Dinant

The skyline of Dinant, a small town cozied up against the Meuse River, is dominated by its two main buildings: the Citadel, which overlooks the town from a 100 meter cliff, and the Cathedral of Notre Dame, outsized against the surrounding structures and capped by a bronze onion dome. The Citadel, built during the Dutch occupation c. 1820, is the second fortress to sit atop the strategic crest -- an earlier fortification was destroyed by the French in 1703.

A famous native of Dinant is Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone. The Belgian monarch King Albert I perished near Dinant in 1934 when he fell while rock climbing. The commune of Dinant has 13,000 residents, and is 25 kilometers south of the city of Namur.

There are three ways to ascend to this military fortress perched on the cliff above the city of Dinant: by highway from behind, by a steep cable car ride, or by a 420 step staircase carved into the rock. At the top is a Museum of Armaments, plus dioramas, a collapsed shelter cave -- and an absolutely spectacular view of the Meuse River. There is also a restaurant, a terrace, and a play area for children.

The current citadel was built in 1820 by the Dutch. It replaced the ruins of the original fortification, built 1051 on the orders of the Prince Bishop of Liege to defend the Meuse against invaders, and torn apart in 1703.

Practical information:

Tourist Office : Rue Grande, 37 - 5500 Dinant Tel: (082) 22.28.70

Facts : Population around 10.000 inhabitants. Dinant lies in the Belgian province of Namur.

How to reach Dinant : (Dinant lies at approx. 65 km south of Brussels)

By public transport : Direct train from Brussels (North, Central and Midi station) via Namur.

By road from Brussels : highway E411 via Namur. Exit 20 .From Namur N92 alongside the valley of the Meuse