2) Dinant, Belgium

Dinant sparkles along the Meuse River in the province of Namur. It is about 40 miles south of Brussels and about 12 miles south of Namur, the regional capital.

THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF NOTRE-DAME

The Collegiate Church of Notre Dame at Dinant has about the most striking combination of features and location that i can recall seeing anywhere. At the foot of a sheer rock cliff, and overlooking the major fluvial artery, the Meuse River, its bulbous, onion domed roof, topped with a spire, is unforgettable.

There was a 7th century church on the site of the current structure, which has been variously damaged by falling rock or warfare over the centuries. the current church dates from 1227 in a Gothic design; its previous design was said to be Romanesque.

It is noted for its onion dome tower, which was actually the last of various designs planned for the building over the years. The church was badly damaged during World War One.

The church is overlooked by a Citadel, Which, in its present form, was fortified in 1821. from the citadel may be obtained fine views of the collegiate church, with its remarkable tower design.

LA CITADELLE DINANT

The Citadel, on its rock high above the city of Dinant, has been a weapon and history museum for over a century. In the Middle Ages, the city of the "Copères", the second largest of the Principality of Liege, was a Hanseatic town renowned for its copperware, the famous "dinanderie". 

In order to storm the Dinant Citadel, visitors can choose between the stairs with 408 steps (dated 1577) and/or the cable car, built in 1956 and renovated in 1997. Both lead to a staggering view on the city of Dinant.

Behind the Citadel lies a large parking lot with room for 150 vehicles. It is accessible from the plateau, avoiding the traffic of the centre of Dinant... and its parking meters.

In the "Dutch" citadel, visitors learn about the history of Dinant, literally and metaphorically exploring the corridors of time: the sack of Dinant by the troops of Charles the Bold in 1466, the construction of the city's fortifications by Vauban, Louis XIV's brilliant engineer and architect, the bayonet combats of French and German soldiers and the massacre of 674 civilians in August 1914…

The visit includes a look at the prison of a disciplinary regiment and even a meeting with the guillotine…

The panorama of the splendid landscape, 100 meters above the Meuse, is breathtaking.

And also the daily life of the Dutch garrison (foundry, kitchen, bakery) and the perils of a soldier of the Great War, escaping from a collapsed shelter in his trench... Thrilling!

 

THE GROTTO OF DINANT

Discovered in 1904, "La Merveilleuse" is considered to be one of the most beautiful grottoes in Belgium. You can admire its stalactites and waterfalls, one whiter and finer than the other. 50 minutes in the caves whose entrance is located a few hundred meters from the center of Dinant.

This walk in the land will amaze you with its beauty. The cave inhabited by bats kind of offers the advantage of showing as nature formed it.

After a succession of galleries and rooms to the walls draped with stalactites and stalagmites you reach the large room that contains many stalactites and waterfalls of whiteness and fineness breathtaking.