Page 191 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

WESTERN W ALL ONIA  189

2 Mahymobiles and ice house all add to the
picture of this community.
Rue Erna 3, Leuze-en-Hainaut; 16 km
(10 miles) E of Tournai. Road Map B3. The town of Lessines was
Tel (069) 354545. £ Open mid-Mar– famous for its quarries pro ducing
Oct: 1–5pm Thu & Sat, 10am–5pm porphyry, a flecked, deep-red
Sun & public holidays. & 7 - stone used for archi tectural
∑ mahymobiles.be sculpture. The open pits can
still be visited.
Some 300 veteran and vintage
vehicles, mainly cars, are on
display at this museum, set in an 5 Château d’Attre
old factory. They are cho sen from Avenue du Château 8, Attre; 5 km
over 1,000 vehicles assembled (3 miles) SE of Ath. Road Map B3.
since 1944 by the collector Tel (068) 454460. Open Jul–Aug:
Ghislain Mahy. The earliest dates 1–6pm Sat, Sun & public holidays;
from 1890. Also on show are Ornately decorated interior of the Hôpital Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct: 2–6pm Sun
historic motor bikes and bicycles, Notre-Dame à la Rose & pub lic holidays. & 8 9
toy cars and the paraphernalia ∑ jardins.tourismewallonie.be
of past decades of motoring. 4 Hôpital Notre-
Dame à la Rose This elegant château, built in
3 Ath Place Alix de Rosoit, Lessines; 10 km 1752 in French Neo-Classical
style, still contains its original
(6 miles) N of Ath. Road Map B2. decoration, furniture and
42 km (26 miles) E of Tournai. Tel (068) 332403. Open 2–6pm Tue–
Road Map B3. * 28,500. £ @ Sun & public holidays. & 8 3pm furnishings. The suite of
n Rue de Pintamont 18; (068) Sat, Sun & public holidays. 9 7 sumptuous rooms evokes the
265170. _ Ducasse (4th weekend ∑ notredamealarose.com Rococo tastes of the era. It also
in Aug). ∑ ath.be has a large park, crossed by the
Founded in 1242 by a French River Dender, that includes a
A busy industrial town, Ath princess called Alix de Rosoit as ruined belvedere, dovecote,
comes alive during its famous a refuge for the poor, sick and Swiss chalet, bathhouse and
festival Ducasse, when giant needy, this establishment ran as the remains of a celebrated
figures are carried through the a hospital, and more recently as marvel of the 1780s known as
streets (see p37). This Parade of an old people’s home, for nearly the Rocher (Rock). This is an
the Giants is cele brated all year 750 years, until 1980. Today, its artificial mound, with a castle-
round at the Maison des Géants. tranquil convent buildings, like hunting plat form on top.
Set in the Château de Cambier, dating to the 16th to 18th
an 18th-century mansion, it centuries, serve as a museum, Environs
explores the folkloric background presenting the work of the Pairi Daiza, 5 km (3 miles) to
of the giants, Ducasse itself and institution. There are wards, the southeast, is a large, child-
parallel traditions elsewhere beds, medical instruments and friendly zoo set in the former
using film and pictures. information about the medicines domain of the Château de
that were dispensed, the pewter Cambron-Casteau.
E Maison des Géants dishes used by patients, Tournai
Rue de Pintamont 18. Tel (068) por celain used by the sisters, a O Pairi Daiza
265170. Open 10am–5pm Tue–Fri library of 2,000 antique books, Domaine de Cambron, Brugelette.
(until 6pm Jun–Sep), 2–6pm Sat, Sun paintings and sculpture and Tel (068) 250850. Open late Mar–early
& public holidays. - = precious gold- and silverware. A Nov. & 7 0 - =
∑ maisondesgeants.be cloister, chapel, herb gar den ∑ pairidaiza.eu

Formal gardens adding to the grandeur of the well-maintained Château d’Attre

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