"The capital of Wallonia" a Namur Travel Page by annase

Namur (Namen in Dutch) is a capital of the province of Namur and of the French speaking region of Wallonia in southern Belgium. The city has a population of 105,000 and stands at the confluence of the two major waterways, Sambre and Meuse. Because of its strategic position in the Meuse valley, in the past it served as a gateway to the Northern areas such as the county of Flanders (Gent and Bruges) and the Dukedom of Brabant (Brussels, Antwerp and Mechelen). The dominant language in the town is French although people may also be able to speak Flamish and English - as I was pleasantly surprised in a local toy shop. The girl working in there must have been from the northern part of country originally.

I spent an afternoon in Namur in late October 2006. It's not too far away from Brussels if you wanted to spend a day there, since it takes only 30-45min by train to get there. I absolutely loved the little boutiques they had as I was looking for some continental Christmas presents for the children of my British friends. I did almost all of my Christmas shopping there and then - even though it was only October because I liked the stuff so much :-)

The town had a certain Flemish/Dutch feel to it. Perhaps because the high street is very similar to the shopping streets I've come across in Northern Belgium and the Netherlands.

The main shopping street got very busy in the afternoon in Saturday, but some of the smaller boutiques further away from the high street were much quieter and pleasant to browse around.

In Celtic times, Namur was an important trading settlement, since it is located in the crossing of several trade routes across the Ardennes. The Romans, too, established a presence after Julius Caesar defeated the local Aduatuci tribe.

The town came to prominence during the early Middle Ages when the Merovingians built a castle (citadel) on the rocky spur overlooking the town at the confluence of the rivers. The town developed somewhat unevenly, as the counts of Namur could only build on the north bank of the Meuse - the south bank was owned by the bishops of Liège and developed more slowly into the town of Jambes (now effectively a suburb of Namur).

Because of its strategic location it has been the center point of many battles over its long history. The city has been part of the Spanish Netherlands, King Louis XIV's France, the Austrian House of Habsburg and Napolenic France. After the defeat of Napoleon, what is now Belgium was incorporated into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Belgium broke away from the Netherlands in 1830 following the Belgian Revolution.

Although the foundation of the habitat around the city goes back to Roman times, the monuments and buildings of the city are relatively young. Namur was a major target of the German invasion of Belgium in 1914, which sought to use the Meuse valley as a route into France. The town suffered heavy damage in both World Wars.

It is now an important commercial and industrial centre, producing machinery, leather goods, metals and porcelain. It is also an important railway junction situated on the north-south line between Brussels and Luxembourg City, and the east-west line between Lille and Liège. River barge traffic passes through the middle of the city along the Meuse.

The most prominent sight of the town is the citadel, which is now demilitarised and open to the public. The Citadel served as a strategic bastion, attracting many attacks and numerous reconstructions during its history. Today the Citadel is accessible by a winding road or by cable-car. It also plays host to a beer festival at Easter.

One of the most notable buildings in Namur include St. Alban's Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint Aubin). It was built in the mid-18th century. It clearly displays the Italian education of its Milanese architect Gaetano Pizzoni. He had the cathedral constructed on the site of a former Romanesque church, of which only the tower has survived. In the cathedral is the grave with the heart of Don Juan of Austria, Spanish governor of the Netherlands who died in 1578. He conquered the Turks in the sea battle at Lepanto. His body lies buried in the Escorial in Madrid.

Near the cathedral stands the Saint Loup church, the former Jesuit church of Namur, built during the 17th century. Twelve Dorian columns support the beautifully decorated ceiling of the church.

The Meat Hall is one of the most impressive monuments of Namur. It is located on the banks of the Sambre and is one of the most important archaeological museums of Wallonia. This building was constructed in 16th century and is made from brick and blue stones.

The Old St. James Tower built in the 14th century. It is located on the 'Place des Armes'. Overlooking the city, it was once used as a lookout post for the city. The belfry is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Since 1986 Namur has been home to the Namur International Francophone film festival.