Namur
Discover Namur
Namur's location at the head of the Ardennes has made it a popular tourist centre. The town's most prominent sight is the Citadel of Namur, now demilitarised and open to the public. Namur also has a distinctive 18th-century cathedral dedicated to Saint Aubain and a belfry classified by UNESCO as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France which are listed as a World Heritage Site. It has a casino in its southern district on the left bank of the Meuse. Namur is the capital of Wallonia, the French-speaking southern part of Belgium, and is the capital of the province with the same name, Namur. In 2024, the city has about 114,000 inhabitants.
Taste of Namur...
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A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Namur into what it is today.
Namur has been an important trading settlement since Celtic times, straddling east–west and north–south trade routes across the Ardennes, and the Romans established a permanent presence under direction of Julius Caesar. The settlement flourished during the Middle Ages, when the Merovingians built a castle on the rocky spur overlooking the town at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse. In 1262, Namur was conquered by the Count of Flanders, and sold to Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy in 1421. After Namur became part of the Spanish Netherlands in the 1640s, the castle was considerably strengthened and grew into the present day Citadel. The fortifications proved inadequate to repel the invasion of Louis XIV of France in 1692, leading to the capturing of the town and its annexation to France. The French occupation force started reinforcing the citadel, but were unable to finish it by the time Willian II of Orange-Nassau conquered the city three years later. Control of the city changed ownership a few times through treaties with the Spanish Netherlands and the Austrian House of Habsburg. In 1713 the Treaty of Utrecht was signed, transferring control over the city to the Austrians, while reserving the Dutch the right to garrison in the citadel. It was rebuilt under their tenure in the following years....
Climate
The climate of Namur is, as with most of the Sambre and Meuse region, quite humid. Expect rain in any season, but particularly in spring and autumn. Do not count on a sunny morning for a day with outdoor activities, as weather may turn quickly. Having a raincoat or umbrella along is recommended. Temperatures typically range from 5°C to 20°C most of the year, with low peaks down to -15°C in winter, and highs up to 35°C in summer. Namur is located 60 km south-east of Belgium's capital city, Brussels. It can be reached by train from Brussels (about 50 minutes with an intercity train from Brussels Schuman), on the direct line from Brussels (Midi, Centrale, Nord, Schuman or Luxembourg) to Dinant or Luxembourg. Get off at 50.4690824.862471 Namur Gare SNCB or 50.454674.8758052 Jambes Gare SNCB. Both stations are operated by the Walloon branch of the Belgian national railway company NMBS, which translates to SNCB in French. The intercity train Basel-Brussels also stops in Namur.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Year Roundmost pleasant option....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsNamur is located 60 km south-east of Belgium's capital city, Brussels. It can be reached by train from Brussels (about 50 minutes with an intercity train from Brussels Schuman), on the direct line from Brussels (Midi, Centrale, Nord, Schuman or Luxembourg) to Dinant or Luxembourg. Get off at 50.4690824.862471 Namur Gare SNCB or 50.454674.8758052 Jambes Gare SNCB. Both stations are operated by the Walloon branch of the Belgian national railway company NMBS, which translates to SNCB in French. The intercity train Basel-Brussels also stops in Namur. Namur is accessible by boat, the Meuse comes from France and the Samber flows through Namur, where the two rivers meet. 50.4685934.8655573 Flixbus has several connections to Namur. A direct coach service between Paris and Namur takes 5.30 hours for approximately €20. Namur can also be reached from Aachen in about 2 hours for €7....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The layout of the city is complex and navigation is not easy, a detailed map is highly recommended. OpenStreetMap has moderate coverage of Namur. Namur is not really a big city and is perfect to discover on foot. With good hiking shoes, light gear and favorable weather it is the most interesting, cheapest and most pleasant option. The roads ascending the citadel are covered by cobblestones, so hiking up is the best budget option. Many areas in the historic center are reserved for pedestrians, and sidewalks are available almost everywhere. Several pedestrian bridges cross the Meuse and Sambre. Cycling is gaining popularity among the locals, but is still limited due to the number of cobbled streets. On the other hand, many one-way streets are "except bicycles", so cyclists enjoy special privileges. Bikes can be rented at 50.4685674.8618351 Pro Velo next to the SNCB railway station. For trips returning to the railway station, the 50.4685824.
Money & Budget
Namur lacks a proper shopping mall. The inner city supermarkets are one 50.462554.866151 Match and one (smaller) 50.467324.864852 Spar. Other supermarkets are 50.463214.888933 Carrefour and 50.46474.89714 Colruyt in Jambes and another 50.463944.843255 Colruyt and 50.462954.843146 Delhaize in Salzinnes among others. Major shopping streets stretch from the Namur train station to Rue de Fer and Rue de l'Ange where you will find normal fashion outlets like H&M, Newlook, Zara, Kim Pie, Cool Cats, O' Appels, Charles Vogele Switzerland, Esprit, JBC, C& A, Women's secret, ICL Paris IV, Di, Camaieu among others.