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    Mons

    Belgium

    Mons

    City

    Mons, just over an hour southwest of Brussels in Hainaut, is a university city with a spacious Grand-Place and three UNESCO listings.

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    9. Mons
    Mons, just over an hour southwest of Brussels in Hainaut, is a university city with a spacious Grand-Place and three UNESCO listings. It uniquely combines a Baroque belfry, Gothic church art, and the Doudou, one of Belgium's most impressive folk festivals.Beyond Mons lie further historical traces: the Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes and the house in Cuesmes where Vincent van Gogh lived in the Borinage. In 2015, the city was a European Capital of Culture, prompting the modernization of many museums.
    Mons has a population of just under 100,000 and is the capital of Hainaut province. Its Old Town is set on a hill and can be easily explored on foot, with the Grand-Place just a few minutes from the train station. Notable is its concentration of World Heritage sites: the Belfry, Doudou, and the Flint Mines of Spiennes are all on UNESCO's lists. Particularly worthwhile are the Grand-Place with its Town Hall and cafés, the quarter around the Collegiate Church of Saint Waudru, and the path up to the Belfry.

    Sights in Mons

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Sainte-Waudru Collegiate
    Church

    1Sainte-Waudru Collegiate

    The Collegiate Church, in the Brabantine Gothic style, was built between 1460 and 1589 and is approximately 115 meters long. It houses the relics of the city's patron saint Waltrude, works by the Renaissance sculptor Jacques Du Brœucq, and the Car d'Or from 1781, which is pulled through the city during the Doudou.
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    Doudou Museum
    Museum

    2Doudou Museum

    The museum in the former Mont-de-Piété from 1625 explains the Ducasse's origins and symbols, featuring Saint George's helmet and lance, among other items, with films and interactive stations.
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    Maison Van Gogh
    Museum

    3Maison Van Gogh

    Vincent van Gogh resided in the small house on Rue du Pavillon in Cuesmes during his time in the Borinage. A newly designed exhibition with a garden, pavilion, and audio installation contextualizes his years here; open Tuesday to Sunday.
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    Flint Mines of Spiennes (SILEX'S)
    Museum

    4Flint Mines of Spiennes (SILEX'S)

    Southeast of the city lie Europe's largest and oldest flint mines, mined between approximately 4300 and 2200 BC and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000. The SILEX'S visitor center explains Neolithic mining.
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    Belfry of Mons
    Museum

    5Belfry of Mons

    Built 1661-1672, the 87-meter belfry is Belgium's only Baroque belfry; it's a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999. A tower visitor center shows its history; a panoramic elevator takes you up for city views.
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    Mundaneum
    Museum

    6Mundaneum

    Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine founded the Mundaneum in 1910 as an attempt at a universal knowledge archive. Since 1998, it has been located in Mons, in a converted 1930s department store on Rue de Nimy; it is open Wednesday to Sunday.
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    Restaurants in Mons

    1

    The Butcher's Table

    Meat and grill restaurant in Rue d'Havré, awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Guide Michelin for good cuisine at fair prices.
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    2

    Les Gribaumonts

    Creative French cuisine on Rue d'Havré, recommended in the Michelin Guide; the house sommelier was awarded the Michelin Sommelier Award in 2026.
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    3

    Origines

    Seasonal cuisine featuring regional products in Rue de la Coupe, recommended in the Michelin Guide.
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    Food and Drink in Mons

    La Trinité

    Blonde strong beer with 9% ABV from La Montoise Brewery, named after the Trinity Weekend of the Doudou.

    La Montoise

    The first beer from the same local brewery, intended as a beer for the region around Mons.

    Doudou, World Heritage & Cultural Capital

    The DoudouThe Ducasse de Mons, popularly known as the Doudou, dates back to the 14th century and takes place every year on Trinity Weekend. On Sunday, the gilded Car d'Or, bearing the reliquary of Saint Waltrude, processes through the city. The event culminates on the Grand-Place with the Lumeçon, a roughly half-hour battle between Saint George and the dragon, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.Van Gogh, Otlet, and the European Capital of Culture 2015Vincent van Gogh lived in the Borinage from December 1878 to October 1880, the former coal basin around Mons, and here discovered painting. At the Mundaneum, the city remembers Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine, who from 1895 attempted to organize the world's knowledge on index cards.

    Nightlife

    1

    Life is Belgian

    Grand-Place beer cafe with terrace & two floors overlooking the square. Each beer in its matching original glass.
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    2

    The Lorgnette

    Bar on the Grand-Place with three distinct rooms, a terrace, and rock music, famous for its flambéed beers.
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    Getting There and Around in Mons

    Getting ThereDirect trains from Brussels reach Mons in about 55 minutes. The station, redesigned by Santiago Calatrava, features a long Gare-Passerelle spanning the tracks, operational since late 2024. By car, Mons is accessible via the E42.LocallyThe historic city center is compact, with all main sights easily walkable. An underground car park is located beneath the station. For Cuesmes and Spiennes on the outskirts, a car, bike, or regional bus is needed.

    Accommodations in Mons

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    Nearby

    Hainaut

    Hainaut

    Hainaut in southwest Wallonia stretches from the French border to the edge of the Ardennes, with Charleroi just under an hour by train from Brussels. You come here for the legacy of coal mining, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, for moated castles, Trappist beer, and the Carnival of Binche.Between the Borinage and Charleroi, coal mines, workers' settlements, and boat lifts tell the story of Belgium's industrial rise. In the south, it becomes rural: the hilly Botte du Hainaut is home to forests, the Eau d'Heure lakes, and Chimay Abbey.
    Waterloo

    Waterloo

    Waterloo, located about 15 kilometers south of Brussels in Walloon Brabant, gave its name to the battle of June 18, 1815, where Napoleon was decisively defeated. The battlefield, featuring the Lion's Mound, Panorama, and Hougoumont Farm, is one of Europe's most renowned memorial sites.In the town itself, the Wellington Museum commemorates the headquarters of the British commander. However, most of the battlefield sites are situated a few kilometers to the south, in the municipality of Braine-l'Alleud.
    Tournai

    Tournai

    Tournai on the Scheldt, about 85 kilometers southwest of Brussels near the French border, is one of Belgium's oldest cities. Its cathedral with five towers and the belfry, considered the country's oldest, are both UNESCO World Heritage sites.Today you'll discover a peaceful bishop's city with a triangular Grand-Place, an art museum designed by Victor Horta, and the medieval Pont des Trous over the Scheldt.
    Walloon Brabant

    Walloon Brabant

    Walloon Brabant is Wallonia's smallest province, starting directly on the southern edge of Brussels. You come here for the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey of Villers, the Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve, and one of Belgium's oldest Romanesque churches in Nivelles.Amidst fields, forests, and villa towns like Genval, many commuters from the capital reside, and rail and roads are consequently good. For families, Walibi and the Battlefield of Waterloo are only a few kilometers apart.
    Brussels

    Brussels

    Brussels is the capital of Belgium and home to key EU institutions, also one of Europe's great cultural cities. Around the Grand-Place, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998, are guildhouses, 19th-century covered shopping arcades, and countless brasseries; in addition, there's the Atomium, Victor Horta's Art Nouveau houses, and the Magritte Museum.