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Belgium cities -
Namur

Namur is a Belgian city in the Wallonia region, the capital of the province of the same name and the French-speaking community of Belgium. Situated at the confluence of two important waterways, the Shaumbray and the Meuse rivers, it has given it great strategic importance for centuries and has been the cause of many sieges from Rome to World War II.

From ancient times, the road to the Ardennes ran through Namur. Convenient geographical position, the presence of river communication, as a rule, attracted close attention of the surrounding neighbors to this territory. Well, it is clear how the similar attention ends: wars, sieges, destruction, which explains the practical absence of ancient historical buildings in Namur. In the seventh century, a fortress appeared here, built by the Merovingians, the first dynasty of Frankish kings in the history of France, who ruled from the end of the 5th to the middle of the 8th century on the territory of modern France and Belgium.

In 908, the county of Namur was formed and Count Berengarius builds a donjon, a castle on the top of a cliff, and the city falls into dependence on local lords. It should be seen that the townspeople often resisted them, for which they fell under siege. One of the city's gardens is reflected in a modern festival called "Walkers on Stilts". There is a legend about how in the XIV century the city was surrounded by the troops of the local count. The count said that he would not lift the siege, no matter how the petitioners came to him: on foot, on horseback, in boats or carts. Then the townspeople came to him on stilts. Struck by the cleverness of the Namurians, the count forgave them and lifted the siege.

In 1421, the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, acquired the county. And in 1506 Namur passed to the Spanish Netherlands. At the end of the 15th century, walls were finally erected around the city. During the Spanish period in the Lower Lands (XVI-XVII centuries), Namur became the site of one of the new bishoprics, which was supposed to serve as a stronghold for Catholicism and a support to curb the spread of the influence of Calvinism. Philip II of Spain makes Namur an important military center from where he could fight Protestantism. Moreover, he also supports the creation of many religious orders that turn Namur into a true Catholic bastion.

In 1692, after a significant siege, the city passed to the French king Louis XIV. At this time, in addition to the existing fortress walls, a defensive rampart was being erected according to the project of the outstanding military architect Vauban. Only at the end of the 17th century, active urban development began, as evidenced by the rich architectural heritage of the 18th century in the Mosan style, characterized by a combination of brick with blue limestone (local Namur stone). After 1830, Namur became part of the newly formed state of Belgium.

Attractions Namur

The city, strategically located very well, is not very profitably built - it was not only destroyed quite often, but flooded rivers were also quite often flooded. For this very reason, the surviving cultural values of the couple are scattered throughout the city. But if you do not aim to see everything, including the sleeping areas, then it is enough to explore Corbeil - the old city inside the boulevard ring with remarkable shopping streets and the Citadel.

In the photo: a fortress in Namur.

Namur citadel- The first fortress on this site was built by the Romans in the III-IV centuries as a means of protecting the Meuse valley from the Germanic tribes. Later in the tenth century, the Count of Namur erected a wooden watchtower on the site of the Roman ruins, which in subsequent years was overgrown with defensive structures. So in 1235-1245 a new stone fortress was erected, which was expanded in the XIV century. Charles V of Habsburg in 1542-1555 improved the fortress so that in the following years it could function as a real city. In the seventeenth century, the walls of the citadel were doubled so that the fortress became one of the most fortified buildings in Europe. Only at the beginning of the 19th century, a huge part of the fortress walls was destroyed by order of Napoleon, since it lost its defensive significance, finding itself in the depths of the empire.

In the photo: Cathedral in Namur

Namur cathedral in the name of St. Albana, built between 1751 and 1767, clearly demonstrates the Italian origin of its architect, Gaetano Pizzoni, who came from Milan. The reconstruction of the cathedral was later directed by Jean-Baptiste Shermann. Pizzoni erected the cathedral on the site of a former Romanesque church built in 1047 by Count Albert II of Namur, of which only the tower on the south side remains. The cathedral church became in 1559, when a bishopric was created in Namur. Buried in the cathedral is the heart of Don Juan of Austria, the Spanish governor of the Netherlands, who died in 1578, the winner of the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto. His body is buried in El Escorial not far from Madrid.

Saint Loup Church(1621-1645) was built in the image and likeness of the Il-Jezu church in Rome, but like most Jesuit churches - under no circumstances can you confuse them with other churches! It was originally dedicated to St. Ignatius, and after 1777 it was renamed St. Loup. All the beauty of the church is concentrated inside: like a carved ceiling and smooth walls carved from antique ivory, beautiful columns of pink marble, 12 pieces in number, ornaments made of black marble.

Butcher's house- a real building of red brick, tarnished with time, and white stone. Perhaps one of the oldest and most impressive houses in Namur, it was built between 1588 and 1590.

Armory Square Place des Armes - In the old days, executions took place on it. Until 1914, the dominant feature of the square was the town hall. But during the First World War, the town hall and the adjacent houses were almost completely destroyed; the new square was rebuilt in 1923. Now, on the square, first of all, attention is drawn to the building of the old Exchange with heavy wrought-iron gates, built in the neo-Renaissance style in 1932. Behind the left wing of the Exchange, you can see the old tower of St. James, built in 1385 - the only bell tower in the city. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List along with a number of bell towers in Belgium and France. In front of the Stock Exchange there is a funny bronze sculpture with two comic characters and a couple of snails in a cage. The heroes are Joseph and François, characters from an old comic book invented by Jean Legrand. The sculpture was created in 2000 and echoes the idea of the people of Namur about themselves as unhurried people.

Stone Bridge Zhamb initially (in the twelfth century) the city of Liege of the same name was associated with Namur. Later, Zhamb himself turned into one of the districts of Namur. In the second half of the 20th century, the 160-meter stone bridge was carefully restored and illuminated, and today it is the main bridge of the city and one of the must-see tourist attractions due to its good view of the river.

There are not too many museums in the city, but some of them are quite curious. In the Museum of Ancient Art on Rue de Fer (rue de Fer), you can admire a collection of gold and silver things from the 11th to 13th centuries. Medieval and Renaissance Christian art is also kept here. And on rue Fumal there is a museum of F. Rops, a 19th century artist and local native known for his erotic-religious gloomy painting inspired by the poetry of Baudelaire.

Cultural events

Every year, Namur hosts the huge Walloon Fair - usually on weekends in late September or early October. Her program includes many concerts, including Walloon music. Traditionally, an incredible amount of the local alcoholic drink "baket" is drunk at the fair, so returning from it after dark can be fraught with all kinds of adventures.

On the third Sunday in September, the annual battle for the Golden Stilt takes place in the square in front of the old customs house. Two teams, dressed in medieval costumes, stand on stilts and fight each other. In addition, since 1986, the city has hosted the International Festival of French-language Cinema. Namur also hosts an annual jazz (Nam'in'Jazz) and rock (Verdur rock) festivals.

How to get to Namur

Less than an hour by train from Brussels or 2 hours from Luxembourg. From Paris to Namur, take the high-speed express train for two and a half hours.

The Les River is an 89-kilometer long Belgian river that carries its waters into the Meuse River. The river flows mainly to the northwest and also has a 1,100 meter underground section in the caves of An, near the village of Ahn-sur-Les. The water level in the river has significant differences at the source and mouth, its maximum depth does not exceed one and a half meters. Most of the forest runs in the highlands of the country.

The coast of the non-navigable river attracts tourists with its beautiful nature with forests, cliffs and rocks, on one of which Walsen Castle rises. In the last 20 kilometers of the river, it is very convenient to canoe or kayak.

Meuse river

The Meuse River is a 925 kilometers long river that flows through the territory of three countries: France, Belgium and the Netherlands. It carries its waters to the North Sea, and its source is the Langres plateau.

The area of the Meuse River basin is 36 thousand square kilometers. The major Belgian cities - Namur, Liege and the Ardennes - are located on the Meuse River. The river receives its food from rain and snow. It is navigable to the very upper reaches of the Meuse and is connected by canals with several rivers - the Scheldt, the Seine and the Rhine. The largest island in Belgium is located on the Meuse River - Dove Island, famous for its unique flora and fauna. In the shallow waters of the river, gray herons from the reserve love to fish.

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Ardennes forest

The Ardennes Forest is rightfully considered a national reserve and the pride of Belgium. Coniferous and deciduous trees of various types of incredible beauty are in natural harmony with ancient castles, ancient monasteries and mysterious grottoes. The maximum height of the Ardennes Mountains is 694 meters. Many rivers originate here: Amel, Urt and Semois.

The Great Ardennes Forest is located on the border with France. For the first time, Julius Caesar mentioned him in the book "Notes on the Gallic War", then Shakespeare wrote about the Ardennes in his comedy "As You Like It".

Among the majestic Ardennes mountains are the unique Thousand and One Nights and the Grotto of Neptune. It should be noted that there are also caves and canyons in the southeast of the country. And it is here that silicon is mined for the entire country, as well as coal and iron ore.

Namur Castle (or Namur Citadel) is the most significant building in the city. It served as a strategic bastion that survived many attacks and rebuildings. The history of the city itself is very closely related to the history of the castle. Back in the 3rd and 4th centuries, the Romans built a fortified observation post on the top of the mountain to protect the Meuse valley from invasions of Germanic tribes.

Over the centuries, the castle has been repeatedly destroyed, restored and rebuilt. Therefore, now it does not look at all the same as centuries ago.

In 1860, the castle began to be used as a location for the military units of the Belgian army. It began to play the role of a military fortress again in 1939-1940, when its underground part was equipped with air conditioning systems, an anti-gas system and armored doors.

An-sur-Les cave

An-sur-Les Cave can be visited by an old tram that runs through the Belgian cave. Thus, from the village you will directly find yourself in a cool grotto with an average temperature of 13 ° C, it is also worth noting that the cave is very humid, so people prone to asthmatic attacks should better refrain from such an excursion. But judging by the fact that about a million people visit this cave a year, the health of tourists is all right.

And there is something to see, because this grotto is a common creation of nature and man. Man has carefully preserved everything that was created by nature, adding artificial lighting so that you can appreciate the large stalagmite "Minaret" here, its height is 5 meters, and the history is about 12,000 years old, and another stalagmite, whose height reaches 7 meters, and the circumference is about 20 meters. The stalagmite is located in a hall 20 meters high and 100 meters underground. So, it's easy to imagine the scale of the cave.

But in addition to natural values, your eyes will be presented with creations created by man, namely a light show in the underground hall, and at the end of the excursions, according to tradition, there will be a cannon salvo that will show all the acoustics of the cave.

Church of St. Lupus

The Church of St. Loup, located in the center of the Belgian city of Namur, was built at the Jesuit college in the middle of the 17th century. The building in the style of the South Dutch Baroque was erected over 20 years, from 1620 to 1645, according to the project of the famous architect Pierre Juissens. The three-nave church with six spans, choirs and vipers was built from local sandstone. On the upper part of the facade you can see a traditional Jesuit sign - the monogram of Jesus Christ IHS.

All those entering the Church of St. Lupus are impressed by the luxurious interior: paintings made by one of the pupils of the famous Rubens, decoration of red and black marble, richly decorated wooden confessionals. Currently, the church is active; concerts and exhibitions are often held here.

Floref Abbey

Floref Abbey is located 10 kilometers from Namur. It was built over the Sambra River, which served as a kind of protection for the city from attacks. The year of the founding of the abbey is considered to be 1121, when Saint Norbert of Xanten received land as a gift from the wife of the Count of Namur. Norbert's followers were people who were called premonstrants, and it was they who took care of the expansion and well-being of the abbey for two centuries. It was then that several monasteries were created, which have survived and are famous today.

For the abbey, the XIV-XV centuries were not the best, it fell into decay. It found its second wind only in the 16th-17th centuries. The discipline of the premonstrants was very strict, the quality of the education of the ministers increased. At any time, the abbey did not lose its power, and despite a number of wars and attacks on these lands, reconstruction and construction of new buildings were constantly carried out.

During the revolution that took place, the abbey was ravaged, and the monks were expelled from the territory. In the middle of the 19th century, the premonstrators reclaimed the abbey, which was soon handed over to the city's dioceses. In the twentieth century, several buildings were built for the seminary, which made it possible for tourists to visit the historical part. Today, fairs and festivals are held on the territory of the abbey, and markets are organized. There is also a farm that produces cheese and beer.

Tourists can visit this place during the summer period from April to September. One-hour excursions are specially organized for them.

Rochefort Abbey

The Abbey of Rochefort was founded in 1230 as a convent. The abbey was given a gift of land and possessions, but in the 15th century it slowly fell into decay. In 1464, an audit was carried out, as a result of which it was decided that the nuns move to the Abbey of Felipre, and the monks move to Rochefort. Since that time, the abbey began to flourish again, as the monks skillfully used the wealth of the local lands - the river and the marble deposit.

Misfortunes also did not pass by the monastery - devastation, famine, epidemics. Often, the inhabitants of the abbey fled to the city of Marsh. The monks again took up the restoration of the monastery in 1664, it was renovated by the 18th century. However, after some time, the abbey again overtook a period of decline. Many valuables were plundered. Soon the monastery was sold, the church and a number of buildings were demolished. The monastery passed from hand to hand, until in 1887 the monks of the Limbur Monastery arrived at the abbey.

The basis of the abbey's prosperity from that time to the present day is the brewery, founded in 1899. Today, the monastery has a very tough discipline; it is closed for visits.

The most popular attractions in Namur with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places to visit the famous places of Namur on our website.

A bit of history

One of the military historians
named battles for Liege and Namur
"Sea battles on land"
in which heavy artillery,
superior in power the weapons of the dreadnoughts,
put an end to the military's three-century belief in
what a well fortified fortress
can withstand a long siege.

Namur is located at the confluence of two important waterways, the Chaumbray and Meuse rivers, which gave it great strategic importance for centuries and was the reason for continuous sieges from Rome to World War II.

The first settlement arose on a small piece of land exactly where two rivers met. This site looked like a pig's head and therefore received the French name Grognon. A large, tall and long cliff, located between the Meuse and Shaumbray, served as an ideal place from which to observe and control the Meuse Valley. In Roman times, people settled on the left bank of Shaumbra. The city becomes an important center, home to many blacksmiths and potters. Later, the first Christian churches appeared here.

In the 10th century, all power passed to the feudal lords, the local lord Count Berengarius built a donjon, a castle on top of a cliff. The city, however, tried to resist and was often under siege. One of the sieges of the city is now reflected in a modern folklore festival called "the fights of walkers on stilts." There is a legend about how in the XIV century the city was surrounded by the troops of the local count. The count said that he would not lift the siege, no matter how the petitioners came to him: on foot, on horseback, in boats or carts. Then the townspeople came to him on stilts. Struck by the cleverness of the Namurians, the count forgave them and lifted the siege.

At the end of the 15th century, walls were finally erected around the city. During the Spanish period in the Lower Lands (XVI-XVII centuries), Namur became the site of one of the new bishoprics, which was supposed to serve as a stronghold for Catholicism and a support to curb the spread of the influence of Calvinism. Philip II of Spain makes Namur an important military center from where he could fight Protestantism. Moreover, he also supports the creation of many religious orders that turn Namur into a true Catholic bastion.

Probably, the ancient conquerors were obsessed with the idea of "Namur must be destroyed", otherwise how to explain the fact that in the following centuries Namur experienced many invasions of various armies trying to lay their hands on the economically very important Lower Lands. Armies trying to bypass from the north and take the Flemish cities of Ghent, Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp, etc., always crossed the Meuse in the Namur region. For this reason, there are not as many old buildings in Namur as there could be. In the 19th century, the industrial revolution came to the city, and, thanks to it, and the always important military importance of the city, 9 large military fortresses were built, which played an important role in the First World War.

In order to pass the Belgian territory, the Germans had to take possession of the Belgian fortresses. The Belgians, who achieved a high standard of living thanks to the industrial revolution and the colonization of the Congo, spared no expense to strengthen the existing fortresses and build new ones, despite the country's neutrality guaranteed by the great European powers. The most powerful Belgian fortresses were Liège and Namur, which covered the crossings over the Meuse. Built between 1888 and 1892, these fortresses were a system of forts erected around the city and located in such a way that, when attacked by the enemy, they could support each other with artillery fire. On the outside, the forts were surrounded by a wide moat 30 feet deep, so that the moat could not be overcome without a crossing. The forts themselves were reliably protected by thick reinforced concrete walls, which could not be penetrated by a single shell of an ordinary field cannon. Only siege artillery of larger calibers could cope with the walls of the fortress. In August 1914, the German army had such weapons at its disposal, and the fortresses fell ...

Historically, Belgium was divided into nine provinces (now there are 10). However, in connection with the transformation of Belgium into a federation in 1989, the country was divided into three regions: Flanders (in the north), Wallonia (in the south), and the Brussels region. In Belgium, you can very often see regional banners fluttering next to the national flag: a yellow cloth with a red Walloon rooster and a black Flemish lion on a yellow background.

Namur is the capital of the province of the same name and the political capital of Wallonia (the French-speaking southern part of Belgium).

Those who are not very interested in such concepts as armored fortification can safely continue reading right from the section "Walking around the city". For those interested in military history, I suggest reading the next section.

The use of armored fortifications in Belgium. Fortresses of Liege and Namur

“If in the main states of Western Europe armor in the second half of the 80s found itself still relatively limited practical use in fortresses, then the same cannot be said about the small states led by Belgium, in which the period in question can truly be considered the era of armored fortification. intensively promoted by the Belgian engineer Brialmont. If in the 60s and 70s the name of the Russian engineer Totleben thundered in Europe, then in the 80s and 90s it was replaced by the name of the Belgian engineer Brialmont. He was the leader of the armored fortification, which found itself the most widespread use in Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Denmark and Holland.

The Bucharest experiments carried out in the same and later in 1886 did not in the least chill Brialmont's attraction to armored towers: he continued to believe in them, considered them a panacea for all ills, and in 1887, when the Belgian government commissioned him to design the fortresses of Liege and Namur on the river Maase, these Brialmont creations were the complete embodiment of the so-called armored fortification.

At the same time, this type of fort was severely criticized by French and Russian specialists, indicating that the ideas of armored fortification (La fortification cuirassee) were unacceptable for fortresses, and at the same time the type of an armadillo fortress. The Russian prof. K. I. Velichko; and, as the experience of the world war showed, he was absolutely right, since the Brialmont forts of Liege and Namur did not pass the combat exam.

Despite, however, the fact that Belgium, led in the serfdom by Brialmont, clearly followed the wrong path, this path was then chosen by a number of small states. First of all, in 1889, Romania was booked, where the capital of the state of Bucharest was strengthened precisely by the Brialmont battleship forts, only of a different outline and arrangement in detail compared to the forts of Liège and Namur. A year or two later, similar forts began to grow in Holland - to protect Amsterdam, in Switzerland - to strengthen the snowy peaks of St. Gotthard, in Denmark - to provide Copenhagen, and finally, even later, "battleship forts" appear in Sweden and Austria. "
(c) http://fortress.vif2.ru/biblio/yakovlev/23.htm

I can also offer useful links on the history of the First World War in Belgium:
http://militera.lib.ru/h/galaktionov/09.html
http://militera.lib.ru/h/ww1/04.html
http://militera.lib.ru/h/liddel-hart/35.html
Belgium in the 10s of the twentieth century
http://www.hrono.ru/land/191_belg.html

Start walking around the city

The Old Town is just a stone's throw from the railway station - a little to the left to the travel agency kiosk, in front of which there is an unimaginable bronze contraption, which, through an oversight of the mayor, was apparently erected as a monument to someone. Map the city is sensible and quite detailed. There are three travel agencies in the city: at the station, in the Town Hall and on the side of the river where the Citadel is.

I will scold (again) the guidebook "Le Petit Fute" - it is written confused and indistinct, the sights located at different ends of the city are mentioned nearby in the text, the maps, as usual, were not translated by whoever wrote the text, how much more logical it would be to lay, say , route on the map, and consistently describe everything worth seeing. The text also raises criticism: there is no logic at all, it’s some kind of interlinear translation, apparently. It arouses keen interest in what year all their travel guides to Europe were written - for how to explain the fact that events that have occurred since the mid-90s are not mentioned in it, for example, the inclusion of some objects in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage , or long-term restoration of large objects? And in a few photographs with people, people in bell-bottoms and with hairstyles from the 70s ...

But back to Namur. The city, strategically located very well, is not very profitably built - it was not only often destroyed, but also often flooded by flooded rivers. For this very reason, the surviving cultural values are somewhat scattered throughout the city. But if you aim to see everything. including sleeping areas, it is enough to explore Corbeil - the old city inside the boulevard ring and the Citadel.

So, from the station you need to go left to the travel agency, then, with your back to the travel agency, straight along the busy shopping street. We are lucky on this trip to flea markets - just one of them is spread out here. Luzhniki during its heyday. Honestly, I was amazed at how many crap-buying people roam the cheap and goofy markets in Europe. Everyone is not averse to buying all sorts of cheap stuff for a penny - and I saw such flea markets in Italy, and in Spain, and in France, and in Austria. Moreover, these are not flea markets, but fairs of products of dubious production and quality. Quite auspicious-looking aunts rummage in heaps of sunglasses for 5 euros, T-shirts for 5-10 euros, children's clothes and some kind of oversized pants, hung with whole brackets.

From somewhere it smells strongly of burnt bread, this smell haunted us half the city. Making our way between the trays, we come to the church with a baroque bright pink facade (St. Joseph), adorned with three statues of saints. Negroes protesting against something are sitting right on its steps, holding placards in their hands, and placards are hung on the church fence. Anything, just not to work :)

Because of the crowd and the pile-up of tents, we almost ran across the local Town Hall - it is on the left side.

Church Saint-Jacques

It is problematic to navigate through all this chaos, and we decide to escape to a side street. At the Zara store on the left, we turn right and go to the Lacoste store - otherwise we cannot find our bearings. Before us is the Church of Saint-Jacques, built on the site of the medieval hospital of Saint Jacques, which stood here since the 13th century. The hospital was not part of the city limits and the brothers of mercy even accepted foreign soldiers. Pilgrims making a pilgrimage to the Spanish Santiago de Compostela have stayed here since 1406 - this is evidenced by many written sources. In 1755, a church was built here from gray Walloon granite, which rises severely and impregnably among the surrounding buildings. Alas, it was not possible to inspect the church inside - the gloomy-looking door was locked.

Saint Loup Church

Saint Loup Church (1621-1645) was built in the image and likeness of the Il-Jezu Church in Rome, however, like most Jesuit churches - you can never confuse them with other churches! It was originally dedicated to St. Ignatius, and after 1777 it was renamed St. Loup. All the beauty of the church is concentrated inside: a carved ceiling and smooth walls, as if carved from antique ivory, beautiful 12-piece pink marble columns, black marble decorations ...

Nearby is the austere pink building of the Jesuit College, which is why the street is called the rue de College. On it we reach the square on which

Cathedral of St. Aubin

The cathedral is occupied by cars - tightly and mercilessly, they barely crawled to the entrance.

The interior is very spacious and so quiet that even our careful steps echo somewhere under the arches. In the church, besides my husband and I and another man, thoughtfully sitting on one of the pews, there is no one, and every next person who comes is perceived with a certain degree of irritation as a breaker of the silence.

Built between 1751 and 1767, the cathedral clearly shows the Italian origin of its architect, Gaetano Pizzoni, who came from Milan. The reconstruction of the cathedral was later directed by Jean-Baptiste Shermann. Pizzoni erected the cathedral on the site of a former Romanesque church built in 1047 by Count Albert II of Namur, of which only the tower on the south side remains. The cathedral church became in 1559, when a bishopric was created in Namur. Buried in the cathedral is the heart of Don Juan of Austria, the Spanish governor of the Netherlands, who died in 1578, the winner of the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto.

Uff, got tired of walking. At the very place where the first settlement arose - exactly in the place where two rivers met, similar to the head of a pig and therefore received the French name Grognon, either excavations or construction work is being carried out, you can see a monument to King Albert. From the bridge you can see the balcony of the old house, hanging over the embankment, entwined with grapes and flowers, on which a couple of ladies are drinking tea while admiring the views.

To the right of the bridge stands Butcher's house- an authentic building made of red brick, tarnished with time, and white stone. Perhaps one of the oldest and most impressive buildings in Namur, it was built between 1588 and 1590. There is a local ominous legend that the building was built on the banks of the Shaumbra River because the streams of blood from butchering carcasses flowed directly into the river, so the pavement is red and did not fade over time, and sometimes blood stains appear on the stones of the house, like as if fresh ...

We walked there - the pavement was ordinary, gray-brown with dust. Perhaps the legend has a basis, but the stains were not found. Probably out of luck. The Wallonia Archaeological Museum is here now.

A little further in front of us is the Parade Square, or Place des armes(in any case, this is how our guidebook translators translate it). Elegant dominates the square Stock exchange with heavy wrought-iron gates,

behind its left wing you can see the old tower of St. James, built in 1385 - the only bell tower in the city. In those turbulent times, it allowed you to explore the entire city and its surroundings. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List along with a number of bell towers in Belgium and France.

Before you go to shoot the tower, pay attention to the statues of two funny clowns and a couple of snails right in front of you - the kids are crowding here and the frame can turn out funny - like we did when the kid was trying to saddle a snail.

A little to the side - an elegant theater building, surrounded by umbrellas of street cafes,

and another gray tower called Maria Spilar - probably left here from the city fortifications - is stern, impregnable, gloomy.

Hugo d'Onez's treasure

There is one story in the city of Namur ... At the end of the 12th century, Hugo, a goldsmith from the city of Valcourt, moved to the town of Añez, now part of the Belgian province of Ano, together with his brothers. They founded a religious community where Hugo, already a monk, had a workshop. In 1207, the daughter of a local lord, Maria d'Onese, also moved here, she settled here and took care of the lepers. One of the pilgrims who came to the community was a French priest (later cardinal) Jacques de Vitre. He joined the community, but soon left for the Holy Land. When he returned, he brought back a large number of relics, which laid the foundation for the famous priory treasury. Master Hugo, who made many wonderful relics throughout his life, did not stay away from the creation. History is silent when the master died, but presumably it happened in the year 1240, since there have been no new additions to the treasury since that time. After the closure of the Hones Priory by the French revolutionaries, the treasury ended up with the sisters of the Monastery of Our Lady, where it is still located at rue Julie-Billiard, 17. Looking at it, you understand that the work of gold masters from the Meuse Valley reached an amazing level - and this is in XIII century!

Nearby is Notre Dame, a church built between 1749 and 1753. designed by the local native architect Malizhan. The stand in front of the church says that the Gothic Church of Peter and Paul used to stand on this site, which was first rebuilt and then renamed. Alas, this church turned out to be closed, and we did not examine the amazing wooden decoration. It is not easy to get into the church - even to photograph it, we had to search around the courtyards, because the entire space around is densely and chaotically built up, finally, we found a small entrance framed by a marble arch with a figurine of the Mother of God - that's where, in fact, you can photograph the church.

In all honesty, I liked Namur a little less than the rest of the Belgian cities - either the general neglect of the city affected, or something else, but the fact remains: I find it difficult to name the most favorite Belgian town, and the least favorite - alas - is Namur. However, I think that the town should be given one more chance and we will visit it again somehow. And I advise you to look - in a harmonious sequence of cities with Citadels, it is quite organic, moreover, on the way.

Initially, I wanted to devote more time to Namur, but after numerous adjustments to the trip plan, Namur turned only into a kind of staging post where we only had to spend the night. We arrived in this city before dark, but after a busy day we didn't want to go anywhere. So the whole tour of the city was reduced to a one and a half hour walk the next day, all alone, because Zhenya preferred to sleep well.

Armed with a plan of the city, I set off to wander through the uncrowded streets of the capital of Wallonia.

Namur is located at the confluence of the two rivers Meuse and Sambre, where the first human settlements appeared in the Mesolithic era. A piece of land near the confluence of rivers, resembling the shape of a pig's head, was named Grognon and became the beginning of urban development in the 4th-10th centuries. In the 10th century, a watchtower was built on the top of the cliff, and later a count's castle was formed around it. The count also received the title of "Count of Namur". In 1421 the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, bought the county. And in 1506 Namur passed to the Spanish Netherlands. During this time, Namur was repeatedly attacked, therefore, despite its long history, there are not many old buildings in the city.
In 1692, after a significant siege, the city passed to the French king Louis XIV. At this time, in addition to the existing fortress walls, a defensive rampart was being erected according to the project of the outstanding military architect Vauban. Only at the end of the 17th century, active urban development began, as evidenced by the rich architectural heritage of the 18th century in the Mosan style, characterized by a combination of brick with blue limestone (local Namur stone).

Among the surrounding buildings, the majestic Cathedral of St. Albana, rebuilt by the Italian architect Gaetano Pizzoni in 1751-1767 on the site of a Romanesque church destroyed in 1740, as a result of flooding.

The Provincial Palace (or the Governor's Palace) in the classicism style was built in 1728-1732 as an episcopal palace, but after the Great French Revolution it acquired administrative significance:

7. Mansion Großbeck de Croix

8. Arms Square and the Exchange building

In the old days, executions were carried out on Arms Square. Until 1914, the dominant feature of the square was the town hall. However, during the First World War, the town hall and adjacent houses were destroyed, and a new square was rebuilt in 1923. Now the building of the old Stock Exchange, built in the neo-Renaissance style in 1932, attracts attention in the first place on the square.

In front of the Stock Exchange, you can see a funny sculptural group illustrating a scene from comics in the old Namur newspaper "Françwès et Djoseph":
At 6 a.m. Franchev catches up with Dieuzef just behind the bridge between Namur and Jamb. About 200 meters are left to Zhamb.
- Hey, Dieusef, where are you in such a hurry?
- I'm trying to keep up with my snail. She is in a hurry to get home before midnight.
Since both are deaf and carry on a conversation in Walloon dialect, they cause laughter among newspaper readers and passers-by on Arms Square:

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The construction of the Saint-Jacques tower began in 1388, as part of the city wall, and the tower became a bell tower in 1746:

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The Royal Theater is one of the last theaters in Europe equipped in the Italian style (XIX century), After the fire, the theater was rebuilt in sandstone, a material rare for Namur:

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The citadel is the hallmark of Namur:

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The first fortress on this site was built by the Romans in the III-IV centuries to protect the Meuse Valley from the Germanic tribes. Later in the 10th century, the Count of Namur erected a wooden watchtower on the site of the Roman ruins, which in subsequent years was overgrown with defensive structures. So in 1235-1245 a new stone fortress was built, which was expanded in the XIV century. Charles V of Habsburg in 1542-1555 improved the fortress so that in the following years it could function as a real city. In the 17th century, the walls of the citadel were doubled so that the fortress became one of the most fortified structures in Europe. Only at the beginning of the 19th century, most of the fortress walls were destroyed by order of Napoleon, since it lost its defensive significance, finding itself in the depths of the empire.

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The Butchers' House was built of bricks and blue limestone between 1588 and 1590. It is one of the rare and beautiful examples of 16th century civil architecture in Namur. Now it houses one of the most important and significant archaeological museums in Valonia:

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On the opposite bank of the Sambre, under the walls of the citadel, there is the building of the Parliament of Wallonia and the Hospice Saint-Gilles. The hospital building, founded in the Middle Ages, changed several names until the Hospice Saint-Gilles was located in the 18th century. This charitable institution was of paramount importance in the social life of Namur, accepting the poor, sick, orphans and elderly people who do not have the means to maintain their lives. Two parts of the building, built in the 16th-17th centuries, retain their significance today. The main building, built in 1668 of brick and limestone and recently renovated, now houses the Parliament of Wallonia.

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19. River Meuse

21. Church of St. Joseph (1627-1655)

The first mention of Namur is dated to the 7th century. The first settlers were Celts, then the area was owned by the French, and later by the Austrians. Namur became the territory of Belgium only at the end of the 19th century; it is an ancient city with a rich history and a huge historical heritage.

You should start exploring local attractions with a walk along the Embankment, which stretches along the Sambre River. A beautiful view of the Citadel opens up from here. One of the oldest buildings is the Cathedral of Saint Aubin, which was seriously rebuilt in the 18th century. Several great military leaders are buried on the territory of the Cathedral. Unfortunately, excursions around the halls of the cathedral are quite rare, but everyone can enjoy its majestic facades. On one of the streets there is another beautiful building - Saint Loup Church. Its construction was completed in the middle of the 17th century. Due to the fact that the church is located on one of the narrowest streets, its façade is barely visible.

The largest building is the Citadel. The first walls surrounding it were erected in the Middle Ages, and the latest a little over a hundred years ago. A spacious park adjoins the citadel, and right in front of the building there is a so-called stadium - a spacious platform with stands. Not far from the Citadel is the Namur Castle, today a restaurant is open within its walls and everyone can dine by candlelight, surrounded by the most real medieval atmosphere. Copyright www.site

Walking along the quiet city streets, you can see curious old buildings made in the best traditions of the past centuries, go to local shops or stroll along the river bank.

One of the most interesting symbols of the city is the Zhamb Bridge, which was built over a thousand years ago. Looking at this bridge now, it is difficult even to believe in its impressive age, it still continues to be used for its intended purpose. Not so long ago, an architectural landmark was supplemented with a beautiful lighting system, so now many people tend to admire the bridge in the evening. When the lights are on, it appears as if torches are illuminating the bridge.

The most important religious monument for the residents of the city is the Church of the Virgin Mary. The very first church in its place was built more than a thousand years ago, some of the elements of the old building can be seen by visitors to the temple even now. The main artifact of the ancient church is the statue of the Virgin Mary, which was considered the guardian of the city even in the Middle Ages. Once the city walls were surrounded by deep ditches filled with water, fragments of these walls next to the temple can be seen even now. Even the ditches were preserved, but now they are reformed into artificial reservoirs surrounded by flower beds.

Fans of theatrical art in Namur will have the opportunity to visit the Royal Theater, which opened more than 150 years ago. The building of the theater is built of rare sandstone and is a valuable architectural monument for the city, just like many years ago, today interesting performances are held in the theater.

One of the city's most amazing landmarks is the Marie Spilar Tower. It is the surviving part of the old city wall.Many incredible stories are associated with this tower. From the moment of its construction, it managed to remain practically unchanged, even during the Second World War, the tower remained intact, while all the buildings located next to it lay in ruins. In the post-war period, several new buildings were built next to the tower; today they represent a single architectural ensemble.