Namur
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Namur (Namen in Dutch ; pop. 107,000) is the capital of the Province of Namur, Wallonia Region and French-speaking Community of Belgium.
Namur is often described by the Belgians as a bourgeois town, as opposed to the working classes of former coal mining areas like Charleroi or Liege, but also thanks to its scenic geographical location at the confluence of the Rivers Meuse and Sambre, and its beautiful 17th and 18th-century architecture.
Namur hosts every year the International Competition for Young Violinists "Bravo!".
One of Belgium's most famous tennis clubs, the T.C. Géronsart is located in Namur's twin town of Jambes. It has seen many great names of Walloon tennis, like the brothers Christophe and Olivier Rochus, and of course Justine Henin (who lives in the suburb of Wépion when she isn't in Monaco).
Other well-known Namurois include actor Benoît Poelvoorde and actress Cécile de France.
The world-famous jam and compote producer Materne-Confilux has been based in the picturesque suburb of Floreffe since its foundation in 1880. Floreffe is also renowned for its Premonstratensian abbey, established in 1121 by Saint Norbert of Xanten (c. 1080-1134).
Brocante de Temploux
The village of Temploux, 10 km north-west of central Namur, hosts one of Europe's largest secondhand market (brocante in French) on the 3rd weekend of August each year. It is spread on 6 km with over 1,500 stands. Sellers do not only come from the Benelux, but also France, Germany, Denmark and Britain, attracting between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors over just 36 hours. The market has the particularity of being open continously from Saturday morning to Sunday evening, night included. Check the multilingual official website for more information. |
History
Ancient times
The region of Namur has been settled since times immemorial. Homo Neanderthalis lived here at least 100,000 years ago, as attested by the skeletons found in various caves in the region (Spy, Sclayn).
The first Homo Sapiens (Cro-Magnon) also settled in the region's numerous caves. Canine remains dating from 31,700 years ago were found in Goyet's Caves, a few kilometers south-east of Namur (in the municipality of Gesves). They are the world's oldest reported case of dog domestication. There is no evidence of dog domestication in other parts of the world until about 10,000 BCE.
During the Iron Age, Namur was the site of Oppidum Atuatucorum (or Aduaticorum), the oldest pre-Roman fortified settlement in the Benelux. It was probably the capital of the Atuatuci tribe, who had for immediate neighbours the Condrusi (south, in the hilly Condroz region), the Nervii (north, in Brabant) and the Eburones (east, in the present provinces of Liège and Limburg).
In 57 BCE was fought the Battle of the Sabis (Sabis being the Latin name of the River Sambre) , opposing eight Roman legions (45,000 men) against a confederation of 15 Belgic tribes under the leadership of Galba, king of the Suessiones. The battle culminated with the siege of Oppidum Atuatucorum (see map). Julius Caesar described the place as large enough to shelter 57,000 people, though the total number of Belgae warriors must have been between 15,000 and 25,000. The tough battle resulted in a Roman victory, and the Belgic tribes surrendered, with the exception of the Eburones (and some Nervii), who kept resisting until 54 BCE, before being anihilated.
After the Roman conquest of Gallia Belgica, a castrum (fort) replaced the oppidum, but the settlement remained at the bottom of the hill, as attested by Gallo-Roman artefacts found in the old town of Namur.
Medieval to modern times
In the 7th century, the civitas (town) was mentioned under the name of Navinucum Centrum or Numucum, and was an occasional place of residence for Merovingian kings.
Namur, as it has eventually been called since the 12th century, developed into a prosperous merchant town in the late Middle Ages. The historical core of the medieval town (and probably of the previous Celtic and Roman settlements) was built at the strategic confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers. This place, where the Walloon Parliament now stands, is known to the locals as the Grognon.
In the 15th century the County of Namur was sold by the Count of Flanders to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. In 1506, Namur becomes part of the Spanish Netherlands of the Habsburg family who inherited the Burgudian possessions by marriage. This is when most of today's old town was built.
Louis XIV of France besieged and took Namur in 1692. The town was fortified by ramparts made by Louis XIV's great military architect Vauban, in addition to the city walls. The town was besieged again in 1695, by William III of England this time.
Namur's strategic location made it a target of the German bombers during WWII.
Orientation
Namur is a small town that can easily be seen on foot. The number of pedestrian streets make it in fact rather difficult to penetrate by car.
The historical town is locked between the Sambre and Meuse rivers South, and the Railway line North. The main streets around which all the shopping and sights are to be found are : 'Rue de Fer' ("Iron Street"), 'Rue de l'Ange' (Angel's street), 'Rue de Bruxelles' (Brussels' Street) and 'Rue Emile Cuvelier'.
Sightseeing
Top 5 touristic attractions in Namur
The Citadel & Medieval Castle
The Old Town
St Alban's Cathedral
Trésor d'Oignies Museum
The Royal Theatre
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Historical Centre
The town centre dates from the mid-17th century. Most buildings were constructed on 5 or 6 floors in typical Mosan style (from the 'Meuse river'), using red bricks with bluestone window frames. The narrow shopping streets are the main attraction.
The St Albans Cathedral was designed in Baroque style by Italian architect Gaetino Pizzoni, and erected between 1751 and 1767.
The St Loup Church in Rue du College is another example of grandiose Belgian Baroque. It was constructed by Jesuit Father Huyssens in 1621 as the Church (then called St Ignacius) of the Jesuit College facing it. St Ignacius became St Loup Church when the Jesuits were suppressed in 1773. Its facade was remade in 1867 with local bluestone instead of black marble. Although the street is still called "College Street", the Jesuit College moved to Erpent in the outskirts of town in 1971.
Museums
Namur has a few relatively interesting museums.
If you only have time for one museum, try the Trésor d'Oignies , rue Julie Billiart 17 (Tue-Sat 10am-noon & 2-5pm, Sun 2-5pm; 1.20 euro, ring if the door is closed).
Most of the objects on display are gold and silver reliquaries made by Hugo d'Oignies in the early 13th century.
In the same line, the Musée des Arts Anciens du Namurois (Tue-Sun 10am-6pm; 1.20 euro) in the Rue de Fer exhibits 11th to 13th centuries Mosan goldsmiths and silversmiths.
In the small Rue Fumal, the Musée Félicien Rops (daily 10am-6pm, closed Mon except during July & Aug; 2.50euro) is dedicated to the Namur-born painter and illustrator. Rops, who spent most of his life in Brussels and Paris, is famous for his erotic and macabre drawings, usually based on religious themes.
Theatre
The Royal Theatre of Namur is not very big, but it is quite attractive, and has been entirely renovated a few years ago.
Visitors can enter freely, although the main hall, with its particularily remarkable Baroque ceiling, may not be accessible during rehearsals.
Citadel
No visitor can miss the stupendous Citadel of Namur, dominating the hill at the confluence of the Meuse and the Sambre. The huge stone fortress is not just a local must-see, but one of Belgium as a whole. It is the site of the oldest permanent settlement in the Benelux, and remains the most extensive construction in the country, with a circumference of several kilometres.
History of the citadel
The citadel was the site of the Celtic Oppidum Aduatucorum where Julius Caesar defeated the Belgic Gauls (see History above), it developed into a Roman stronghold against Germanic invasions in the 3rd and 4th century.
In the 10th century, the Count of Namur replaced the Roman ruins by a wooden tower. A stone castle was built between 1235 and 1245, and further expanded in the 14th century.
Emperor Charles V of Habsburg had a complete citadel built between 1542 and 1555. It was named 'La Médiane' and was meant to function as a real city in the events of a war.
The Citadel's walls were doubled in the 17th century and it became one of the most fortified constructions in Europe. Napoleon had part of the Citadel dismantled in the early 19th century.
Activities
The view over Namur and the Meuse valley from the castle of the counts, at the eastern tip of the citadel, are breathtaking. There are numerous paths and cobbled streets leading up to the citadel, and many more underground passageways within the fortress. The place is especially beautiful in summer and early autumn. Spare a whole day if you want to explore all the citadel on foot.
The citadel is also home to the Guy Delforge Perfumery. The workshop are open to the public and give visitors the opportunity to understand the different phases of the perfume production process. Tours start at 3:30pm every Saturday (except on public holidays) and cost 3 €. The showroom is open Tuesdays to Sundays (also Mondays in July and August) from 9:15 am to 5:30 pm (Sundays and public holidays 2:15 pm to 5:30 pm). Admission is free.
Check the official website for the full list of visits and seasonal activities.
Fêtes de Wallonie
The third weekend of September each year, Namur hosts Belgium's answer to Munich's Oktoberfest : 3 days of almost uninterrupted binge drinking and partying in the streets of the Walloon capital. Despite the country's reputation for beer (Belgium produces more beer per capita than Germany), it is the local peket, a variety of fruity Jenever, that is king during the Fêtes de Wallonie.
Other Walloon cities, like Liège or Andenne also host similar events, but the biggest and most famous is the one held in Namur and symbolises the Walloon spirit of conviviality. The festival ends with a big fireworks above the citadel.
Shopping & Entertainment
Namur has plenty of fashionable boutiques, pleasant cafés and restaurants (see below). As a university town, it is also a good place to buy CD's and DVD's, books, stationery. etc. The main shopping streets are the Rue de Fer, Rue de l'Ange and Rue de Bruxelles, as well as in front of the train station. But many boutiques are located in the small pedestrian streets in the old town. The small Inno department store is located between Rue de l'Ange and Place d'Armes.
There are two big cinemas: the Eldorado in Rue de Fer (between the old town and the train station) and Acinapolis at the end of Avenue Materne in Jambes, on the other side of the Meuse.
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