Dinant - the birth of the saxophone

I guess that this place will be full on a sunny day - the view is amazing

Next stop today was the city of Dinant which I had decided to be the goal of my trip until I changed my mind. The commune of Dinant has today aprox. 13.000 residents, and is situated 25 kilometres south of the city of Namur and approx. 65 km south of Brussels.

The city turned out to be a little gem it an old little city cozied up against the Meuse River. If you can talk about a skyline in such a little city - its skyline 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 by the Dutch c.

River boats - can just imagine a wine and dine on this one.

1820, is the second fortress to sit atop the strategic crest - 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. Dinant had also its fair share of battles through history like many other Belgian cities. 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 city is also known in Belgium as the place where the Belgian monarch King Albert I perished in 1934 when he fell while rock climbing. For you music lovers one the more peculiar stories coming out of this little city are its famous native Dinant is Adolphe Sax, (November 6, 1814 - February 3, 1894) inventor of the saxophone.

View upstream towards Namur. The current was really strong this day!

Through the ages Dinant was famous for two characteristic products: the hammered plate of yellow copper, called divanderie, that was the principal source of the city's great wealth; and the couques de Dinant, kind of hard and crisp ginger-bread, made out of great-barley flour and honey, and moulded into various shapes.

On this Sunday afternoon the rain was falling but there was still a lot of people walking the promenade along the river. The current was strong and I was happy that I didn’t go by canoe. I didn’t stay to long before I decided that I had to come back and give this little village to full tour - preferable a day with better weather.