Why shouldn’t your travel books also have one chapter of Namur?
Namur proves that geographically small places could be much more astonishing. It is a stylish, charming and politically important city in the Wallonia region of Belgium.If you are willing to delve deeper than its slightly tough looking exterior. Along with sight-seeing and calm river walks, the city has plenty of food, drinks and pampering to keep you charmed.
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Namur (in Flemish Namen), at the confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse Rivers, is an important town, but it was once a critical junction for both road and shipping transport. The hill on which the citadel sits was already of great military importance by Roman times.
Discover more things to do in this fascinating city with our list of the top tourist attractions in Namur.
Address to reach the Citadel :Route Merveilleuse 64, 5000 Namur
Citadel of Namur is one of the most impressive fortress in the entire Europe.
As early as Roman times, the rocky outcrop between the Sambre and the Meuse was fortified,It’s a great place to explore, with barracks, ramparts, and subterranean tunnels.The best views across town are from the citadel’s bridge below the barracks area. From here, you can look down onto the bend of the Route Merveilleuse around the “donjon”. Parc Attractif Reine Fabiola, a fun entertainment park that gives kids a break from the history lessons and offers a variety of things to do. There is a huge playground that includes adventure castles, swings, and games like giant chess, and a climbing area for all ages, as well as mini-golf, trampolines, and go-karts. There are also ample refreshments available.
- Visit the Félicien Rops Museum
This exceptional museum, at the heart of the historical quarters of Namur, dedicates its collections to Félicien Rops, a famous Belgian artist from the 19th century. The museum’s dynamic scenography regroups important themes in the artist’s career: his time as a caricaturist in Brussels, the consecration of his talent in Paris, women, love, desire and death. Visitors will be given audio guides, rich in anecdotes and information on Félicien Rops’ life.Rops drew a skeleton-tree whose roots were plunged in a soil of human sins which is considered to be its best architectural peace in the entire museum.
- Share a toss in the oldest bar
Belgian beer tastes different in the oldest bar of the town.At Le Ratin-Tôt, you drink about thirty Belgian beers including the St Joseph Blonde or Brune and the surprising Blonde de Chavée, in a relaxed atmosphere. The oldest pub of Namur recalls the prosperity of yesteryear in a very local atmosphere, since it dates back to 1616. So it is the perfect place to stop for a beer or two. It is a ‘no frills’ place inside, which suits me. A seat, a beer and a friendly barman. A perfect combination.
Address :Place Marché aux Légumes 1, 5000 Namen
Get divine and pious in the cathedral church of Namur which is full of antique architecture and serenity of the past. The Saint-Loup church, located in the historic heart of Namur, is one of the jewels of baroque art from the ancient southern Netherlands. Built between 1621 and 1645 by the architect Pieter Huyssens. It constitutes a faithful translation of the precepts of the Catholic Reformations.The facade of three orders is very elegant. Lines of classic structure interspersed with baroque decorations and additions give the whole a harmonious balance without the impression of overload.
Walking green is a glad to do thing
One of the must-see, and most beautiful destinations in Belgium is Les Jardins d’Annevoie. For 250 years, in Annevoie, nature animates, without machinery, unique water games in style gardens.The feeling you get just makes you wanna stay for good. The nature here is just amazing and all in all, the way these gardens were made is just genius and it has been hundreds of years still amazingly maintained. The staff are very welcoming and you get a well-detailed map that guides you along the tour. There is also a beautiful place to get food at the venue. You should go and admire the beauty of mother earth.
Between the rivers Sambre and Meuse.
A circular hike of 262km through a surprising diverse landscape. Passing through numerous picturesque villages and partially along the river Meuse and Sambre. Taste Belgian beer and cheese while hiking near the abbeys of Chimay and Floreffe. Hiking here is the best experience of Belgium. If you choose to take a bigger trip all the way to Wépion, where Belgian strawberries are produced, you can see more greenery and the beautiful villas.
The Maredsous Abbey, in the Molignée valley, is one of the most beautiful ones in Belgium. Make the most of your visit to admire the architecture of the monastery and taste the famous cheese and beer made on site. The Maredsous abbey offers pilgrims and visitors a stunning architectural setting. Enjoy the peacefulness of the site, wander from to the garden and feel the calm all around you.
Step into a quite extraordinary cave for a journey through time, all the way to the Prehistoric era. Scladina Cave, is an archaeological site in the Andenne hills in Belgium, where excavations since 1978 have provided the material for an exhaustive collection of over thirteen thousand Mousterian stone artifacts and the fossilized remains of an especially ancient Neanderthal, called the Scladina. Here unfolds the tale of a Neandertal child, of bears, lions, hyenas and rhinos. Try to present the finds of a forgotten time, a work of passion, patience and science alike.
Namur is a very good idea..!
