Mons

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Airports

• Brussels Airport
• Brussels South Charleroi Airport

By train

• Mons station

  address: Boulevard Charles Quint
  A new station is curently under construction. There is a temporary station close to the construction site. There are regular train links with Brussels, Charleroi, Tournai, all nodes in the Belgian train network. The national railway company of Belgium is called SNCB in French.

By bus

By car

By boat

• Marina

  phone: +32 65 87 48 90
  address: Avenue du Grand Large 2, 7000 Mons
  The marina is fitted with bathrooms and a club-house. It is linked with the French and Dutch canal networks.

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

• Grand PlaceThe centre of the historic town and the stage for the annual mock-battle of the Lumeçon.

• City Hall

  address: Grand Place 22
  It was built near the current location of the belfry, and was moved on the Grand Place in the 13th century. The flamboyant gothic building we see today dates from the 15th century. In front of it stands a statue of a monkey, which is said to bring good fortune to those who pat his head.

• Collegiate Church of Saint Waltrude

  address: Rue du Chapitre 3
  Paradoxically a good specimen of Brabantic Gothic architecture.

• BelfryClassified as a , dates from the 17th century and is the only Baroque-style belfry in Belgium.

• Van Gogh House

  phone: +32 65 35-56-11 or +32 65 33-55-80
  address: 3 Rue du Pavillon, Cuesmes 7033
  Cuesmoise the house where he lived from August 1879 to October 1880, was saved from ruin in the 1970s and is now accessible to the public.

• Spanish House

  address: Rue des Clercs 32
  Dates back to the 16th century and was built entirely out of bricks.

Museums

• Museum François Duesberg

  phone: +32 65 84 16 56
  address: Square Franklin Delano Roosevelt 12
  Museum devoted to the decorative arts from the period 1775 to 1825 located in the former building of the National Bank of Belgium. The items are in a wonderful condition.

• Doudou Museum

  phone: +32 65 40 53 18
  address: Jardin du Mayeur
  This museum is entirely dedicated to the crazy Ducasse celebrations that yearly take place in Mons. You will learn about the history of the event. The audio content is in French, English and Dutch.

• Mons Memorial Museum

  phone: +32 65 40 53 38
  address: Boulevard Dolez 51
  The exhibits on display from the City of Mons give the visitors more insight in the two world wars that turned the 20th century upside down.

• Beaux-Arts Mons

  phone: +32 65 40 53 25
  address: Rue Neuve 8
  Museum displaying contemporary art with interesting temporary exhibitions.

• Silex'sYou can visit a silex mine dating back to the Neolithic period. This is a .

• Cinema Imagix

  phone: +32 65 35 73 73
  address: Boulevard André Delvaux 1

Events

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

• The Ducasse de Mons or Doudou is the name of a week-long series of festivities or Ducasse, which originates from the 14th century and takes place every year on Trinity Sunday. Highlights include:

• The entrusting of the reliquary of Saint Waltrude to the mayor of the city on the eve of the procession.
• The placement of the reliquary on the Car d’Or (golden carriage), before it is carried in the city streets in a colourful procession that counts more than a thousand costumed participants.
• The lifting of the Car d’Or on a paved area near the church of Saint Waltrude; tradition holds that this operation must be successful for the city to prosper.
• The Lumeçon fight, where Saint George confronts the dragon. The fight lasts for about half an hour, accompanied by the rhythmic "Doudou" music. The tradition of the processional dragon is listed among the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

• Les Grands Prés

  phone: +32 65 31 27 18
  address: Place des Grands Prés 1
  The biggest mall of the city located quite near to the centre.

• L'Instant Thé

  phone: +32 65 58 68 14
  address: Rue des Fripiers 12
  The place to be in Mons if you want to buy good quality tea.

• Mimolette Cacahuète

  phone: +32 65 84 54 00
  address: Rue des Fripiers 15
  Cheese from Piedmont and other places.

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

• Mons Youth Hostel

  phone: +32 65 87 55 70
  address: Rampe du Château, 2

• Hotel Infotel

  phone: +32 65 40-18-30
  address: Rue d'Havré 32

• Ibis Hôtel Mons

  phone: +32 65 84-74-40
  address: Boulevard Charles Quint 27

• St-James Hotel

  phone: +32 65 72-48-11
  address: Place de Flandre 8

Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

• Van der Valk Hotel Mons Congres

  phone: +32 65 39 02 07
  address: Avenue Mélina Mercouri 7, 7000 Mons

• Dream

  phone: +32 65 32 97 20
  address: Rue de la Grande Triperie 17, 7000 Mons

• The historic town of Nimy is a few kilometers to the north up the N6.
• The Grand-Large Marina is close to the IMAGIPARK amusement park, and is a good place to start a canal tour of the local waterways.
• The MAC's in Grand-Hornu (via TEC Bus lines 7 and 9) is a beautiful museum in a superb historic industrial coal site. Visit also the places near Grand-Hornu where Vincent Van Gogh lived.
• Cambron-Casteau — home to Pairi Daiza, a popular animal park north of Mons on the way to Ath.