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Capital of Hainaut province, Wallonia, Belgium
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mons (Dutch: Bergen, not to be confused with the namesake city in Norway) is the capital of the Belgian province of Hainaut, in the region of Wallonia. The town is a worthy place to base yourself for a multi-day exploration of the Hainaut region.
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The centre of the historic town and the stage for the annual mock-battle of the Lumeçon.
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.
Collégiale Sainte-Waudru
Paradoxically a good specimen of Brabantic Gothic architecture.
Beffroi
Classified as a , dates from the 17th century and is the only Baroque-style belfry in Belgium.
Maison Van Gogh
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.
Dates back to the 16th century and was built entirely out of bricks.
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.
Musée du Doudou
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.
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.
BAM
Museum displaying contemporary art with interesting temporary exhibitions.
You can visit a silex mine dating back to the Neolithic period. This is a .
"European Alternative Music Event" - 15-19 July 2026.
Savory crepes
Syrian
Hallal food
Vietnamese
€40-50
Nepalese
The biggest mall of the city located quite near to the centre.
The place to be in Mons if you want to buy good quality tea.
Cheese from Piedmont and other places.
A free shuttle service runs between 07:00 and 21:00. The shuttles run along three circuits, all of which terminate at the train station Gare B. All run past Sainte Waudru and the Grand Place.
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Charleroi · International · CRL
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