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April 2023 – Dinant, Belgium

Charming, compact and full of history, Dinant is one of the hidden gems of Belgium.

We found Dinant to be a great place to explore Belgium beyond the popular destinations, practice our French 🙂 and of course taste all local delicacies.

It immediately became my personal favorite! Why? Let’s just start by mentioning that we spent 2 nights in a restored farmhouse from the eighteenth century, ranked amongst the most beautiful estates in Wallonia.

But that was just the beginning. Even more things took us by surprise during the following days.

Buckle up, cool facts coming next!

COOL FACTS

Leffe Beer was born as a cleaner alternative to water

Leffe beer began its first brew by the monks of Leffe Abbey in 1240. It all started as a way to decontaminate water at the time.
Now you can walk through an interactive museum listening to the origin and process behind brewing beer and smelling different ingredients.
But the coolest part is reserved for the end: you can enjoy a beer of your choice at the terrace outside and take home a Leffe glass. All included in the entrance price!

Home of the saxophone

Dinant is the birthplace of Adolf Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. Now, the symbol of the saxophone can be found all around the city. The main bridge is scattered with 28 colorful saxophones, eash representing a country of the European Union.

There is also a beautiful saxophone glass sculpture in front of the Town Hall. As if it wasn’t picturesque enough, all these details give Dinant an artsy, romantic vibe.

The invincible biscuit

The sweet specialty of the city is the Couque de Dinant, a biscuit so hard that you might break your teeth in it!

Yeah you heard right, the only way to consume it is either sucking small pieces of it like candy, or dipping it into a hot drink. Dating back to medieval times, it’s made exclusively of wheat flour and honey, and baked at a high temperature.

The result? A cookie that can last indefinitely!

THINGS TO DO IN DINANT

Here is what we found worth visiting on a weekend in Dinant:

• Notre Dame de Dinant
• Dinant Citadel
• Maison Leffe
• Cruise on the Meuse
• Grotte de Dinant la Merveilleuse
• Maison Adolphe Sax

HOW TO REACH DINANT

The easiest way to get to Dinant is by car (took us 2.5 hours from the Netherlands). Another option would be by train from Bruxelles.

WHERE TO PARK IN DINANT

The city center is pretty crowded, so if you are only coming for a few hours to visit Dinant, i would recommend finding a parking place in advance.

Here is a paid parking we used every day. Be aware, only coins are accepted. We made several trips to the bakery nearby only to get some change in return (no, not for the mouthwatering cakes).

Back home now. I guess we’re gonna see if that biscuit is invincible afterall. 🙂

Bon voyage!