Namur Tourist Information

Namur is the capital of Wallonia, the French speakingalso quite famous for the beer festival at Easter. If you
southern part of Belgium. It is also the most importantare visiting Namur in September, you can watch a
town in the province of Namur. This place of historicpeculiar Namurois custom called the Combat de
interest is situated 60 km south-east of Brussels,l'Echasse d'Or (Fight for the Golden Stilt). Held annually
Belgium's capital city.on the third Sunday in September, you can witness
Over the past hundreds of years, Namur has acquiredtwo teams known as the Avresses and the
the status of being one of the most strategic places inMélans, dressing up in traditional outfits while
Belgium because of its geographical location. Namurstanding on stilts and performing a battle-skit in one of
dwells at the confluence of the Sambre River and thethe town's main areas.
Meuse River which are the two major waterways.The place is famous for churches and cathedrals,
The very fact that the town is located at the union ofprominent among being them being the St. Albans
these two rivers bears a lot in terms of historical andCathedral. You can walk through the narrow streets
military significance.of Namur and visit some of the interesting museums
The foundation of Namur goes back to the age oldNamur has to offer. If you have less time, then you
Roman era. Namur played a major role due to itscan visit Trésor d'Hugo d'Oignies at the Jue Billiart
strategic location and the place witnessed a lot ofStreet 17. You can witness some beautiful gold and
wars and subsequent destruction of monuments andsilver artifacts and reliquaries belonging to the early
buildings right from Roman aggression through the13th century.
Second World War. The city has undergone a lot ofOne should visit the historical places of interest including
makeover with changing times. You may not find a lotthe demilitarized Citadel. Here you can visit the Guy
of archaeological remains or artifacts because mostDelforge Parfumerie. The workshop open to public
of them have been destroyed in historical conquests.participation shows you the step by step process
However the city is rich enough to offer the visitor ainvolved in producing some of the best perfumes in the
lot of pleasant diversions which may leave him or herworld.
asking for more.Food and Drink:
The city has a population of more than 100,000. TheNamur is famous for food which has a mixture of
terrain is largely hilly and agricultural. You will find a lotGerman quantity and French quality. People in Belgium
of extensive granite, marble and limestone quarriesfollow a strict etiquette when it comes to food and
here. Also found are glass and cutlery factories. Adrinks. The local dishes in Namur are palatable to say
resort industry is steadily taking shape along thethe least. Meat and red wine are the favourites here
southern stretch of the Meuse.and Burgundy sells like, well chilled beer.
French is vastly spoken widely and mostly no one butFlamiche is another favorite. The rich chest flamiche
a true Belgian may be able to discern the differencecooked over a wood fire is relished with a lot of
between the Belgian and French accents here. Namurinterest here. So much is the public love for flamiche
is a beautiful locale replete with hotels and restaurantsthat there is a flamiche festival which is held every
that promise to keep visitors mesmerized and nativesSeptember in Dinant, a town near Namur. The flamiche
proud.is complimented well with the drink amber ale. The
Places of interest:flamiche-amber ale combination is akin to the
The greatest monument and the proud landmark ofpizza-wine combination that you have in the US.
Namur is the Citadel. The place echoes with historicalPeople in Namur also love their beer and there are
significance. It served as a strategic fortress and wassome who like to have beer along with the flamiche
witness to many aggressions, sieges and numerousinstead of the amber ale. The prominent beer names
wars. The Citadel also underwent manyare Sara (bittersweet in taste) and Joseph (fruity to
reconstructions in the course of time. You cannottaste).
afford to miss out on this beautiful piece of history inAmong meat, venison, Ardennes sausage, smoked
Namur. The Citadel is open through out the day forham, veal, pork and the famous Ardennes paté
visitors to partake in the rich past of the historicis favored. The health conscious folks of Wallonia and
wonder.Namur are quite particular about their salads. In fact,
The Meat Hall is another monument which can holdthe salade liégeoise, rich with warm bacon pieces
visitor interest. Built on the banks of the Sambre, it isand green beans, is predominantly indulged in
one of the most significant archaeological museums ofthroughout the region. The dessert consists of tarts
Wallonia. Constructed in the later half of the sixteenthtopped with rhubarb or sugar.
century, the structure made of blue stones and brick isHotel and accommodation:
another irresistible attraction.Best Western New Hotel De Lives * * * - Namur -
Namur's only belfry tower (bell tower) is the St. JamesBelgium
tower built in the later half of the fourteenth century.Hôtel Beauregard
Situated on the Place des Armes, the tower overlooksEntertainment:
the city and was used quite strategically in the oldenNamur has plenty of restaurants, cafes and boutiques.
times to look out for any kind of impending attack onIt is a shopping haven for books, stationery, CDs and
the province. The St. Alban's Cathedral with its ItalianDVDs. There are two popular cinema halls the Cameo
influence is another traffic stopper.in Rue de Carmes and the Elderado in Rue de Fer.
Things to do:The former can be accessed when you take a two
Besides being a popular tourist center with anminute walk down the narrow street from the
attractive landscape, Namur has a casino in theElderado through the shopping arcade.
southern part of the left bank of the Meuse. Namur is