still an old, gray, abandoned site. Over the past decade, LRM has literally moved mountains here; and there\u2019s still so much in the works. Personally, I\u2019m really curious about the green park that\u2019s going to be built on the site of the coal washing plants. In any case, with all the plans still on the table, we\u2019ll undoubtedly find be-MINE among Limburg\u2019s top three most beautiful places in a few years. A place in our own backyard to cherish forever.\u201d <\/p>\n

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This article was written and published by LRM: https:\/\/lrm.be\/nieuwsbericht\/interview-be-mine-limburgs-mooiste-koesterplekje\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interview: be-MINE, Limburg\u2019s most charming spot Ayfer Gemici and Karoline Lenaers have been living near be-MINE for more than ten years. From their front-row seats, they\u2019ve watched as this abandoned industrial heritage site has transformed into the most charming spot, as they so beautifully describe it. This is the story of be-MINE, as seen through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":6897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6969"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6969\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6970,"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6969\/revisions\/6970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-nature.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}