Dinant

Dinant is a relatively small but very picturesque city in the province of Namur in Belgium. It stretches along the river Meuse against the steep rock face behind on the eastern side, with a thinner strip on the western side against a forest. Its old town is perhaps one the most impressive sights in Wallonia, but the locality is relatively remote. The main sights are all close to each other and not very numerous, while accommodation opportunities are scarce, so Dinant is probably a good option for a nice day trip from larger Belgian cities such as Brussels, Charleroi or Liège. It also can serve as the starting point for a more thorough exploration of the Ardennes.

Understand
The site where Dinant is now located has been inhabited since neolithic times, and its name stems from Celtic for "divine valley". It grew to become an important city in the Middle Ages, specializing in producing fine objects out of a silvery brass alloy called dinanderie after its origin. Later the main industries were leather tanning, manufacturing of playing cards and the famous Dinant biscuits.

Through the centuries, Dinant has found itself on the borders of various warring entities, also often falling in conflict with its metropole Liège and neighbour Namur, and was repeatedly pillaged and burnt down. Although it looks very much like an authentic old town, it was all but razed by the invading Germans in 1914, after the Battle of Dinant which went on record as one of the more important in the First World War. The city's historic part under the citadel was meticulously rebuilt and retains its pre-war appearance.

Dinant is also the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. A street named after him passes in front of Dinant's most recognized landmark, the collegiate church.

Tourist Office
A tourist information office can be found at the, only a block or two from the train station and offers free WiFi.

Get in
Dinant is not very well connected to major cities in Belgium as it is on a side railway line forking out from the mainline in Namur. It is actually easier and quicker to get to Dinant by car, thanks to Belgium's excellent motorway system.

By plane
The closest airports are Brussels, Charleroi and Liège. Getting from either of them to Namur by public transport is a bit complicated and will take 2-2½ hours.
 * From Brussels Airport, take the train to Brussels-Nord, and change there for the hourly direct train to Dinant. If you do not want to wait for the next one, you can take a train to Namur (departs every 20 minutes), and change for one of the more frequent Dinant-bound trains there. Either way, getting from Brussels-Nord to Dinant by train takes around 1½ hours.
 * From Charleroi Airport, you need to take the bus to Charleroi Sud railway station, then a train to Namur, and then change to one departing for Dinant. Each part of the journey takes around 30 minutes, and both trains depart every half an hour, so you should be able to get from CRL to Dinant in about 2 hours.
 * From Liège Airport, you need to take the bus 57 to Liège-Guillemins train station (20 min, bus schedule coordinated with train departures to Brussels or Namur), which runs only a few times a day and not at all on weekends or holidays. From Guillemins, take a train to Namur (44 min, every half an hour) and change there to the train to Dinant (also every 30 min, journey takes another half an hour).



By train
The is in the centre of Dinant, about 5 minutes walk to the river, from where you can see the Citadel and the main parts of Dinant. From Brussels, the train to Dinant takes around 1½ hr, with the exact time depending on the station in Brussels you choose as your point of departure. Trains to Dinant depart every hour. From other locations in Belgium other than those close by, as well as from abroad, you need to change in either Namur or Brussels.

By car
The A4 motorway (E114) from Brussels to Luxembourg City passes immediately east of Dinant, the drive takes a little over an hour from either capital. Namur is also on the same motorway. From other major cities in Wallonia, take A15 (E42) and turn into A4 at Daussoulx. From destinations elsewhere or farther away, make your way to either of the abovementioned motorways.

Get around
No need to take public transport at all since Dinant is a very small town and the main tourist sites are within walking distance.



Buy
Couque de Dinant, a type of very hard biscuits, is the local speciality, typically eaten with coffee or hot chocolate.

Eat
There are several nice restaurants along the river, some with lovely views. Next to the departure points of boat tours, there is a Match supermarket. For a cheap lunch, buy some groceries and enjoy a picnic by the riverside!





Sleep
The city of Dinant has only three proper hotels and one hostel, but if you are enticed to stay longer by the irresistible charm of the location, there are plentiful (yet pricey!) apartments and houses to rent in and around the city.

Connect
There is free WiFi in the tourism office.

Stay safe
Being the relaxed small town it is, Dinant does not pose any major danger to travellers.

Go next

 * Namur — You probably have to go through this city on your way to Dinant. This provincial capital is worth some time as well.