Along the shores of Namur

It's been a while since I have been able to surprise my dear mother... I'll be embarking with her for an adventure on the water. The sea would also have been nice... but not this time. Instead it's Namur for two days together.

With our weekend bags under our arms, our mother-daughter adventure starts with a catch-up chat on board the train. As the panoramic view unfolds before our eyes, so we start to relax. Some stories later, here we are - we've arrived at Namur station.

Without waiting around, we head straight for "Grognon", a promontory at the confluence of the river Sambre and the river Meuse and the historical cradle of the city, overlooked by the citadel. It's only 1 km from the station.

Floating accommodation

Should we abandon the mainland for the shores of the river Meuse? The image of the marina with so many boats is far removed from the 'green' image that comes to mind when you think of the the capital of Wallonia.

Our hotel boat is moored on Hunters Quay in the Ardennes (yes, I'm definitely getting the feeling of being in the Ardennes). Our captain, Marc-Yves Lesage, personally greets us with a welcome-on-board drink.

We then go off in search of our cabin with a view over the river Meuse. Very cosy! Our room can accommodate up to 3 people.

• La valse Lente - quai des Chasseurs Ardennais

We take a moment to settle in, and then we head towards the city center in search of a nice place for lunch. Crossing the Sambre via the Pont du Musée, we walk past the Halle al’Chair, which houses Namur’s tourist office, and make our way to the Place d’Armes. We’re welcomed by a beautiful view of the stock exchange building and, just behind it, the belfry, the Tour St-Jacques. We choose Le Brunchist, a modern brunch restaurant offering delicious homemade dishes made with local ingredients. My mom and I have the same taste, so we both go for the classic avocado toast — absolutely finger-licking good!

• Le Brunchist - Place d'Armes 8

Culture and History

Now that our growling stomachs have been satisfied, it's time for some culture. The staff at the tourist office recommend a visit to Les Bateliers, two museums housed in an old mansion: the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Archaeological Museum. And here's some good news — admission is free until the end of 2025.

The Museum of Decorative Arts is located in the former residential section of the house, fully furnished in the style and fashion of the 18th century. Here, you get a glimpse of how an aristocratic family lived during that time.

The mansion was expanded with a modern glass veranda to house the Archaeological Museum, which showcases archaeological finds from prehistory to the present day. The contrast with the Museum of Decorative Arts couldn’t be greater.

• Les Bateliers – Rue Saintraint 5

Tapas land/sea

Just a few feet away from the Vegetable Market with its terraces in one of the pretty pedestrian streets in the centre, we find a tapas bar to satisfy our hunger. We fall in love with the vintage atmosphere of La Cantina.

Here we savour a colourful dish. The planchas and tapas are perfectly seasoned and the portions are ideal for sharing, for two or with friends. We opt for the ravioli with lobster and king prawns. This dish is perfectly in keeping, and not at all over the top.

• La Cantina - rue de la Halle 2

Life is a long quiet river

The evening is drawing in and we return to "La Valse Lente", our special guest house for the night. We would have liked to try out the Jacuzzi on the terrace, but the evenings are still too chilly to enjoy it. What a shame.

We admire the Meuse from our porthole, it is quiet and we feel as though we are quite some way from Namur...

The three life jackets in our room are a clear hint that we're aboard a boat. Fortunately, we don't suffer from seasickness and drift off to sleep in perfect peace.

Upon waking, we can see on one side a boat gently passing us by, and on the other a few joggers and cyclists. We can enjoy a revitalising shower in our cabin's bathroom.

And so we are ready to go in search of our host, who is busy preparing breakfast. There's something for everyone: hot and cold drinks, bread, croissants, brioches, fruit, dairy products, … In short, a five-star breakfast in a very convivial atmosphere. One absolute must that has to be tasted are the home-made jams. Quite outstanding!

Why not opt to take off on a mini-cruise to enjoy the beauty of the Meuse Valley? For a few hours, a day or even longer? That is what the captain proposes, but for us it's time to continue on our journey. Although bicycles are available on board the boat, we put on our walking shoes and head toward the Citadel.

Heritage in a rocky outcrop

We don’t want to tire ourselves out too soon, so we take the cable car up to the Citadel. The ride takes about 7 minutes — 7 long minutes for someone afraid of heights — but we still enjoy the breathtaking view over the city and its surroundings.

You can explore the Citadel by following the outdoor walking circuits or venture underground into the network of galleries. The choice is yours. We choose to stroll outside and walk down through the various gardens and viewpoints. The panoramic views are absolutely stunning!

• Cable car - Rue des Brasseurs 65
• La Citadelle - route Merveilleuse

Under the Italian flag

For lunch, we find a Mediterranean restaurant. The place is full of locals. We are really taken with the fine selection of dishes all with a hint of an Italian accent. From the mouth-watering menu, we decide to taste the delights of the olive oil-based cuisine provided by the establishment. The dishes served to us were quite faultless and extremely generous so no room for a dessert!

• L’Huile sur le feu - rue de Marchovelette 19

A concentration of beautiful things

The delightful pedestrian area in Namur reels us in for a shopping expedition. All the big high-street shops are concentrated around rue de Fer and rue de l'Ange.

When we explore the side streets off the beaten track, we make some lovely discoveries… we are on a roll.

It's always tea time!

After this tour of the old part of town, we decide to take a break and treat ourselves. What a surprise: a cup cake, which is as tasty as it is a work of art. Quite something!

• Les Cup’inn - rue Haute Marcelle 11

A specialist tea and herbal tea shop catering for every palate: classics with THEODOR teas or slightly more exotic teas with tastes of China.

• Le Fossé Fleuri - rue des Fossés Fleuris 45

What a pleasure being able to share this beautiful interlude with my dear mother. We hardly noticed the time passing. Such is the charm of new experiences!

We find the path back to the station and make the most of the journey to get our feet back on the ground.