In this special Valentine’s Day Episode, Natalie takes us on a truly unique adventure to Namur, Belgium, a city of french charm speakers, river views, and a diverse mix of modern and historic sites.
Namur is a beautiful city full of history and stunning views! My sister Rachel, who lives in Brussels, took me to Namur to celebrate my 30th birthday. But it is also the perfect place to enjoy yourself with your partner!
Belgium is made up of a few distinctive regions. You have Flanders, which is the northern region of the country close to Holland, where they speak Flemish (similar to Dutch), and Wallonia in the southern part of the country bordering France. They speak French there. Brussels is the middle-man, so French, Dutch, and English are all spoken there.
Namur is the capital of Wallonia, which is a French-speaking region!
We stayed at the most beautiful and unique bed and breakfast I would highly recommend – La Villa Balat. It’s considered one of the most beautiful and unique homes in Namur and was turned into a bed and breakfast by the family who owned it in the early 1900s.
La Villa Balat sits between the bridge of Jambes and the bridge of the Ardennes, offering a direct view over the Citadel and the Walloon parliament at the junction of the two rivers. My sister got us a room with this adorable little outdoors overlooking the river. We loved just sitting out there people-watching and enjoying the views I mentioned. Everything in the home is so well-placed and thoughtful. The breakfast was amazing, too!
One of the most epic aspects of the city is The Citadel! This was such a highlight of the trip. It’s one of the only citadels of its kind in this part of Europe and has been so well kept. It sits above the town and has been around since the 10-hundreds. It makes sense that the counts of Namur would want to put their castle and fortress up there! It is so incredible and expansive! You can drive up there, walk, or take a cable car.
The cable car is really cool, but we decided to walk our way up, and then we walked around the whole area for a few hours! There’s a castle, an amphitheater, what looks like a sports arena, a modern restaurant, shops, and a gorgeous hotel. It’s a stunning site and worth visiting the city just for that.
There is a famous turtle sculpture called Searching for Utopia (also called the turtle crowns the citadel) sits at one of the walking entrances. It’s fascinating and a fun and random landmark!
The city itself is really colorful, and there are, as with many European cities, many twists and turns and special pockets and corners to discover. So we loved strolling through the city and stopping in cafes and shops!
The cathedral of Saint Aubain was closed for construction when we were there, but we were told that it was a favorite spot to tour. Every European city has its lofty and architecturally interesting cathedrals. This one was built in the mid-1700s. Not as old as some of the other cathedrals in Belgium, but very beautiful nonetheless!
They also offer little boat cruises along the river. These are relatively cheap and so fun. Who doesn’t love cruising on the river? This was the final thing that we did on this trip, and it was such a lovely way to end our excursion.
This region is so different from Brussels, which is more of a city feel and is flat, whereas Namur is more expansive and mountainous. Take your sweetie there and enjoy beautiful views, delicious food, historic sites, and much more!
