Hello my lovelies!!! How was your Wednesday? How are you, in general?
Today, I’d like you to come with me to Dinant, a small city located in the Province of Namur, Belgium.
As the weather was good and had been a while since getting out of town, a drive to this beautiful small city was a must-happen. And here we are! So let us begin.
Dinant is on the shores of river Meuse and relatively close to Brussels and south of Namur itself. Its name comes from the Celtic Divo-Nanto which translates to ‘Sacred Valley‘ or ‘Divine Valley‘. The area was populated in Neolithic, Celtic and Roman times. Of course, I am not planning on writing its full history there, as someone can easily put the name of the city on Google and read more about it!
However, I will share the important details and what one can see and do while visiting.
- The city’s landmark is the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de Dinant. It was rebuilt in Gothic style on its old foundations after rocks that fell from the cliff and destroyed the former Romanesque style. Above the church, one can easily see the Citadel of Dinant which was built in the 11th century. There are two ways to reach the Citadel: the stairs by the Church or the cable car. The entrance, no matter the way one chooses to go up, costs the same.
- Close to the Church, one can visit the house of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone which is located on the street with the same name. It’s a little museum that pays attention to his life and the saxophones.
- The most colourful touch, however, is the bridge that connects the two parts of Dinant over Meuse. In 2010,
28 saxophones were installed on the Charles de Gaulle bridge and they are all painted in unique colours with the countries they pay tribute to. Of course, the bridge pays tribute to the French general who led the resistance against Nazi Germany back in the 1940s. A statue of Charles de Gaulle can also be spotted close by. - In the south part of the city, one can visit the museum of Leffe, the beer that originates from those parts. Honestly, it is a delicious refreshment and I highly recommend it!!
- Lastly, Dinant is also famous for the couque de Dinant – Europe’s hardest biscuit with a honey sweetened flavour that is impressed with a carved wooden mould before baking. It can be found in all Patisseries.
