Meet Dinant, a gem in the Belgian Ardennes
When you think of Belgium, what are the first places that come to mind? Most people will say Brussels, Bruges or maybe even Ghent. And if you’re a dance music lover like myself then Tomorrowland will pop up in your mind before anything else.
I really want to encourage you to visit these places as they are stunning and exciting. But did you notice that all the popular tourist destinations are in the north of Belgium? What’s up with the south, does it have nothing nice to offer? Of course it has! I spent a weekend exploring the south of Belgium and I had never imagined how gorgeous this region is.
Let me introduce and inspire you to visit two highly instagrammable places in the south of Belgium. First stop: the historic city of Dinant.
Historical Dinant
The most stunning thing about Dinant? The view over the town and the location itself. Dinant was built against some chalk cliffs in the river banks of the Meuse, giving the city its unique shape. Dinant is one of the oldest cities in the Ardennes and this historical character is visible all over town.
Many wars were fought in Dinant, which explains why the citadel is its main tourist attraction. It is also the city where the production of ornamental brassware was crafted into an art, there is even a name for it: Dinanderie! But nowadays Dinant is mostly known as the birth city of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone.
Sights & activities in Dinant
Charles de Gaulle bridge
Dinant honors two influential figures with this bridge: Charles de Gaulle and Adolphe Sax. First, the bridge was named after the French general who protected Belgium against Nazi Germany. And second, the bridge is decorated with colorful saxophone statues from several countries.
La maison de monsieur Sax
Speaking about Adolphe Sax, the house where he used to live serves as a museum now. I did not visit it myself but I heard that it is a nice cultural activity.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Yep, even Dinant has a cathedral called Notre Dame. Its is a gothic catedral and has a very eye catching bell tower, making it one of Dinant's landmarks. The cathedral blends in perfectly against the citadel and the cliffs and its interior has some impressive pieces of stained glass.
Citadel
As I mentioned before, the citadel is the main tourist attraction of Dinant. Located high above the city, it is also one of Dinant’s landmarks. The view over the city is a true must see! Entrance to the citadel costs 14 euros and it includes a Meuse river cruise.
Meuse cruise
We were really lucky with the weather when we visited Dinant. If you happen to be in Dinant on a sunny day, then you should really do a river cruise as this is the best way to see the whole town. Our cruise was included in our citadel ticket and what I liked about it was that the captain gave an explanation about every building that we passed by.
Not into organized cruises? There are plenty of options in Dinant to rent a private boat.
How to get to Dinant?
Dinant is a perfect destination for a road trip as you get to see more of the beautiful Ardennes. It is very easy to park in the city center and parking is even free on certain hours.
Are you traveling by public transportation? Then you can catch a train from Brussels to Dinant. It will take you about an hour and a half to arrive there.
Would you visit Dinant?
Ayo! AR x
I’ve been in Dinant many years ago. Looks like it’s time to go back.
How much did it change since your visit?
It looks really nice! There’s so many things to do. So far I’ve never been there – I wish.
What are you waiting for? 😀
Never been there but it looks nice for sure!
Have you been to other places in the south of Belgium?
Oooh I never hear of Dinant before and it looks so beautiful, like a fairytale. Definitely want to go here one day.