Page 195 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

WESTERN W ALL ONIA  193

huge lift about 2 km (1 mile) to Environs
the northeast of the old lift at About 7 km (4 miles) to the
Thieu. Built from 1982 to 2002, southwest is Parc d’Attractions
the Ascenseur Funiculaire de Scientifiques (PASS), a family-
Strépy-Thieu is a marvel of oriented, interactive museum
modern engineering. Raising and demonstrating the concepts
lowering boats in two water-filled of science and technology. At
tanks, it has fine views from its Spiennes, 3 km (2 miles) to the
visitor centre. southeast, an extensive
The four old boat lifts on the Neolithic flint mine is a
original branch are now UNESCO UNESCO World Heritage Site.
World Heritage Sites. They still
function, but are used only for E Mons Memorial Museum
pleasure crafts. There are 2-hour Boulevard Dolez 51. Tel (065) 405320.
boat trips between La Cantine Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. &
∑ polemuseal.mons.be
des Italiens and Bracquegnies.
E Maison de Van Gogh
E Ascenseur Funiculaire de Brabant Gothic exterior of Collégiale Rue du Pavillon 3, Cuesmes. Tel (065)
Strépy-Thieu Ste-Waudru, Mons 355611. Open Tue–Sun. &
Tel (064) 671200. Open Apr–Oct: daily. E Parc d’Attractions
∑ voiesdeau.hainaut.be are two museums close to Scientifiques (PASS)
the Grand Place. The Musée des Tel (070) 222252. Open Thu–Tue.
Arts Décoratifs François Closed part of Sep, Dec. &
y Mons Duesberg contains an ∑ pass.be
extraordinary collection of
18 km (11 miles) W of La Louvière.
Road Map C3. * 92,669. £ @ elaborate clocks made in Paris u Grand Hornu
n Grand Place 27; (065) 335580. in Louis XIV and Empire styles
∑ mons.be between 1795 and 1815. There R Ste-Louise 82, Hornu; 10 km
are also exquisite decorative (6 miles) SW of Mons. Road Map B3.
Despite its location in the heart arts from the same era. The Tel (065) 652121. Open Tue–Sun. &
of the Borinage mining district, art museum Beaux-Arts 9 - ∑ grand-hornu.eu
Mons, the vibrant capital of Mons focusses on hosting
the Province of Hainaut, has temporary exhibitions. South of The remains of the large Neo-
considerable charm. On the here is the Mons Memorial Classical buildings of Grand
contours of the hill for which Museum charting the history of Hornu are the vestiges of a great
it is named are cobbled streets the city and of World Wars I and II. industrial enterprise. This
with 17th- and 18th-century South of the city centre is idealistic colliery complex, built
merchant’s houses. The city’s the Maison de van Gogh, a around an oval courtyard with
patron saint, Ste Waudru, built tiny brick house that was once engineering workshops, forges
a convent here in AD 650; and owned by a miner’s family. and 440 workers’ houses, was
the main church, the Brabant The artist Vincent van Gogh created between 1810 and 1830
Gothic Collégiale Ste-Waudru stayed here while training to by French industrialist Henri de
that was built between 1449 be a mission ary among the Gorge. In 1971, it was made a
and 1686, is dedicated to her. Borinage miners. centre for industrial arts and
It houses the splendid Car d’Or Around Mons are a number design. In 2002, new buildings
(Chariot of Gold), built in 1781, of cemeteries and monuments meshing with the old became
which is used to carry the saint’s that serve as reminders that this the home of the Musée des Arts
relics in the parade during the region was the scene of fierce Contemporains de la Fédération
annual Ducasse, or Doudou, battles during both World War I Wallonie-Bruxelles, housing
festivities (see p37). and World War II. exhibitions of contemporary art.
Mons is particularly proud
of its unusual, free-standing,
Baroque belfry. Built over 1661–
9 and rising to a height of 87 m
(285 ft), it contains a carillon of
49 bells. The Gothic Hôtel de
Ville in the Grand Place dates
from 1458, but its distinctive
copper-clad, pepper pot tower
was added in 1718. Stroking
the head of the little cast-iron
monkey by the front entrance,
the Singe du Grand-Garde, is
said to bring good luck. There Arches in a curved wing around Grand Hornu’s large oval courtyard

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