The rustle of gray stones in the Belgian Dinant

A golden, slender, eye-catching saxophone that is associated with ambitious music (including jazz) was born in a small Belgian town near the French border - Dinant.

The city of Dinant in southern Belgium has suffered many times due to its strategic location. For tourists, its location by the Meuse River is a huge advantage, especially when you look at the cathedral, beautifully distinguished by the gray of the rock block, and the row of joyfully colorful houses reflecting in the water. Unfortunately, in the past, the city was often used as a battlefield, it was also a victim of looting. Once it was even burnt down and its inhabitants drowned.

The city of gray stone

Dinant remembers some really terrible things, but there are some brighter pages in his story. Among other things, Adolphe Sax, a saxophone designer , was born here. Currently, there is a small museum in his house, where you can not only see the inventor's belongings, but also listen to music flowing from an extremely graceful instrument. Sax did not live to see any profits - he died as poor as a church mouse. On the other hand, saxophones in Dinant can be found everywhere, be it in the form of street names, monuments or graphics on poles. Admission to the constructor museum is free.

You do not need to buy tickets also if you want to visit the Dinant showcase, i.e. the Gothic Collegiate Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary . The temple was built when boulders sliding off the cliffs demolished the previous church, leaving only the foundations. The spacious interior of the cathedral is cold and austere, made of gray stone, while the whole is warmed with wooden trim and gilding of the altar elements.

A huge rock, several dozen meters high, rises above the temple, topped with a 19th century citadel. You can get to it on foot, climbing over 400 steps, or by cable car. We will visit Citadelle de Dinant with a guide (7.5 euro). Upstairs there is a restaurant, a playground for children, an intimate military museum and a collection of cannons. From the top of the hill there is a wonderful view of the entire city.

Belgium's gold treasure

Another attraction that Dinant boasts is the headquarters of the monastic brewery Leffe . It produces one of the most popular Belgian beers, and despite industrial production, the activity is still based on the old monastic recipe. The monks had been brewing a golden drink here since the 13th century, and the complex itself survived many difficult moments, incl. it was ruined during the French Revolution. Today, the abbey is open to visitors.

And what interesting can you see outside the city? There are two caves in the immediate vicinity of Dinant. Inside Han we will find a world of lush dripstones, shapes frozen in the rock and mysterious sounds enchanted in the walls. No less rich form of infiltrates is hidden in the darkness of La Merveilleuse .

Camping nearby Dinant

Approximately 2.3 km from the city, there is a camping Syndicat d'Initiative de Dinant . It can be reached in a few minutes via the N92 route. It is situated in a quiet area, by the river, and offers guests many places for caravans and campers.

It is also noteworthy Villatoile Holiday Park , a holiday resort with a campsite and places for campers and caravans. It is located about 2 km from Anseremme and is a great option for people who want to relax in a beautiful environment (river bend) and have easy access to the surrounding attractions. The campsite has been welcoming tourists since March 25, 2016.

As you can see, the element that runs through our Dinant story is the gray stone. He demolished the Romanesque church and creates the interior of the cathedral, and the colorful tenement houses by the river look exceptionally beautiful against it.