Centre de l'Europe des 15 (Geographical Center of the 15-member European Union)

Along a road winding through the forest between Oignies-en-Thiérache and Fumay, a sign reads: "Geographical center of the Europe of the 15." At the top of a path that runs deep into the forest, you'll come across a striking glass sculpture surrounded by fifteen small stone pillars. This work marks the geographical center of the fifteen countries that made up the European Union between January 1st, 1995, when Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined, and April 30, 2004, the day before the next ten countries joined. The center of the site is located in Belgium, just under a mile from the French border, which was opened to passport-free travel on March 26, 1995, with the implementation of the Schengen Convention.

The centerpiece of the site is "The Glass Cathedral," a work by the artist Bernard Tirtiaux. Tirtiuax sought to create a space that brings people together. Surrounding it, the 15 stone markers indicate the names of the countries, whose distance from each other symbolizes how long they have been members of the European Union. Each marker rests on a circular block of stone from the country it represents.

Next to this work symbolizing unity and openness, you'll be surprised to discover a grave! Fortunately, it's merely symbolic: it was here that the Belgian franc was symbolically buried on March 1st, 2002 — the date on which the euro, which was introduced on January 1st, 1999, definitively replaced the old Belgian currency.