Dinant

The Rough Guide to Belgium describes Dinant as having pretensions to being a picturesque town. I have visited here a number of times either on the way down from Namur or whilst visiting various places connected with beer: Leffe, Orval and Chimay.

Dinant has been a crossing point of the Meuse river since Roman times and a central point for local Christianity. Because of its strategic importance the town was often in conflict with one lord or baron or another.

In August 1466 the Duke of Burgundy burnt the town to the ground and its trade in copper ware was banned in the area and on the London Market. This was a terrible trade blow to the town - that the French word for copper ware is dinanderie gives an indication as to just how well know the town was for this product.

Having just about recovered from this it was occupied by the French King Louis XIV's engineers who fortified the town. It should be pointed out that Belgium did not exist as such in these days and following the French Revolution the town found itself in the Department of the Sambre-and-Meuse. They were then placed under Dutch rule following the fall of Napoleon in 1815.

Today high on the bluff overlooking the town by a 100 metres is the famous Citadel, you can drive up the hill to the esplanade, take the telepherique by Notre Dame, or there are steps (I think you still have to pay though, and there are 400 and odd of them).

After the French restoration the Dutch decided that just in case the French tried anything else, they would rebuild the citadel to keep them out. Almost a hundred years later the French were back again, but this time trying to defend this same citadel for the Belgians against the Germans.

Dinant Citadel

With the creation of Belgium Dinant discovered its tourist industry, something that is still important to this day.

For the musical ones amongst you, Dinant is the birthplace of Adolphe Sax and you can visit his home at 31 rue A Sax.

There are boat trips to be had along the Meuse River and as a stop off for a day or a central point for touring the town is more than pleasant enough.

A short river cruise along the Meuse

Notre Dame

The Gothic church of Notre Dame and its onion dome is visible from everywhere. The interior is quite interesting but perhaps not as spectacular as you might have been led to think from the outside.

The French National Cemetery

If you drive up to the Citadel (and it is reasonably well signposted) you come in past a small French National Cemetery, with a striking statue to Sergent Major Bouchez of the French 8th Line Regiment. In the midst of the assault on 15 August 1914 had shown heroic courage in seizing the German Flag which had been erected slightly prematurely over the citadel.

Another person who was also here on 15 August was Lieutenant Charles de Gaulle the Second World War French leader. He was wounded during a counter attack at bayonet point across the bridge whilst fighting with the 11th Coy of the 33rd Regiment. It was his unit's success in the face of machine gun fire that helped the French retake the citadel.

Immediately next to this statue is a small plot of British graves from the Second World War - mostly airmen.

If you came up via the steps or telepherique the cemetery can be found up behind the cafes which you will see as you reach the top of the cliff.