Belgium,  Europe,  TDM,  Travel Journal

One Day in Mons, city of the 3 UNESCO heritages: Road trip in Belgium 1/5

I don’t know if you knew it but we came back to Europe because of the cancellation of our plane ticket to Vietnam. As the tickets to Asia are too expensive, we decided to come back to Europe and spend some time with family and friends. My best friend lives in Belgium, in Mons to be precise. And I take the opportunity to come and visit her, to visit Belgium with her, to visit Germany on my own. During these 3 weeks, JB will travel all over France to see his family again and participate in two events (which will themselves be cancelled because of the coronavirus…).

That’s how I started my 3 weeks road trip – solo – in Mons. It isn’t the most optimized route because since the works (years ago) at the Mons train station, the Thalys no longer goes there. It is now necessary to go to Brussels and then take a Belgian train to Mons. This trip cost me 102€

Part 1: Travel Diary
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Diary

The belfry of Mons

Mons is a very small town and I am always surprised to see tourists here. You should not forget that Mons is the city with the 3 UNESCO heritages (the belfry, the ritual Ducasse, the mining of Spiennes).

I’ve been there many times because my girlfriend lives there, but at the time when the Thalys served the city live from Paris, many events for students were organized here as well: I remember spending a night in the huge youth hostel in Mons. I find the city more and more beautiful and cleaner.

The Belfry of Mons is the only baroque belfry in Belgium. The belfries are an ingenious but useful invention: it was the equivalent of the loudspeaker but more stylish: Sunrise, opening of doors, curfews, working and resting hours, fire alarms, the music of the bells sets the rhythm of daily life. The belfry can be seen from far away from the city center. This makes it possible to find your way around the city, even if it is very small.

Sainte-Waudru de Mons Collegiate Church

This church is partly under construction because some gargoyles have fallen (!!). The interior remains very sober, much more sober than the exterior would have suggested. What I like very much is the height of the ceiling. I don’t know if it’s because it’s particularly high or it’s because I’ve spent too much time in America, where they would prefer bling bling decorations, very busy but a modest ceiling height ??

Main Square

The restaurants on the main square aren’t that good, except for one: Downtown, which serves Italian food. The menu is short but of quality. I highly recommend it. Another point to note: in Belgium, the notion of a free water carafe does not exist. You always have to pay for your bottle of water here (count about 2,5€ per bottle).

The main square is very simple but still pretty. The buildings are less beautiful than in other cities in Belgium, but there is a certain charm.

Well, I spent 3 nights in Mons but I must admit that I didn’t do much sightseeing. On the one hand, it rained a lot. On the other hand, I went there especially to see my girlfriend.

I hope you liked this little notebook anyway. We will have to be satisfied with small notebooks of this type by the end of March because I visit 1 city per day for 3 weeks (except the days when I have to work) and at this rate, I will not last long if I have to make long travel notebooks like in Iceland😀 hihihi

Next stage of the road trip in Belgium: Bruges

Part 2: Practical Tips

Budget

  • Train Paris (Gare du Nord) – Mons : 102€ with Thalys, change of train at Brussels-Midi. Count 2h30 in total
  • Accommodation
  • Count 15€/person per meal approximately – I recommend the restaurant Centre-Ville

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