Namur, Wallonia’s capital
Situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Sambre and the Meuse, Namur is guarded by the imposing Citadel fortress and has a history of over 2,000 years.
I first visited the city in the late 1970s and I was impressed by the changes in the city since that time, such as the new railway station and the many restored Art Nouveau and Art Deco houses.
Our group met for coffee at the Brasserie de la Confluence, enjoying the views across the Sambre and the Meuse. Our guide met us there and took us on a walking tour of the city.
First he explained to us about the Grognon: the construction of an underground car park was the opportunity for large scale archeological excavations. The traces of humanity discovered revealed a rich history, going back over thousands of years.
Leaving the Confluence, we crossed the Meuse on the footbridge. On the bridge, as we admired the view, our guide drew our attention to a single-span bridge further on: the Pont des Ardennes. The good people of Namur were initially hesitant to cross this new bridge, as it lacked the arches and pillars they had come to know from the old bridge. It took a squadron of army tanks to cross the bridge before the people of Namur dared to take the risk!
Once we had crossed the bridge to the other side of the river, we admired some of the colourful street art of the city.
I particularly liked the work of Demosthenes Stellas of the Drash collective, a Greek artist who painted the entire side of the splendid Villa Balat with green plants climbing up the wall, inspired by Art Nouveau. He applied Balat’s principle of simplification to this monumental painting, starting from something realistic and ending up with simplified, even suggested motifs. By the way, Alphonse Balat was one of King Leopold II’s principal architects (a.o. the Laeken Greenhouses).
Another mural by the artist Yolande, along a very long and narrow wall, was called L’Art de Penser. There are several interpretations of this mural, one being that it depicts long strands of seaweed, moving at random in water.
From the river bank we admired the elegant building which houses the Walloon Parliament. On the façade it bears the coat of arms of Wallonia, with the symbolic crown, lion and Golden Fleece.
Our next stop on the tour was at the Place aux Armes. Here our guide explained the meaning of the statues by Suzane Godard, based on humorous characters by Jean Legrand. Next to these figures is a statue of a large snail. The Namurois are known in other parts of the country for speaking very slowly, hence the snail, which appears in many jokes about the locals.
We continued our walk past the imposing Belfry Tower, then onwards to the 16th century Hotel des Tanneurs, where we had our delicious lunch.
After lunch we went to the Hotel des Bateliers, situated in the former mediaeval drapers’ quarter. It was an affluent neighbourhood with many grand houses and an abbey.
The Hotel des Bateliers, once the home of the Groesbeeck family, became a listed building in 1935. The city of Namur bought the building in 1937 and it houses the Museum of Decorative Arts, which we visited. Inside the entrance is a magnificent staircase and the museum has a fine collection of paintings, furniture and objets d’art. Outside there is a peaceful garden with a topiary parterre, statues and a water feature.
During this most enjoyable day I walked more than 11,000 steps but did not feel tired at all, thanks to the good company, the fine weather, the delicious lunch and the informative guide. Warmest congratulations to the organisers of this memorable day in Namur.
Photos by Annick Dedobbeleer
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A message for Carole & Annick
Thank you so much for organizing such a fascinating day in Namur, a city I’ve always loved & thought I knew! But on this day we had such fun discovering streets & places I never knew existed. Thank you for booking our wonderful professional guide (Bernard?) whose enthusiasm & knowledge really made everything come alive. Visiting the beautiful Musée des Arts Decoratifs in the 18th century’s “Millionaires Row”, became so much more enjoyable thanks to his explanation about the architecture and the variety of pieces on display. And what joy to discover stunning Peonies & a Tulip Tree IN FLOWER! Never seen one of those before.
Thanks again. Ginny & Jon
There’s a tulip tree in the Schoonselhof cemetery in Antwerp – the first place I ever saw one!
I completely agree with Ginny & Jon’s appreciation of the Bernard’s splendid tour of Namur.
Cheers
Margaret