Châtel

The area is part of the judicial and administrative district of Liege. It is in fact very similar to Liege, only six miles away, in terms of the people who live there and their economic and political base.
With a population of 61,125, Seraing covers an area of 13.7 sq. miles including 2,987 acres of forest.

The vast reorganisation of the European steel industry in the 1980s, led the Seraing city fathers to pursue a dynamic policy of promoting new sources of economic growth. Their first step was to renovate and add to the existing infrastructure to provide all the facilities and backup new investors might need to set up under optimum conditions.

Several highly successful industrial estates and development areas have thus been created.Tourism has effectively proved to be a highly promising sector. The town has significantly improved the facilities available, in particular at Val Saint-Lambert, and successfully organised a number of tours, visits and other attractions.Several theme tours have been organised (chateaux, castles, historic industries) by the Tourist Board.

A brief history of the twinning process.

Relations between Châtel and Seraing began with Châtel Tourist Office’s participation in the Walloon Brabant Festival in September 1993. In 1994, Seraing sent a large (41-member) delegation to mount the first Seraing Week in Châtel. It consisted of representatives from the Town Council, the Tourist Office and, last but not least, Seraing’s Big Band, which brings Châtel’s Church Square to life every time they play! Artists and craftsmen and women from Seraing also display their work for the people of Châtel and visitors who are there at the time. It consists mostly of engraved glass, marionettes and paintings.

These contacts led to people from the towns becoming friends.
In 1995, a Beaune-Châtel Mountain Bike Trek was organised, with four people from Seraing taking part including two members of its Tourist Office.
In 1995 once again, to further strengthen links between the two towns, Seraing put coal mining truck on display in Châtel, symbolising what had been Seraing’s main industry. In return, in September that year, Châtel gave Seraing a stone fountain specially made for the occasion by Bernard Cruz and Maurice Maxit, Forestry Board representatives at the time.
In 1996, two members of the Seraing Tourist Office again took part in the Beaune-Châtel Mountain Bike Trek.
In July every year, a team of fifty comes from Seraing to mount the Seraing Week in Châtel, promoting their town and their culture, and above all sharing their fabulous joie de vivre.
Seraing’s Big Band, with nine professional-standard musicians, have frequently brought many of our old jazz and variety music favourites to life again in their three Light my Fire concerts in Church Square!
This summer, from 20 to 27 July 2002, this happy team from Seraing will be bring music, laughter and fun to Châtel once again.