"Mons and the Doudou" a Mons Travel Page by Muya

Mons is a small town in the Belgian province of Hainaut. Its origin dates back to the 7th century when a woman called Waudru, who decided to dedicate her life to God, came and established a retreat for herself and her canonesses on the hill that was going to be the city of Mons. From this moment on, the town grew and became the city it is today.

Although it suffered many destructions under Louis XIV, Mons has a beautiful little Market place and it is really nice to walk around on a sunny day. I Iearned to discover it with my boyfriend who rents an appartment near the centre, and I really like it there…I love to walk back from the train station at night and pass by Sainte Waudru church, when it is all lit up…so pretty ! The Grand Place and the church of Sainte Waudru are worth a visit…of course ! But so are many little spots in town, so stroll down the streets and admire the surroundings !

But Mons is also the place where you can watch the Doudou, the biggest event of the year, a mix of tradition and festivities, which takes place each first week-end of June. This year I could really see it from the inside, as I was living in town, and I saw how the people of Mons are proud of their city and culture, and how much this tradition is important to them…and I found it so great ! The Doudou is like a giant party that lasts for a week or so. You can see stalls with food and drinks (well… especially drinks actually ;-) ) everywhere in the streets, and everyone out to meet friends and have drinks until late in the night. A free concert is held on the Market place on Friday night. And everything always ends up at the Marché aux Herbes, the square where you’ll find the best atmosphere. On Sunday, you can watch the procession of the Sainte Waudru's relics and the fight between Saint-Georges and the dragon on the Market Place…then of course : party again ! After all this, a big fireworks on Monday puts an end to the festivities of the Doudou…until next year !