Former capital of the Counts of Hainaut, chief town of the province and European Capital of Culture 2015, Mons is a charming little town that is well worth a weekend trip. As a resident of Mons, I had to share my tips for a nice weekend in our region with you. Am I being objective? Probably not. But have seventeen years in Mons taught me a thing or two? Absolutely.

In this series:

Part I:
Where to stay in Mons?
Where to eat in Mons?
Where to have a drink in Mons?
Practical information: ATM, public toilets, in case of emergency

Part II:
What to do in Mons?
Culture in Mons
The Great War in Mons
Romantic Mons
Artistic Route in Mons
Mons: The Hipster Trail
Frescoes of Mons
The Secret Garden of Mons
Other things to see and do in Mons
Shopping in Mons
Around Mons

Part III:
#Mons: Most instagrammable spots in Mons

What to do in Mons?

Granted, the people of Mons are very proud of their Ducasse festival recognised by UNESCO (I’ll tell you about it in another post very soon), and on the surface, it would seem that a large part of the city’s cultural offer is more or less related to it; don’t be mistaken! Mons has much more to offer than meets the eye. In fact, it would be difficult to see and do everything in just one weekend. That’s why I’m offering you a few themes which you can combine depending on your mood or your inspiration. 

Culture

Doudou Museum

Of course, there is no escaping it! For a good dose of Montois life, why not start with the Musée du Doudou, a museum of local history, dedicated, as you may have guessed, to the ritual Ducasse? The visit is relatively short (just over an hour), but it will still give you a better understanding of the origins and practice of this annual event of popular celebration. 

Belfry

After that, the 17th-century belfry, also recognised by UNESCO, will offer you an exceptional view of the surrounding region thanks to its panoramic lift (or its stairs, depending on your motivation). While you’re there, don’t forget to make a stop at the Sainte-Calixte chapel, a curious little 11th-century building located at the entrance to the park where you can admire the remains of an astonishing Roman-Byzantine fresco. 

The Great War

Mons was the scene of the first engagement of the Commonwealth forces in the First World War. Two places will give you a better understanding of the battles that raged on the territory of the municipality as well as the daily life of its citizens between 1914 and 1918: the Mons Memorial Museum and the Saint-Symphorien military cemetery. 

Mons Memorial Museum

First of all, visit the museum (located on Boulevard Dolez) for an immersive experience of Mons during the Great War. I find the museography and the pedagogical thinking behind the exhibition choices exceptional. I tend to be rather critical of the city’s museum policies, so believe me when I say that the Mons Memorial Museum is one of the most intelligent museums I have seen in Belgium. As far as I’m concerned, it compares well with London or Parisian museums, and that’s not a compliment that I give easily. Take the time to visit it, it is really worth it.

Saint-Symphorien military cemetery

There are two options for getting to the Saint-Symphorien military cemetery, located five miles away. You can either go by car (or bus) or on foot. I really enjoy the walk, which takes just over an hour if you walk briskly, because as you go along the side roads you see the town gradually receding into the open countryside, from which a grove on a small hill suddenly emerges: the military cemetery. Here are buried John Parr of the Middlesex Regiment and George Lawrence Price of the 28th Canadian Infantry Battalion, respectively the first and last Commonwealth soldiers killed in action in the First World War. 

Romantic Mons

Saint Waltrude Collegiate Church

Built over a period of 241 years from 1451, Saint Waltrude Collegiate Church is a representative Brabantine Gothic building with a Latin cross plan. It stands on the site of the former hermitage, founded in the 7th century. 

If you take a closer look, you will notice that, like many monumental religious buildings of the time, the collegiate church is unfinished. The construction of its bell tower, which was supposed to be 190 metres high, stopped at roof level in 1691 after 143 years of work (which goes to show that Mons is somewhat used to pharaonic works that turn into a mess). But it is still a very pretty building with impressive proportions: its keystone peaks at 24.5 metres and the total length of the church measures 115 metres. 

The collegiate church is dedicated to Saint Waltrude, a 7th-century Frankish aristocrat from Cousolre (France), who, after raising her children, decided to found an oratory on a hill, which would eventually become the city of Mons. It should be noted in passing that Waltrude’s husband, Madelgaire de Famars de Hainaut, also decided to take holy orders at the Benedictine abbey of Haumont, which he had founded, and that he is better known as Saint Vincent de Soignies. 

For her troubles (which were quite moderate compared to those of other saints of the time), Waltrude was canonised in 1039 by the bishop of Cambrai. And who says saint, says relics. The body of Saint Waltrude is more or less complete in the collegiate church: the head in the “Chef de Sainte Waudru”, a neo-Gothic reliquary from 1867, and the rest in the “Châsse”, the sort of church-shaped box that sits above the main altar of the collegiate church. 

The collegiate church is also home to the Car d’Or (“the golden chariot”), a carved wooden procession chariot of the Louis XVI style, whose sole function is to carry the Châsse de Saint Waltrude through the city once a year on the occasion of the Ducasse de Mons (“the Doudou”, which I mentioned earlier).

The organs of the Collegiate Church, restored in 2018:

While you’re in the area, why not take a look at Roosevelt Square and its statue Lucie et les papillons (“Lucy and the butterflies”, 2019) by French artist David Mesguich?

Square Saint-Germain 

When, by chance of the calendar and the weather, the planets align in such a way that the ideal conditions are met, a painter settles in a corner of Square Saint-Germain to sketch a painting while a guitarist sings French classics. It’s like being in Paris. Lovers sitting on the public benches whisper sweet nothings to each other and families picnic on the grass to the sound of the fountain. Life is good.

Artistic route

BAM

Completely renovated in 2007, the former Museum of Fine Arts lost its right to be called a museum and is now simply the Beaux-Arts Mons (“Mons Fine Arts”). Indeed, the French Community’s condition for financing the work was that the building would become a multimodal cultural space and not just a museum. It has been given a projection room, which is very useful for interactive exhibitions, as well as spaces for meetings and conferences.

Don’t be fooled by its provincial appearance; BAM has had a highly interesting programme of popular retrospectives and daring exhibitions. In recent years it has hosted exhibitions of Lichtenstein, Warhol, Chirico, Keith Haring, Van Gogh, Poliakoff, Niki de Saint Phalle and Botero, as well as programmes devoted to the Belgian Surrealists, nineteenth-century art and Paul Verlaine.

Anciens abattoirs (“former slaughterhouse”)

Opened after a complete renovation in 2006, the Anciens Abattoirs of Mons now host temporary events and exhibitions, mostly devoted to contemporary plastic art, as well as activities centred on the alternative economy.

The Great Halle (pictured below) is 70-metres long and is the venue for temporary exhibitions which I recommend.

Mons has many other spaces devoted to art, from the Artothèque (Claude de Bettignies, 1) where the city’s heritage is kept, to the François Duesberg Museum (Square Roosevelt, 12) and its enormous collection of clocks and jewellery, not to mention the statues that pepper the city, the small independent art galleries, and the exhibitions of the students of the Royal Conservatory of Arts at Carré des Arts.

The hipster trail

If your thing is to make air quotes when you talk and you enjoy the idea of admiring the train station (still not finished at the time of writing) in an ironic way, then you might have a bit of hipster in you. That’s okay (don’t we all?); you’ll feel right at home in Rue des Fripiers.

Rue des Fripiers

Rue des Fripiers, the new bastion of contemporary culture in Mons, is a small street full of style. With its colourful cobblestones, its giant fresco, its tattoo artists, its bars, the best Syrian snack bar in the galaxy (Jebneh), its cute little tea room and its shops that sell jewellery or interior design that you won’t find anywhere else, it’s really the place to go in Mons if you want to do something a bit off the beaten path. 

Musée régional des sciences naturelles (“Regional Museum of Natural Sciences”)

When we were students, my friend Catherine renamed the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences the “Museum of Stuffed Animals”, and I’ve always thought of it by that name. Under its slightly old-fashioned exterior, the museum will not fail to amuse you (especially if, like me, you have a healthy passion for things in jars of formaldehyde) or to educate you. Seriously, this is one of my favourite places in Mons. I am unable to give you its opening hours: sometimes it’s open, sometimes it’s closed. That’s just the way it is, and the uncertainty adds a little spice to the adventure.

Secret Garden

Le Jardin du Mayeur (“the mayor’s garden” in Walloon), a little jewel from the 1930s, is located at the back of the Town Hall. You can access it via the underground passage directly opposite the porch. It is a real haven of peace with trees in the heart of the city. Here you can admire the sculpture of the Ropieur, which splashes out on passers-by in an allegory of the rebellious spirit of Mons, and enjoy a timeless break in the shade of the hundred-year-old trees. Listen carefully: the musicians of the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia are rehearsing in the main building. At the end of the garden, you will find the entrance to the Doudou Museum.

Other things to see and do in Mons

Shopping

Like every other city, Mons has a shopping centre on the outskirts and the same chain of clothing shops as everywhere else; nothing very original there. Fortunately, there are still some small independent shops that I’m sure will pique your curiosity.

La Bazarine

Carnaby Street

Librairie Leto

Around Mons

Texts & pictures ©Ms. Unexpected. No post on Ms Unexpected is sponsored. Ever.

Last update: 12/09/2022