Perhaps the most immediately appealing of Wallonia’s cities is this city (pop. 110,000) about an hour from Brussels. Founded during Roman times at the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, Namur is dominated by the vast Citadelle (one of Europe´s largest fortresses, founded in 937), with sweeping views over the surrounding countryside (you can get up here via funicular or cable car). The villagelike Vieux Quartiers (old towns) below are relaxed and walkable, with cafés and small shops lining cobblestone lanes. and landmarks including the late-Baroque Cathedral of Saint-Aubain, the early-12th-century Cistercian abbey Notre-Dame du Viver (aka the Abbaye de Marche-les-Dames), and the elegant, mid-19th-century Théâtre Royale. There´s quite a batch of museums, as well, including Les Bateliers (archaology and decorative arts), the Musée des Arts Anciens du Namurois (medieval and Renaissance treasures), Musafrica (devoted to the often shameful history of Belgium´s only colony, the Congo), the Musée de la Fraise (strawberry fields forever!), the Musée des Jouets Anciens (antique toys), and even a computer museum.
Read more in my post 7 Allures of Wallonia, Belgium´s Overlooked, French-speaking South.
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