How To Go On The Best Day Trip From Brussels To Namur

If you’re looking for a day trip from Brussels, visiting Namur Belgium is very worth while. It’s only about an hour away by train, the city is walkable and easy to navigate, and it’s loaded with things to do.

Of course you’ll want to visit the Citadel of Namur during your visit but there are a few other hidden gems that are worth discovering.

I’ll go over everything you need to know for spending one day in Namur Belgium. Like how to get from Brussels to Namur, things to do in Namur, and even some tips on where to eat!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Where Is Namur?

Namur is in Belgium about 60km from Brussels. It’s in the Wallonia region of Belgium, which means the primary language that’s spoken in Namur is French.

Why Is Namur Worth Visiting?

Namur is actually the capital of the Wallonia region of Belgium. It’s quite a small city but despite that, there’s more than enough to do. They have a very different culture from other popular Belgian cities and towns (like Brussels or Bruges) because it is in Wallonia.

It seems like Namur has something for everyone to explore. It has an art museum, tons of history, good local food to try, and that small town charm!

What Is Namur Belgium Known For?

Nowadays, Namur is best known for the Citadel of Namur at the edge of town. This is a must visit while in Namur and you can honestly spend you day just at the Citadel if you want – it’s that big!

Namur is also known for being where the Meuse and Sambre rivers meet, and for Blanche de Namur beer.

How To Get From Brussels To Namur

The easiest way to get from Brussels to Namur is to take the train. It’s a direct route and the stations are both in the city centre.

The train leaves more or less every 30 minutes throughout the day. Once you’re in Namur, the train station is only about a 10-minute walk to the city centre.

P.S. Looking for other day trips from Brussels? See my top 9!

Taking The Train From Brussels To Namur

You can buy your train tickets online in advance, or at the station.

Quick tip, if you’re under 26 you can get a discounted rate on train passes. Even better, if you know you’re going to be making 10 trips on the train, look into getting the Go Pass 10 for €53 for 10 trips (that’s €5 a train ride!).

Don’t worry if you’re older than 26, you can still get a discount on train tickets. If you go on the weekend, they’re half off!

Organized Tours From Brussels To Namur

There’s only one option if you want to go on an organized tour from Brussels to Namur. It’s a private tour that leaves from Brussels and takes you to both Dinant and Namur. But not only does it give you transportation from Brussels but you also have a local guide every step of the way!

How To Get Around Namur

Namur is so small that nothing’s too far from each other. So the only method of transportation we used was our feet!

But if you find yourself needing a break, or aren’t that keen on walking, there are buses you can take to get around the city.

Expect A Slow Start To Your Day In Namur

In typical Belgium fashion, nothing opens before 10:00 AM in Namur, aside from coffee shops. So there’s really no need to rush to arrive there any earlier, especially if you’re not a morning person.

But if you’re like me and want to start your day early, there’s a nice benefit to arriving before everyone wakes up. It’s kind of peaceful to walk through the city centre without any other tourists or locals (plus this is hands down the best time to take pictures of the city!).

It’s also a convenient time to see attractions that you don’t need to go inside for (like churches or statues). This way you can see it before there’s a crowd! 

Tip – Go On A Walking Tour Of Namur

The best way to see the most of Namur is to go on a walking tour of the city. The city offers walking tours every day in the summer, and on Mondays only during the spring and fall (see more information here).

The Citadel Of Namur

The Citadel of Namur is the city’s biggest draw and tourist attraction. Even though it’s a bit more out of the way, it’s really worth making the trek to. It’s also so large that you can honestly spend your entire day in Namur at the citadel alone!

But, if you don’t have that much time, make sure to allocate at least half your day to the citadel. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Citadel of Namur…

Extra! Visit The Perfumery At The Citadel

In 1990, Guy Delforge repurposed the artillery room of the Citadel to make his own perfume. There’s a shop you can visit any day of the week, but on Saturdays, they also offer a guided tour at 3:30 P.M.

Find more information here.

How To Get To The Citadel Of Namur

The giant structure sits atop a small ridge, overlooking the town below. You can get to the top by walking, driving, or taking the bus (line 3), or the brand new cable car. If you drive, there’s parking at the top next to the visitors’ centre. The cable car is new within the last few years, you can find more information about it here.

But I recommend walking at least one way (preferably down)! The walk really isn’t that hard, and the views you get along the way make it all worthwhile. It’s about 10-minutes from the top to bottom.

If you look it up on Google it’ll lie to you and say it’s 25 minutes, but that’s if you take the driving road. If you’re walking there are some shortcuts you can take – you’ll want to follow signs for Terra Nora (the visitors’ centre) for the more direct path.

Don’t forget to look for the sculpture of a man riding a turtle on your walk. This is based on the novel “Searching for Utopia” by Belgian author Jon Fabre.

Namur Citadel Tour Options

There are 3 tickets you can buy when visiting the Citadel of Namur: access to the visitors’ centre (€4), the tourist train (€6), and a guided tour of the underground tunnels (€10).

If you’re interested in all 3 there’s a deal to buy the “Citadel Pass” for €15. See updated prices here.

Ride The Namur Tourist Train

The tourist train is the one I’d say is the least worthwhile out of the three tours, but if you decide to buy the package, the tourist train is €1. It’s a 20-minute tour on a train around the grounds of the Citadel with an audio guide. 

The thing is, you can walk everywhere it’ll take you and you’ll get all the info from the two other tours. But this is definitely a quicker way to see it all! It’s worthwhile if you only have a half day at the Citadel of Namur.

The tourist train leaves every hour in English, Dutch, and French.

The Visitors Centre (Self-Guided) At The Namur Citadel

The visitors’ centre is ideal if you want more of an in-depth history of the town of Namur and not just the Citadel. But this is self-guided and most of the text is in French and Flemish. 

So if you are interested in seeing it, I recommend getting an audio guide in English. But I mean, for €4 you can’t really go wrong, and they provide some interesting information about the city.

The Underground Guided Tour

If you’re pressed for time, (or cash), I’d recommend skipping the first two and just going on the underground tour. There’s a lot of repetition between the three and the tour of the underground tunnels is more personal since it’s guided. 

Just be aware that if you visit during the week, they only offer one English tour a day at 4:00 PM.

Also, because you’re underground, the temperature stays at a constant 12 – 14 degree Celsius, regardless of the season. So if you go in the summertime, it’ll be quite a bit colder in the tunnels.

Don’t worry about being claustrophobic, the tunnels are quite wide and very well lit! You won’t have to crawl anywhere.

Top Things To Do In Namur Belgium

Aside from the Citadel of Namur, there are a few other things to do in the city.

Explore Place d’Armes

A must visit in Namur is Place d’Armes. There isn’t much to do here, but there’s a few key things to see. This is where you’ll find the Namur Belfry, also known as Tour Saint-Jacques. This 13th-century tower is the only UNESCO World Heritage site in the city. 

While you’re here, make sure to also snap a photo with Francwès and Djoseph. These are comic characters created by Jean Legrand (a Namourois) and have become iconic mascots of the city today.

Visit The Felicien Rops Museum

Our favourite things to do in Namur was visiting the Felicien Rops Museum. He’s a late 19th-century artist from Namur that neither of us had ever heard of before. But I’ll warn you, this is not a family-friendly art museum.

His art is, how do I say… rather different. He’s known for being dark, erotic, and satirical in his work. Despite the sometimes jarring imagery, we both thoroughly enjoyed our time here.

There were a few interactive parts in the exhibit, using virtual reality for example, which kept us engaged. 

We were there for right when it opened at 10 AM so had the museum to ourselves to peruse everything at our own speed. It was only when we were leaving at 11:00 that people finally started showing up. 

Another warning before visiting is that most of the text is in French or Dutch. But the interactive parts are in English, so you’ll still be able to understand those.

But you can definitely still enjoy the museum (and his work) even if you don’t understand either language.

Admission is €5 and they accept card. Find more information here.

Explore The Namur Rivers

Namur is very special because it’s where the Meuse river meets the Sambre river. So one of the top things to do in Namur is to walk along the two rivers, both of which have beautiful views.

Sambre River

Walk along the Sambre River on Quai des Joghiers all the way to the end towards the House of Culture. This is where you’ll find the original city gates. Today it appears quite out of place with all the modern architecture behind it. 

The two “men” on top of the gate are supposed to be the personifications of Meuse and Sambre, and they seem to be pouring water into a shell.

Meuse River

Head to Pont de Jambe which connects the bottom of the citadel with Jambes. Make sure to cross the bridge for outstanding views of the citadel towering above the town below.

River Cruise

You can also opt for a river cruise which will take you across both rivers around Namur. But my experience with the main company offering cruises wasn’t too positive.

Online, “Croisière Namur“, has specific times of departure during the day. However, when we arrived for a cruise, we discovered they don’t stick to their outlined schedule.

So, if you are interested in taking a cruise, call in advance to reserve a spot and confirm the times for that day. 

The cruise is 50 minutes, costs €8, and is cash only.

Visit The Churches of Namur

The two main churches of Namur are Cathedral Saint Aubain and Église Saint-Loup. Both have very different styles but are equally impressive.

The Cathedral St. Aubain stands out with its distinctive green roof which towers above the rest of the town.

The Église Saint-Loup, on the other hand, is a baroque-style church. Here it’s the high ceilings and intricate detail’s inside the structure that’ll blow you away. You can get a guided tour if you want.

Where To Eat In Namur Belgium

Coffee & More

As I said, Coffee & More is a delicious spot for a local homemade bite to eat. They have a constantly changing menu based on what they have. And the drinks are to die for. Oreo coffee… sign me up!

Le Ratin-Tot

Dating back to the 16th century, this is the oldest café in Namur. This long standing establishment is definitely a part of history but looks like any other bar on the street. It’s a cool spot to sit outside and look out onto the square while sipping on a beer.

I’ll admit we were a little disappointed with this spot when we arrived. We’d heard that we should order their specialty, Saint Joseph, but turns out they stopped making those two years ago.

We then tried to order local beer Blanche de Namur, but they also didn’t have it.

Gecko

This isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for local Namourois food. It’s Thai food, but delicious Thai food nonetheless!

For us, it was the perfect spot to grab a quick bite to eat to continue our day.

Unless you’re starving, you can get away with sharing a large box for two people. The only downside is that it’s cash only.

You Have To Try Blanche de Namur

This is the local beer from Namur, and it’s a definite must-try during your visit. It’s different than most beers you’re used to because it’s a wheat beer (beer is generally barley-based). It’s also a much lighter beer most others in Belgium, at only about 4.5 %.

The regular Blanche de Namur wasn’t my favourite, as it had hints of coriander (warning for any fellow anti-coriander folk), but the rose was absolutely to die for! It’s a raspberry beer, and it doesn’t even taste like you’re drinking beer. There’s also an apple flavour you could try!

Need A Place To Stay In Namur

If one day in Namur isn’t enough for you, you might want to look into finding a place to stay. As I mentioned, I was only visited Namur for the day when I was living in Brussels, but here are some recommendations I found for where to stay in Namur.

For a truly unique stay in Namur, stay at Péniche d’hôtes MS Elisabeth – on a boat! There are four private rooms (with private bathrooms) and let the waves rock you to sleep. If it’s a nice day, take advantage of the free bikes to explore Namur. See room rates and availability.

If you want to stay on land but still be as close as possible to the Citadel of Namur, stay at the Mademoiselle Citadelle guesthouse. Each room has a private and access to a kitchen. See room rates and availability.

Want the best views of the citadel of Namur? Stay just across the River Meuse at Le duplex d’Albert logement d’exception à Namur. You get the entire apartment to yourself with a private terrace to enjoy a view of the citadel overlooking the river all day long. See room rates and availability.

If you’re looking to stay in the main part of Namur, there’s no better place to stay than la suite des Carmes. This fully equipped apartment has everything to live like a local in Namur. If you need parking or want to rent a bike, they also offer these services! See room rates and availability.

For more accommodation options in Namur Belgium, click here.

My Belgium Day Trip Essentials

Related Posts!

• The Complete Guide To Brussels
• Top Brussels Hidden Gems
• The Complete Guide to Belgium
• Which Should You Visit? Dinant or Namur?
• Travel Guide: Dinant

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Last update on 2024-05-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API