Situated at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, Namur is the heir to an ancient Roman city. Running in Namur means meeting the noble houses that succeeded one another, and admiring its rich architectural heritage. But you can also enjoy its many festivals, in the heart of a modern and active city!
Namur is Belgium's seventh-largest city in terms of surface area, and eleventh-largest in terms of population. Situated between two rivers, on a confluence that has been occupied since Neolithic times, it has preserved many remarkable buildings from its rich past.
The first urbanisation of Namur dates back to Roman times, and the town existed under the name of Namuco under the Merovingians. The appearance of the first Counts of Namur in the 10th century marked the beginning of a succession of noble houses at the head of the fiefdom. Its citadel, whose foundations date back to the Romans, is one of the largest in Europe. It was first a fortified castle, then the seat of the county, before becoming the present-day citadel in the hands of the genius architects Vauban and Coehoorn. Napoleon I dubbed it the ‘termite mound of Europe’ for its vast network of underground passages. When you're out and about in Namur, you can easily visit it by running... or by taking the cable car that takes you there!
From the remains of Grognon to the Brewers district
Over the centuries, the face of Namur has changed as a result of the conflicts that have shaken Europe. The seventeenth century in particular marked a real architectural turning point: as you stroll through the streets of the city, you'll see very few buildings from before that period. All the more so as the Grognon district, the historic birthplace of the town, was razed to the ground in the early 1970s due to insalubrity. Its strange name was due to its location, in a ‘beak’ of land separating the Sambre and Meuse rivers - a Grognon, from the Old French groin, meaning a protruding piece of land.
However, at the foot of the citadel, you will discover a number of remains from the medieval period, including towers from the old third enclosure. The city of Namur suffered twenty sieges in twenty centuries, so at the height of its defensive power it had four walls, which were reinforced by the citadel. This made it a major stronghold in the Southern Netherlands, but above all one of the most coveted in Europe. Its belfry, the Tour Saint-Jacques, was built at the end of the 14th century. This former defence tower, which has been converted without losing its fortified appearance, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Along the water
On your run along the Sambre, you can admire two successive districts. Firstly, the Bishop's Palace, home to the magnificent Italian cathedral of Saint-Aubain, built in the 18th century on the site of a former collegiate church. Then, further on, there is the brewers' quarter, created at the same time as these craftsmen settled in large numbers, attracted by the proximity of the river and the liveliness of this commercial district.
Take a walk along the towpath, or a stroll along the quays, and you'll appreciate this now-renewed district, which has far fewer breweries than in its commercial heyday. You can also take a ‘Namourette’, one of the small boats that ply the two rivers, somewhere between a gondola and a whaleboat.
Modern Namur
Beyond its monuments, Namur is an active, modern city, a real ‘Smart city’ renowned for its cultural events, particularly its festivals. It is the seat of the Walloon government, as well as the Parliament of Wallonia, which is housed in the former Saint-Gilles hospice, a medieval building that is one of the few remaining vestiges of the Grognon region. From a cultural point of view, Namur . On the one hand, during your stay in Namur, you may have the chance to admire one of the city's stilt jousts, now part of humanity's intangible heritage. Namur's stilt-walkers have been around for over 600 years!
Namur also has a wealth of museums, both archaeological and artistic. Don't miss the Diocesan Museum and the Cathedral Treasury, which contain rare examples of Mosan silverware. Or the African Museum, dedicated to the Belgian presence in the Congo. For something a little out of the ordinary, you might also consider a visit to the Strawberry Museum, which focuses on the cultivation of this fruit, or the Terra Nova Centre, which offers a real multimedia excursion into the history of the city.
Of course, if you visit Namur in September, don't miss the Fêtes de Wallonie, a golden opportunity to taste the local ‘peket’, a juniper liqueur. Or the famous Festival international du film francophone (FIFF). However, almost every month you'll find a major cultural event to enjoy in the heart of the Belgian city.
Run, walk or cycle with JOOKS, from the Citadel to Saint-Aubain Cathedral!
Find all the routes in the city of Namur and over 1,500 others on the JOOKS application.
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