Is Anyone Familiar with Tournai or Dinant?

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 02 May 2004, 16:49

Is anyone on Luchtzak familiar with Tournai or Dinant (or both)? We are going there in September and we've never been before, so we would appreciate some good (and not too rip off) places to eat, what to see etc.

Post by **sn26567** » 03 May 2004, 10:20

Tournai: the cathedral

and the belfry

(both UNESCO world heritage),

the historical bridge on the Scheldt river called "pont des trous"

the "halle aux draps"

Many rather cheap restaurants on the market place.

Dinant: Our Lady's church (XIIIth century)

the citadel loaded with history (take the 408 steps up, or better the cable-car)

... and a 45 min boat trip on the river Meuse to Anseremme.

Don't forget to eat the famous "couque de Dinant" and to dring the almost local abbey beer "Maredsous" (preferably on draught).

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 03 May 2004, 10:37

Thanks for the tips Andre - they both look superb places. I will definitely try the Maredsous beer, it's unavailable here in wasteland (surprise surprise - what isn't unavailable in the beer line here in Scarborough

)

What is "couque de Dinant"?

Both places are easily accessible by train from Brugge, which is good. We gave up on Durbuy because of the lack of a train.

Post by **sn26567** » 03 May 2004, 11:25

About Dinant,

One of its most famous children was Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone: http://www.dinant.be/eng/sax.htm

The couque: http://www.dinant.be/clindoeil/couque.htm (sorry, nothing in English)

And of course another famous local beer is Leffe.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 06 May 2004, 21:30

Tha should'a just said couque de Dinant worra biscuit

I don't touch Leffe when I am in Belgium - too many rare beers to go at without bothering with one like Leffe. One exception would be the Vieille Cuvee, that is one of the hardest beers to get anywhere. I would make an exception for that particular Leffe.

Does Tournai have a local beer worth trying? I have very broad taste in beer, so long as it doesn't mean being served up Orval

Post by **sn26567** » 07 May 2004, 09:16

Here is the website in English of one of the local breweries of Tournai: http://www.brunehaut.com/bru-01e.html

They brew 5 or 6 different beers, including one called Childeric Tournai blonde. Childeric was a Merovingian king of the Salian Franks in the Vth century, father of the famous Clovis who converted Gaul to catholicism. His capital was Tournai.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 07 May 2004, 10:46

Thanks for suggesting that beer, we will aim to try it while we are there. The bottle has a very nice label. I have never heard of that one before, and it does look a good beer.

jpcl44 · Post by **jpcl44** » 28 Jun 2004, 21:59

Comet;

Before you get in Tournai drop me a line.If i am there i'll show you the place around.At the moment i am a bit unstable due at my job research and licence conversion.I am a child from that region.so you'll the most welcome.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 29 Jun 2004, 10:01

jpcl44 - thanks very much for your offer, it would be nice to be shown the area by someone who knows it rather than just looking at a guide book. It might be very short notice for you, as we decide at the last minute when we go anywhere (certainly the most would be a couple of days), we travel around by train so things depend on the weather.

I will be using the internet whilst we are in Brugge, so I will do my best to let you know when we will be visiting Tournai.