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Top 10 Dinant
Located in southern Belgium on the Meuse River below steep limestone cliffs, Dinant is a charming little town with much to offer. About 65km south of Brussels, just south of Namur, it’s easy to get to by train or car
1 TEST your limits with a team outing organised by Dinant Aventure (4397) through old quarries near the river. Guide-accompanied activities include everything from paintball and climbing to caving and much more – for those who dare.
2 TRY your luck at the Casino (6 Boulevard des Souverains), equipped with no less than 60 slot machines, gambling tables and restaurant. The more informal brasserie has its own river-view terrace, which is absolutely perfect for warm summer days.
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3 CHEER for your favourite contestant in the 25th International Bathtub Regatta, a brilliantly funny race that takes place on 15 August, featuring motor-free vessels crafted from bathtubs cruising down the Meuse. Awards are given for speed, originality and best representation of the town. |
| 4 KICK BACK, put on your sunglasses and enjoy a relaxing boat ride (sans bathtubs) on the Meuse. There are daily trips, ranging from 45 minutes to three hours long. For more information, contact Bayard Boats (Quai de Meuse, tel. +). |  |
5 RE-LIVE history at Bayard Rock, where British troops stopped the advance of German soldiers in December 1944. A plaque on the site pays homage to the important role played by the British in the famous Battle of the Bulge.
6 STOCK UP on Dinant’s renowned biscuits, known as couques de Dinant, at the Maison Collard (24 Rue en Rhée), which has been producing them since 1774. Legend has it that townspeople used to throw stale cookies at unwanted neighbours from the nearby village of Bouvignes. Hence hard biscuits became a local tradition.
7 PAY HOMAGE to Dinant’s most famous son, Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone and numerous other instruments. The house where he was born, in 1814, is at 37 Rue Sax. Jazz lovers shouldn’t miss Dinant Jazz Nights on 6-7 October, held in restaurants and other local venues.
8 RELISH the magnificent waterfalls and stalactites at the Grotte La Merveilleuse, a cave located about 500m from the Dinant railway station along the left bank of the river. There are daily tours through it, which last about 50 minutes.
9 GET ACQUAINTED with some of the world’s largest birds at the Pont d’Amour Ostrich Farm, located near Dinant in the village of Sorrines (tel. +). Besides ostriches, there are also emus, rheas and cassowaries. Meat and eggs can be purchased on the spot, of course.
10 BEHOLD the stunning view from the Citadel, which stands atop a 30.5m cliff. The dwelling that’s here today was built during the Dutch occupation in the early 1800s, but the original dates back to the 11th century. The Citadel features an arms museum and diaramas.
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