# Namur

The capital of Wallonia, an hour from Brussels: the citadel and its tunnels, the cable car, the boat on the Meuse and a pedestrian old town.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/namur · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Namur is the capital of Wallonia and the gateway to the Meuse valley. The city rests on a spur of rock where the Sambre joins the Meuse, and on that spur stands its citadel, one of the great fortresses of Europe for centuries. Below, a pedestrian old town of brick and blue stone, with Baroque churches, terraces and chocolate shops. It is the easiest day trip from Brussels towards the French-speaking south, and with one night it can be combined with Dinant or the Annevoie gardens.

## How do you get there from Brussels?

By train, about an hour, with frequent trains on the line towards Luxembourg. The station is ten minutes' walk from the old town and TEC bus 3 goes up from there to the citadel.

By car, about an hour on the E411, some 65 km. If you are mainly going to the citadel, go up via the Route Merveilleuse: the Terra Nova car park is free. For the centre and the boats, the Interparking Confluence.

If you fly into Charleroi, Namur is about 40 minutes away by car: closer than Brussels.

## What to see in a day?

Start at the top. Go up on the cable car from the Place Maurice Servais and enter Terra Nova, the citadel's visitor centre, with an audio guide in Spanish. Then, the guided tour of the tunnels: 450 metres of galleries with light and sound in an hour and a half; in winter, the English one leaves at 13:00. With small children, the little train tours the ramparts without tiring them. The Citadelle Pass combines the three for €22.

Walk down the paths to the Confluence and have lunch in the centre. In the afternoon, from April to November, the 50-minute cruise on the Meuse and the Sambre shows you the city from the water. Finish in the old town and the church of Saint-Loup or, if you are interested in art, at the Félicien Rops Museum, dedicated to the Symbolist engraver born in Namur.

## What if I have one more day?

In season, the Annevoie gardens, 20 km along the bank of the Meuse, have fountains and waterfalls that have worked without machinery for 260 years. Following the river, Dinant is half an hour away, with its citadel, the Sax house and kayaking on the Lesse, and further south the Ardennes begin: the Caves of Han and Bastogne. To the east, along the same valley, Liège is 40 minutes by train.

## Where to eat?

For Sunday, the Grill des Tanneurs serves wood-grilled meat every day, and in the same building L'Espièglerie, with a Bib Gourmand, has a three-course menu at €48. The Brasserie du Quai, on the banks of the Meuse, has a seafood counter and a terrace by the water. In the old town there are waffles and chocolate shops for an afternoon snack.

## Where to stay?

Les Tanneurs is fifteen seventeenth-century houses joined into a four-star hotel, right in the centre. Le Château de Namur is at the top of the citadel, with free parking, and The Royal Snail, beside the Meuse, has a pool and spa.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Dinant (a 22.7 km), Villers-la-Ville Abbey (a 27.7 km), Waterloo (a 40.5 km), Durbuy and La Roche-en-Ardenne (a 43.5 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Namur Citadel and its Terra Nova visitor centre** (1 h · All ages; the citadel park is large and hilly · €6 adults · €5 ages 6 to 18, students and over-65s · free under 6 · three-visit Citadelle Pass, €22): Namur Citadel stands on the rocky spur where the Sambre joins the Meuse, and for centuries it was one of the great fortresses of Europe. Up top there is an enormous park, ramparts, viewpoints over both rivers and the Terra Nova visitor centre, in a former barracks, which tells two thousand years of the history of the city and the fortress.
Tickets and opening hours
Terra Nova costs €6 with an audioguide, which is available in Spanish; €5 for ages 6 to 18, students and over-65s, and free under 6. The Citadelle Pass combines the underground tunnels (or the Middle Ages tour), the little train and Terra Nova in about three hours, for €22 (€20 reduced). From November to March it opens from 10:00 to 17:00 and closes on Mondays; from April to June, until 18:00 on weekdays and 18:30 at weekends. Closed on 24 and 25 December and 1 January.
How to get up
By cable car from the place Maurice Servais; on foot up the "spiral of time" staircase, next to the Walloon Parliament; on the TEC 3 bus from the station (stop rond-point Thonard); or by car along the Route Merveilleuse, with free parking at Terra Nova.
- **The tunnels of Namur Citadel, with light and sound** (1 h 30 · 450 m · From age 6; it is cool inside all year round · €14 adults · €12 children, students and over-65s · free under 6): They say Napoleon called Namur Citadel "the termite mound of Europe" because of its network of galleries. The guided tour covers 450 metres of tunnels with 3D animations, projections and sound effects that tell the story of the sieges and the life of the garrison.
Times and tickets
It leaves from Terra Nova. From November to March, on weekdays at 13:00 (English), 14:30 (Dutch) and 15:30 (French); at weekends and during Belgian school holidays, also at 11:00 in French. From April to June there are more departures, also in English. It costs €14, or €12 reduced; under-6s do not pay, although it is recommended from that age. It is advisable to book online, at the latest the day before. If you go up by cable car, reach the base at least an hour before your slot.
- **The Namur cable car, from the city to the citadel** (15 min · All ages; cabins accessible with pushchairs and wheelchairs · €8 return · €5.50 one way · €6 and €4 from age 6 to students · €5 and €3.50 for ages 4 and 5 · free up to 3): The cable car climbs in a few minutes from the place Maurice Servais, in the centre, to the top of the citadel, with the confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse beneath your feet. The cabins take pushchairs and wheelchairs, and it carries up to 600 people an hour.
Prices and opening hours
Return, €8; one way, €5.50. Over-65s, €6.50 and €4; from age 6 to students, €6 and €4; children aged 4 and 5, €5 and €3.50; free up to 3. It runs from 10:00 to 17:00 from November to February and until 18:00 (18:30 in July and August) the rest of the year. Closed on Mondays from October to March, on 25 December and 1 January; 2025 hours published by Visit Namur, confirm them when you arrive.
- **The little train of Namur Citadel** (30 min · Families with young children and anyone who would rather not walk the slopes · €6 adults · €5 ages 6 to 18, students and over-65s · free under 6): The little train leaves from Terra Nova and tours the fortifications with commentary and stops at viewpoints over the city and the Meuse valley. It is the most comfortable way to see the whole citadel with young children.
Times
From November to March, on weekdays at 13:30, 14:30 and 15:30; at weekends, public holidays and Belgian school holidays, also at 10:30 and 11:30. From April to June it leaves every hour from 11:00 to 17:00. It costs €6 and €5, and is included in the Citadelle Pass.
- **Cruise on the Meuse and the Sambre from the Confluence** (50 min · All ages · €11 adults · €10 under-12s and over-65s · free under 3 · to Wépion €18 · to Profondeville €26): From the water you can understand the shape of Namur: the citadel on its rocky prow, the Sambre arriving on one side and the broad Meuse on the other. Namur Croisières departs from the Confluence, next to the L'Enjambée footbridge, with two boats, the Vauban and the Olympia.
The routes
The Meuse and Sambre cruise, 50 minutes return, takes in the historic centre and the Confluence beneath the citadel: €11, €10 for under-12s and over-65s, free under 3. It departs at 13:30, 14:30, 15:30 and 16:30 (and 17:30 in July and August). The Wépion cruise, two hours, passes through the La Plante lock to the villas of the Meuse in strawberry country (€18), and the Profondeville cruise, three hours with two locks, runs on summer weekends (€26, with a meal on board from €19.50).
Season
From 4 to 26 April, weekends and public holidays; from 27 April to 27 September, every day except Monday; from 28 September to 1 November, weekends again. Park at the Interparking Confluence, Meuse exit on level -1, 50 metres from the landing stage.
- **The Félicien Rops Museum** (1 h · Adults; part of the work is erotic and not for children): Félicien Rops was born in Namur in 1833 and was one of the great engravers of the 19th century: he illustrated Baudelaire and the Symbolists, with work that is often provocative and erotic. The museum, run by the province of Namur, brings together his engravings, drawings and paintings in a house in the old town, on the rue Fumal.
Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00. Closed on 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and the third weekend of September. The website does not publish the price: ask at the ticket desk.
- **The water gardens of Annevoie** (1 h 30 · All ages; gravel paths suitable for pushchairs · €12 per person): In Annevoie, in the Meuse valley between Namur and Dinant, a château has 18th-century gardens where the water moves by itself: cascades, jets and ponds have worked for 260 years without machines, using only the slope of the land. They mix French, Italian and English garden styles, and take an hour and a half to walk around.
Season and price
They open from 28 March to 11 November 2026, every day from 9:30 to 17:30, with last entry at 16:00; admission costs €12 and online booking is optional. The Bocow brasserie is on the grounds.
Getting there
By car, about 20 km from Namur along the bank of the Meuse. By train, the Brussels–Dinant line to Godinne and a 20-minute walk; or on the TEC 21 bus from Namur to Maredsous.
- **Namur's old town and the Church of Saint-Loup** (1 h 30 · All ages; the centre is pedestrianised · Free): Namur is the capital of Wallonia and its old town, between the station and the Confluence, is a maze of pedestrian streets with brick and blue-stone houses, squares with café terraces and chocolate and waffle shops. The 17th-century Jesuit church of Saint-Loup, on the rue du Collège, is one of the great Baroque churches of Belgium. The walk goes down to the Confluence, where the Walloon Parliament stands and the boats leave from.

## Dónde comer
- **Brasserie du Quai** (Restaurant, Namur · Meuse bank, €€€). Qué pedir: seafood from the oyster bar or the autumn game from the brasserie menu
- **L'Espièglerie** (Restaurant, Namur · Les Tanneurs, €€€). Qué pedir: the three-course Espiègle menu at €48
- **Le Grill des Tanneurs** (Restaurant, Namur · Les Tanneurs, €€). Qué pedir: the grilled beef with chips from the Tante Jeanne menu, at €38

## By plane: Fly to Charleroi or Brussels and take the train to Namur
Namur is closer to Charleroi (CRL) than to Brussels: if you fly with a low-cost airline from Spain to Charleroi, you are about 40 minutes away by car. From Brussels-Zaventem (BRU), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other cities, you get there by train via Brussels in about an hour and a half in total.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hôtel Les Tanneurs** (Hotel): Les Tanneurs is made up of fifteen 17th-century houses in the tanneries quarter, restored and joined into a four-star hotel: blue stone, brick vaults, arches and remains of the tanneries. It is a stone's throw from the theatre and the Confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse, and ten minutes' walk from the cable car.
The rooms
There are 37, all different and each with its own price: from a small through-room to suites with a sauna, hammam and whirlpool bath, via Zen, designer and family rooms. All have free wifi, television, minibar and hairdryer; air conditioning in those facing south. Buffet breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice.
Eating and parking
Inside are L'Espièglerie, with a Bib Gourmand, and the Grill des Tanneurs, both open every day. In front of the hotel there is an enclosed car park with a barrier and three electric chargers.
- **The Royal Snail** (Spa hotel, desde 135 € / night): The Royal Snail is on the avenue de la Plante, on the banks of the Meuse, at the foot of the citadel and a quarter of an hour's walk from the Confluence. It is a hotel with the feel of an urban resort: swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa treatments and gym, and its own restaurant, La table du Royal Snail, in the Michelin Guide selection.
The rooms
The Deluxe River Side rooms, with a queen bed and a river view, start at €135 a night; the Deluxe Pool Side at €165; the Superior Garden Side at €180, and the junior suites at €215. There are packages with dinner and breakfast.
- **Le Château de Namur** (Hotel): The Château de Namur is the highest hotel in the city: it sits at the top of the citadel, among trees, away from the traffic. It was built between the two wars to replace a hotel burnt down in 1914, and today students from the province's hospitality school do their training there.
What it offers
Club rooms of 20 to 22 m², comfort rooms of 25 to 28 m², executive rooms and a junior suite; a restaurant serving classic cooking, a bar and a terrace in season. Its great advantage is the free parking, spacious, with covered bike parking and two electric chargers. It carries the Clef verte eco-label.
Who it is for
For those who arrive by car and want to sleep peacefully next to the citadel. You go down to the centre on foot along the paths or by cable car.
### Servicios
- **Namur station and the train from Brussels**: About an hour from Brussels · TEC 3 bus to the citadel · trains to Dinant and the Ardennes

## Car-free: Namur by train, cable car and boat
Namur works very well without a car: the train arrives from Brussels in an hour, the centre is pedestrianised, the cable car goes up to the citadel and the boats leave from the Confluence. A TEC bus or the train to Godinne gets you to Annevoie.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hôtel Les Tanneurs** (Hotel): Les Tanneurs is made up of fifteen 17th-century houses in the tanneries quarter, restored and joined into a four-star hotel: blue stone, brick vaults, arches and remains of the tanneries. It is a stone's throw from the theatre and the Confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse, and ten minutes' walk from the cable car.
The rooms
There are 37, all different and each with its own price: from a small through-room to suites with a sauna, hammam and whirlpool bath, via Zen, designer and family rooms. All have free wifi, television, minibar and hairdryer; air conditioning in those facing south. Buffet breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice.
Eating and parking
Inside are L'Espièglerie, with a Bib Gourmand, and the Grill des Tanneurs, both open every day. In front of the hotel there is an enclosed car park with a barrier and three electric chargers.
- **The Royal Snail** (Spa hotel, desde 135 € / night): The Royal Snail is on the avenue de la Plante, on the banks of the Meuse, at the foot of the citadel and a quarter of an hour's walk from the Confluence. It is a hotel with the feel of an urban resort: swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa treatments and gym, and its own restaurant, La table du Royal Snail, in the Michelin Guide selection.
The rooms
The Deluxe River Side rooms, with a queen bed and a river view, start at €135 a night; the Deluxe Pool Side at €165; the Superior Garden Side at €180, and the junior suites at €215. There are packages with dinner and breakfast.
### Servicios
- **Namur station and the train from Brussels**: About an hour from Brussels · TEC 3 bus to the citadel · trains to Dinant and the Ardennes

## By car: Namur and the Meuse valley by car
By car, Namur is about an hour from Brussels along the E411 and combines well with the Meuse valley: the Annevoie gardens, 20 km away, and Dinant, half an hour away. In the city, park up at the citadel, where it is free, or at the Confluence.
Presupuesto orientativo: 110–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hôtel Les Tanneurs** (Hotel): Les Tanneurs is made up of fifteen 17th-century houses in the tanneries quarter, restored and joined into a four-star hotel: blue stone, brick vaults, arches and remains of the tanneries. It is a stone's throw from the theatre and the Confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse, and ten minutes' walk from the cable car.
The rooms
There are 37, all different and each with its own price: from a small through-room to suites with a sauna, hammam and whirlpool bath, via Zen, designer and family rooms. All have free wifi, television, minibar and hairdryer; air conditioning in those facing south. Buffet breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice.
Eating and parking
Inside are L'Espièglerie, with a Bib Gourmand, and the Grill des Tanneurs, both open every day. In front of the hotel there is an enclosed car park with a barrier and three electric chargers.
- **The Royal Snail** (Spa hotel, desde 135 € / night): The Royal Snail is on the avenue de la Plante, on the banks of the Meuse, at the foot of the citadel and a quarter of an hour's walk from the Confluence. It is a hotel with the feel of an urban resort: swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa treatments and gym, and its own restaurant, La table du Royal Snail, in the Michelin Guide selection.
The rooms
The Deluxe River Side rooms, with a queen bed and a river view, start at €135 a night; the Deluxe Pool Side at €165; the Superior Garden Side at €180, and the junior suites at €215. There are packages with dinner and breakfast.
- **Le Château de Namur** (Hotel): The Château de Namur is the highest hotel in the city: it sits at the top of the citadel, among trees, away from the traffic. It was built between the two wars to replace a hotel burnt down in 1914, and today students from the province's hospitality school do their training there.
What it offers
Club rooms of 20 to 22 m², comfort rooms of 25 to 28 m², executive rooms and a junior suite; a restaurant serving classic cooking, a bar and a terrace in season. Its great advantage is the free parking, spacious, with covered bike parking and two electric chargers. It carries the Clef verte eco-label.
Who it is for
For those who arrive by car and want to sleep peacefully next to the citadel. You go down to the centre on foot along the paths or by cable car.
### Servicios
- **Interparking Confluence, next to the boat landing**: Underground car park at the Confluence · 50 m from the cruise landing stage and a few minutes from the cable car

## As a family: Namur with children

Namur is one of the Belgian cities that works best with children: a big fortress you can reach by cable car, underground galleries with lights and sound, a little train and boats on the river.

### What works best
The cable car, free up to age 3 and suitable for pushchairs

The citadel's little train, free under 6

The tunnels, from age 6

The boat on the Meuse, 50 minutes, April to November

The Annevoie gardens, with fountains and gravel paths

### Where to stay
Family rooms at Les Tanneurs

Le Château de Namur, among the trees of the citadel

### Where to eat
Le Grill des Tanneurs, grilled meat every day

### Worth knowing
The Rops museum is not for children

The citadel is large and hilly: the train helps

### Qué hacer as a family
- Namur Citadel and its Terra Nova visitor centre
- The tunnels of Namur Citadel, with light and sound
- The Namur cable car, from the city to the citadel
- The little train of Namur Citadel
- Cruise on the Meuse and the Sambre from the Confluence
- The water gardens of Annevoie
- Namur's old town and the Church of Saint-Loup

## With teenagers: Namur with teenagers

With teenagers, the citadel is the thing to do: tunnels with special effects, ramparts to get lost on and the cable car. Down below, the pedestrian old town has the feel of a university city.

### What works best
The citadel tunnels, an hour and a half with light and sound

Terra Nova, with an audioguide in Spanish

The cable car

### Where to stay
Les Tanneurs, right in the old town

### Where to eat
Le Grill des Tanneurs

### Worth knowing
The tunnel tours are in French, Dutch or English

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Namur Citadel and its Terra Nova visitor centre
- The tunnels of Namur Citadel, with light and sound
- The Namur cable car, from the city to the citadel

## Consejos

### Start with the citadel
In the morning there are fewer people at the cable car and you have the afternoon for the river.

### Citadelle Pass
Tunnels, train and Terra Nova for €22: worth it if you are going to do two of the three.

### Book the tunnels
Places are limited per tour; book online up to the day before.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Brussels to Namur?
About an hour by train or by car.

### What is there to see in Namur in a day?
The citadel with Terra Nova and the tunnels, the cable car, the old town and, from April to November, the boat on the Meuse.

### How much does the Namur cable car cost?
€8 return and €5.50 one way.

### Do you have to pay to enter the citadel?
The park and the ramparts are free; Terra Nova, the tunnels and the train are paid.

### Namur or Dinant?
Namur is more of a city and has the bigger citadel; Dinant has more river and nature. They are half an hour apart and combine well.