Dinant- The Hidden Gem on French-Belgium Border.

Enchanment by the River ~ Dinant, Belgium

Dinant is an unexplored part of Belgium, the history is quite unique and admirable. Dinant sits on the Musee River in the Walloon Region of Namur, Very closely located on the Edge of the Ardennes Mountains near the French Border.

In the past, due to its strategic location on the Meuse, Dinant was often exposed to battle and pillage so it naturally follows that this area is quite packed with history and fortresses.

In World War 1 there was a lot of destruction when French and German troops fought for the town in the Battle of Dinant, 80% got destroyed. But just as every place that saw destruction, it got rebuilt and is a beautiful place to visit now!

🔹You Can also call it as a hidden gem of Europe🔹

How to Reach?

If you are traveling from Brussels or Ghent, its a 1 hour 30 min drive by car and by train Approx: 2 hours ride. You can board the train from Bruxelles central station. The journey is quite alluring with the green landscapes along the side of the river. By Train, you can travel for 15 Euros from Brussels.

Check out the timings and fare here www.omio.com

What to expect ?

When I first searched it on google, Right then and there, I just knew that I had to visit this town and see its impressive beauty for myself! And once when I saw it… I wasn’t disappointed at all. It was exactly how I imagined it to be — charming and picturesque.

The Town is really small and very easily walkable and can be covered in 3-4 hours.

Best Things To Do in Dinant 👣

1) Citadelle De Dinant :

As you arrive in the city, the first sight you saw in the Walloon city is the Citadella of Dinant on the pinnacle looming over the building below, jutting straight out of the hillside. Built in 1815, this fortress overlooks the city of Dinant.

There are two ways to go up at Citadelle, either you can climb 400 historic stairs or can take the cable car. Once you are on top, you will be mesmerized with the spectacular view of the city. To know more about the history of the city during world war 1, you can take a self-guided tour following the number marker and map. On the other side of the Citadelle, there is an outdoor cafe with children play area. Would recommend you to spend some great time looking over the city while having the best Belgium beer or coffee.

Ticket Price: 9 Euro for Adults inclusive of Cable Car ride.

2) Church of Notre-Dame:

The landmark of Dinant, located right under the Citadelle, this Collegiate Church of Our Lady is a 13th-century Gothic cathedral which has an iconic 16th-century pear-shaped bell tower, was rebuilt after the original Romanesque church was crushed by falling rocks. The sandstone doorway on the north side is the only thing that remains of the original church.

Inside, the church has huge vaulted ceilings and stunning stained-glass artistic Facades. There are no tickets to enter this church and can be accessed anytime.

3) Leffe Beer:

Another reason for visiting Dinant is Leffe beer. Belgium is a country of many beers, often brewed by monks in abbeys. That’s no different for Leffe.

Monks in the Middle Ages started brewing Leffe, to check if the water was potable. The filter process made sure the water was free of epidemics like typhus.

Maison De Leffe is a great stop for a taste of the beer and of history! It’s located in Hotel La Merveilleuse, so you’ll get a feel of the old nun monastery too.

You can also visit one of the beer Cafe’s in town and take some beer home, or drink one (or two) at Café Leffe alongside the River.

Pro Tip: Go to the cafe’s who servers from the tap. Most Amazing beer I ever drank.

Pro Tip: Mostly the tour last for 50 mins and well guided in English, French, and German for 9 Euros.

4) Cave "La Merveilleuse"

This was my first reason for traveling to Dinant. I love exploring natures world and experiencing them with my own eyes gives me a kick of my life. La Merveilleuse was discovered by coincidence in 1904, during the construction of road and opened for public viewing by 1905. The cave was created by a small underground river and has three layers consists of different chambers and corridors that connect those chambers with each other. The cave has artificial light so that you can have a good view of the stalactites, stalagmites and petrified waterfalls. At the end of the Second World War, the cave served as a hiding place for civilians of Dinant until the liberation.

The cave has a constant temperature of 12 to 13 degree throughout the year. During summers yes you can find bats in the cave. I got amazed seeing those limestones melting like a candle wax all over the cave. The biggest chamber of the cave is unbelievably beautiful. You can also get married in the biggest chamber of the cave. There are lot many interesting things about this cave, definitely worth visiting.

To end the trip, we had to take the 120 steps back to base where we started.

5) Adolphe Sax:

If you are a music lover, This gives you another reason to visit Dinant. The inventor of the Saxophone and one of Belgium’s most famous citizens, Adolphe Sax, was born in Dinant.

Speaking of Adolphe Sax, even if he had only lived in this town for a year before his family moved to Brussels and then to Paris, Dinant didn’t want to miss the opportunity of claiming him as their “son” and celebrates his achievements with such gusto!

Therefore, gigantic saxophones are not only found on the Charles de Gaulle bridge but can also be found on certain areas around the city. To add, they have even set up an open museum to Sax in the location where his family’s original home used to be and it’s named as the Maison de Monsieur Sax.

Right outside this place spot the Statue of the man himself.