Namur

The Walloon province of Namur is a green region begging to be discovered: walk or cycle through the rolling hills of the Lesse valley and visit monumental castles for a bit of history. Wash it all down with a cool, traditionally brewed beer at one the breweries or abbeys.

The Belgian province of Namur borders in the north with the province of Walloon-Brabant and the city of Brussels and slides over the hills into France. The capital of the province is the city of Namur. Other notable cities include Dinant, Ciney and Rochefort.

Namur's hilly area is made up of different geographic regions, such as Sambre-et-Meuse, Condroz and the Ardennes. At the foot of the latter, you will find the Lesse valley, which is blanketed in woods, charming villages and gurgling streams where you can walk and cycle to your heart's content.

The beautiful hilly river landscape is rounded off by impressive castles and old ruins. The Citadel of Dinant is on top of a 100-metre high rock in the city centre and can be reached by cable car or 400 mediaeval steps. In the city of Yvoir on the Meuse lies Spontin Castle, a typical example of a mediaeval fortress. Book the 45-minute tour so you can see the rooms and the castle grounds.

If you like combining history with a nice beer, you’ll find more than enough places to go to in Namur: Floreffe Abbey, Gembloux Abbey and the famous Leffe Abbey (Notre Dame de Leffe) all offer tours of the their brewery and cultural heritage.

The province has an extensive railway network, with Namur as the central point. Towns such as Gembloux, Dinant and Ciney are easy to reach. You can get to the charming villages by bus (again with Namur as the central point) or by car.

If you're travelling by car, the car ferry from Dover will get you to Namur in 5.5 hours. The Eurotunnel will be about an hour faster. The train from St Pancras will get you to Namur in 3.5 hours, and of course you can fly to Brussels and take the train from there or hire a car.

Visit Namur and enjoy its picturesque valleys and cultural heritage.