Brussels Travel Guide. Mons Travel Guide. Grand Place of Mons Introduction Mons (Bergen in Dutch, pop. 92,000) is a university town and the capital of the province of Hainaut.
The name of the city derives from Latin "Montes", meaning "Mount", from the geographical feature where it stands, although it is really just a hill. Despite the lack of extraordinary monuments, Mons is without contest one of the most beautiful and pleasant city in Belgium, thanks to its architectural homogeneity, its clean streets and its warm atmosphere. History Mons was settled since the Neolithic period.
The city itself was founded in the 7th century when a noble Frankish woman named Waltrude decided to dedicated her life to god there. In the mid-12th century, Count of Hainaut Baldwin IV ordered the construction of a 1 kilometre citywall around the castle and Mons became a fortified city. Attractions St Waltrude's Collegiate Church St Waltrude (Sainte Waudru in French) church took over 200 years to complete. Other attractions Belfry of Mons Around Mons. Namur Travel Guide. Introduction Namur (Namen in Dutch ; pop. 107,000) is the capital of the Province of Namur and of the Walloon Region.
Namur is often described by the Belgians as a bourgeois town, as opposed to the working-class cities in former coal mining areas like Charleroi or Liège. Its scenic geographical location at the confluence of the Rivers Meuse and Sambre, and its beautiful 17th and 18th-century architecture have also made it a favourite place to live among well-to-do Belgians (mostly but not only Walloons). Trivia & Celebrities Namur hosts every year the International Competition for Young Violinists "Bravo! ". One of Belgium's most famous tennis clubs, the T.C. Other well-known Namurois include actor Benoît Poelvoorde and actress Cécile de France. The world-famous jam, compote and juice producer Materne-Confilux has been based in the picturesque suburb of Floreffe since its foundation in 1880. History View of Namur around 1600 (by Adrien de Montigny) Ancient times Medieval to modern times.
Antwerp Travel Guide. Groenplaats & Cathedral, Antwerp.
Renaissance Town Hall of Antwerp. Introduction. Ghent Travel Guide. Belfry of Ghent.
Introduction Ghent (Gent in Dutch, Gand in French, once Gaunt in English, pop. 230,000) is Belgium's second largest municipality and fourth largest agglomeration after Brussels, Antwerp and Liege. Ghent's main tourist attractions are its medieval castle ("Gravesteen"), St. Bavo's Cathedral and 15th century architecture. Ghent was the 4th largest European city in the 13th century, with a population of 65,000. History The region of Ghent was settled since the Stone Age and seems to have been inhabited continuously since at least Celtic and Roman times. The name Ghent comes from the Celtic word 'ganda', which means 'confluence' (i.e. that of the Scheldt and Lys Rivers). Around 406/407, a Germanic tribe known as the Salian Franks invaded the region and settled in the Leie and Scheldt valleys permanently.
Two important abbeys, St. The legend of King Arthur is also connected to Ghent's history. Ghent traders fitted out ships to China and India in 1714-1715. Attractions Gravensteen. Bruges Travel Guide. Introduction Bruges (Brugge in Dutch; pop. 45,000, or 117,000 with the suburbs) is the capital of the province of West Flanders and Belgium most popular tourist destination. 2 million visitors flock to this perfectly preserved medieval town each year.
Endowed with romantic canals and picturesque little streets, Bruges has been dubbed the 'Venice of the North' and certainly deserves its reputation. History Bruges was founded in the 9th century by a group of Danish Vikings. The name 'Bruges' probably comes from the Old Norse word Bryggja, which means 'landing stage', or 'mooring place'.
Liège Travel Guide. Introduction Liège (Leodium, Leudicus, Legia or other variants in Latin, Lüttich in German, Luik in Dutch, Luick in Older English, Lîdje in Walloon; pop. 195,000, with suburbs 620,000) is Wallonia's largest city and the third largest municipality in Belgium after Brussels and Antwerp.
It is one of the world's rare cities to have developed on large river islands (another example is Paris), at the confluence of the Meuse and Ourthe Rivers. Liège has one of the longest continuous history of any Belgian cities and some fine examples of 17th- and 18th-century Mosan architecture. It is a vibrant and friendly city known in French as the Citée ardente, due to the warmth and enthusiasm of the local folk.
But Liège is also a city of contrast, one that visitors either love or loathe, or perhaps a bit of both at the same time. Every Sunday, the banks of the Meuse host Europe's biggest market, the Marché de la Batte (from 8am to 2:30pm). History Attractions. Belgium Travel Guide.