"Mons and the Doudou" Top 5 Page for this destination Mons by Muya

Mons Travel Guide: 212 reviews and 416 photos

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 !

Intro Written Sep 15, 2004
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Reviews (18)

The best Irish pub ! Nightlife (1)

If you like Irish pubs, you'll surely like this one ! Nicely decorated with a round counter in the middle of the room.... more travel advice

Caserne Guillaume Things to Do (12)

The barrack buildings have been build between 1824 and 1827, under the occupation of the Netherlands. They were called... more travel advice

The "Ropieur" Things to Do (12)

The Mayor's garden has another secret... it is the place that hides the "ropieur". This sculpture by Gobert, dating back... more travel advice

The Mayor's garden Things to Do (12)

Behind the Town hall, there is a peaceful little garden, that have been laid up between 1930 and 1936. Since 1372, it... more travel advice

Local Customs (1)
Stroke the little monkey !
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Travelogues (1)

Written Nov 8, 2004

8 photos

Parc Paradisio with little Edouard

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Comments (11)

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Djinn76 Jan 13, 2005 at 12:28 PM

Waw, t'en as de la chance de pouvoir habiter Mons!! Très chouette page et bien documentée... Le snakebite? Sounds weird! Le pub n'existait pas encore quand j'etais sur place, j'y suis passé rapidement l'autre soir mais faudra approffondir ca ;-)

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balhannah Oct 11, 2010 at 9:56 PM

Interesting page.
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SpagBoll Jan 8, 2007 at 7:24 AM

Hi Muriel I enjoyed your Mons pages. Its a good while since I was there but your oages brought it back. Happy travelling
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Martman Oct 5, 2005 at 5:10 PM

Beautiful pages, I learnt so much
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joncampbell Apr 7, 2005 at 3:48 PM

Excellent pages and pictures. Thanks very much. Cheers, Jon
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850prc Mar 14, 2005 at 8:09 AM

Hi Mumu. You were the featured VT traveler, so I popped by to visit your pages. Very nice. Belgium is such a beautiful and historic place. My daughter would love the Parc Paridisio.
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Pavlik_NL Mar 14, 2005 at 7:24 AM

Still on my wishlist to visit once in beautiful Belgium. thanks for a quick look around ... Paul
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Bigjones Dec 1, 2004 at 7:55 AM

Je vois que tu es définitivement passée au camp ennemi. Du bourinage au borinage, il n'y a qu'un pas ! Très chouette page quand même :-))
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Norali Nov 8, 2004 at 11:56 AM

Ah! évidemment j'ai manqué l'IRAM. A part le beffroi, des parties du Grand Mons, Mons ne m'a jamais enthousiasmé. Pourtant, j'étais aux Fucam. Mais bon... je rentrais le week-end ou je restais sur le campus pour jouer au tennis. Temps que je retourne.
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ptitetoile Sep 29, 2004 at 4:29 AM

enchanté d'apprendre l'existence d'une usine de savon!