Les Ateliers de la Meuse

Once a hub of engineering and manufacturing, this factory is now a popular spot for urban explorers and history buffs who come to experience the remnants of an industrial powerhouse.

November 7, 2024
Close-up of a dented metal tool cabinet featuring the Ateliers de La Meuse logo in blue text, Liège, Belgium, with scattered workshop tools in the background.

The History of Les Ateliers de La Meuse

Les Ateliers de la Meuse was founded in 1850 and became known for its production of steam locomotives and heavy mechanical equipment. From 1888 to 1958, the factory built around 1,350 steam locomotives, supplying the Belgian State Railways and various international clients. As technology and industry evolved, the factory shifted its focus to manufacturing components for sectors like nuclear energy, aerospace, and medical technology.

Despite its ability to adapt over the years, Ateliers de la Meuse faced tough economic challenges. In October 2023, the company declared bankruptcy, and operations came to an abrupt stop.


A Walk Through the Abandoned Factory

Walking through Ateliers de la Meuse today is like stepping back in time. The workshops are filled with massive machines and industrial tools that were once essential to the factory’s operations. Huge cranes hang from the ceilings, and equipment like the Giddings & Lewis milling machine stands still, waiting for a job that will never come. Tool cabinets in bright colors and rows of heavy metal components remain, as if the workers could return at any moment.

One of the eeriest places in the factory is the employee break room. Vending machines, scattered chairs, and tables covered in dust tell a story of everyday life that abruptly ended. Nearby, workbenches are still cluttered with blueprints, drill bits, and metal parts.

Legacy and Future

Ateliers de la Meuse is more than an old factory. It represents a time when Liège was a major center for engineering and manufacturing. Urban explorers, photographers, and historians come here to keep its story alive, capturing images and sharing tales of the work that used to happen within these walls.

The future of Ateliers de la Meuse is still unknown. It may be redeveloped, torn down, or simply left to decay further. For now, it stands as a reminder of human skill and the rise and fall of industrial giants.

In May 2024, the company experienced a revival when the French industrial fund Alfeor, co-founded by former French Minister of the Economy Arnaud Montebourg, acquired a 60% stake. The Walloon Region retained a 40% share through Wallonie Entreprendre, investing €2 million to support the company’s resurgence. 

Expansive industrial hall of the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, showcasing large cylindrical structures, scattered equipment, and an orange overhead crane dominating the space.
High-angle view of the abandoned industrial hall at Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, with scattered heavy machinery, a forklift, metal components, and a blue Giddings & Lewis milling machine surrounded by yellow safety barriers.
Massive cylindrical metal structures with perforated surfaces stand on a steel platform in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with industrial cranes and large windows in the background.
Engineering blueprints pinned to a wooden board in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with a high-visibility yellow safety vest hanging nearby and industrial staircases and signs in the background.
Large industrial machine labeled ‘parpas’ in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with a massive metal work platform in the foreground, staircases, and overhead pipes lining the walls.
Large green industrial machine labeled ‘parpas’ in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with rusted metal components on a heavy-duty workbench and surrounding pipes and cables.
Close-up of a large green industrial machine labeled ‘parp’ in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with surrounding pipes, cables, and wall-mounted safety signage.
Close-up of various industrial drill bits and cutting tools on a workbench in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with the large warehouse windows and structural beams visible in the background.
Industrial machinery setup in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, featuring a large metal workbench, blue structural beams, and equipment illuminated by a single orange light in a dimly lit workshop.
Close-up of an old control panel with a screen displaying numerical data in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, surrounded by metal structures and work tools under warm lighting.
Workstation in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, featuring green tool cabinets, a cluttered workbench with notes and drawings, and a pallet of industrial drill bits under warm lighting.
Spacious industrial hall in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, featuring a large blue machine, wooden reels, and oil drums, surrounded by scattered tools and industrial debris.
Abandoned industrial workspace at Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, featuring a large blue Giddings & Lewis milling machine, surrounded by yellow safety railings and scattered equipment in a high-ceilinged hall.
Large industrial workshop inside the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, featuring tracks, heavy machinery, and various metal components scattered across the expansive, high-ceilinged space.
Abandoned workshop room at Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, filled with green tool cabinets, orange shelving units, and carts holding various metal components, illuminated by fluorescent lighting.
Spacious workshop area in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, featuring colorful tool cabinets, metal workstations, and fluorescent lighting illuminating the industrial space.
Metal tool cabinets and a wheeled cart labeled ‘Ateliers de La Meuse’ in an abandoned workshop in Liège, Belgium, with worn flooring and a wall decorated with old industrial images.
Close-up of a metalworking station with a rail-mounted industrial tool and hanging blue inspection lamp in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium. The workshop features teal and orange cabinets and various scattered metal rods.
Collection of large metal tool heads and industrial equipment stored on teal metal shelves in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with a textured white brick wall in the background.
Close-up of industrial drill bits and metal tool heads on a workbench in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with blurred background details of a workshop wall and bulletin board.
Close-up of industrial metal tool heads and components stored on green metal shelves in the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse, Liège, Belgium, with an orange storage rack in the background and dusty windows.
Massive metal tube and perforated steel structure inside the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, surrounded by scattered tools and wooden planks in a cavernous, sunlit warehouse.
Large cylindrical industrial component inside the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, surrounded by steel beams and illuminated by overhead lights in a cavernous, decaying warehouse.
Employee break room at the abandoned Ateliers de La Meuse in Liège, Belgium, featuring old vending machines, scattered chairs, and tables covered in remnants of daily life, capturing a snapshot of a recently deserted workspace.