| Tournai | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Belgium | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Wallonia | |
| Inhabitants | 68.193 (2008) | |
| Prefix tel | 32 69 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 7500-7548 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Tournai (I went back in Picardy, Doornik in Dutch, Dornick in German, Tornacum in Latin) is a city of Belgium located in Province of Hainaut.
To know
It is famous for its impressive Romanesque cathedral. The city is the oldest in Belgium, along with Tongeren, is populated by about 70,000 inhabitants and is the largest municipality in the country in terms of surface area.
Geographical notes
Tournai is about 70km southwest of downtown Brussels. It is crossed by the Scelda (Schelde, Escaut) is a canal-like river running through the city with motorized barge traffic still active.
Background
The city was subjected to various dominations: Gallo-Roman, French (it became royal as the capital of the Merovingian kings Childéric and Clovis), French, English (the only Belgian city to have been under Henry VIII), still Spanish, Dutch, French (and above all under the rule of Louis XIV who endowed it with an urban structure that survives to this day), still Austrian, French (under the revolution and the empire), returning Dutch until the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium.
How to orient yourself
Tournai: full screen map.How to get
By plane
- 1 Brussels International Airport (IATA: BRU). Brussels International Airport is the busiest airport.
- 2 Charleroi Airport (IATA: CRL). The airport of Charleroi is reserved for low-cost airlines.
- 3 Lilla Lesquin Airport (IATA: LIL).
On the train
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- 4 Tournai Station, boulevard des Nerviens (on the north side of the city center, about 1 kilometer from the cathedral). Tournai is served by regular trains from all over Belgium via the national railway company NMBS. From Brussels Direct trains depart every hour and take 55 minutes depending on the type of train. Other direct trains take 20 minutes to reach Lille just across the French border and 2 hours 10 (Monday to Friday) or 2 hours 40 (Saturday and Sunday) from Liege. Paris is accessible with a change a Lille in just under two hours. There is at least one train every hour (two for Mons from Monday to Friday).
By bus
Coaches from Brussels take approximately 1h 45m and require 2 changes. You see here for timetables.
How to get around
Car traffic within the city can be confusing with many one-way streets - for the foreigner unfamiliar with the city plan, Tournai can become a labyrinth. It is advisable to leave your car in a parking lot on the outskirts of the city center and walk from there: the city is not very big, walking is the best solution to not feel lost.
There is also a local bus service.
What see
Grand Place
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- 1 Grand Place. The main square of the city.
- 2 Halle aux draps, Grand Place.
- 3 Beffroi de Tournai (Tournai Civic Tower).
Tue-Sun 9: 00-12: 00 and 14: 00-17: 00 (18:00 in summer). 
The bell tower offers splendid views over the city, especially the nearby Cathedral. It is the oldest in Belgium and is 72 meters high. It offers very informative multilingual exhibits on the role of bells in the history of the region. The bell tower is included in the UNESCO list as part of the Belfry of Belgium and France
Tue-Sun 9: 00-12: 00 and 14: 00-17: 00 (18:00 in summer). 
The bell tower offers splendid views over the city, especially the nearby Cathedral. It is the oldest in Belgium and is 72 meters high. It offers very informative multilingual exhibits on the role of bells in the history of the region. The bell tower is included in the UNESCO list as part of the Belfry of Belgium and FranceOther
- 4 Notre-Dame de Tournai Cathedral, Place de l'Evêché 1. 9: 00-12: 00 and 14: 00-17: 00 (18:00 in summer). The cathedral is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as one of the best preserved cathedrals in Northern Europe. It is famous for having one of the most impressive Romanesque naves in Europe and has an impressive array of statues. The Gothic choir was a later addition. There is also a treasure museum that can be visited.
- église Saint-Quentin.
- 5 église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine.
- 6 église Sainte-Marguerite.
- 7 église Saint-Jacques (Church of S Giacomo).
- 8 église Saint-Piat.
- 9 église des Rédemptoristes.
- 10 église Saint-Brice.
- 11 Church of S. Giovanni (Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste), Rue Saint-Jean 14.
- 12 église Saint-Nicolas (Church of S. Nicola).
- 13 Hôtel de ville (Municipal Palace, Abbaye Saint-Martin de Tournai).
- 14 Pont des Trous (Bridge of the Holes). A trace of medieval and military architecture on the River Schelde (Escaut) with motorized transport barges passing tightly through the narrow central arch.
Museums
- 15 Museum of Archeology (Archaeological Museum).
- 16 Royal Museum of Arms and Military History (Royal Musée d'Armes et d'Histoire militaire).
- 17 Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts), Rue de l'Enclos Saint-Martin 3, ☎ 32 69 33 24 31. It exhibits paintings by Rubens, Van Gogh, Monet, Seurat and Watteau. They are displayed in a beautiful building designed by the famous architect Victor Horta in the Art nouveau style.
- 18 natural History Museum (Musée d'Histoire Naturelle).
- Museum of History and Decorative Arts (Musée d'Histoire et des Arts décoratifs). The museum houses porcelain collections from the factory operating in Tournai during the 18th century. The exhibits include a table service that belonged to the Dukes of Orléans) and a rare tureen from 1787. A numismatic section is located on the 1st floor.
- 19 Upholstery and Textile Museum (Musée de la Tapisserie et des arts du tissu).
- 20 Folklore Museum (Musée de Folklore / Maison Tournaisienne), Réduit des Sions 36, ☎ 32 69 22 40 69. It boasts numerous exhibits on local folklore, including several dioramas of urban and rural scenes from bygone eras.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Tournai Tourist Office has created a walking food tour that takes visitors along the best food places in the city, such as breweries and shops with local products. Ask the staff of the tourist office if you are interested.
Where stay
Moderate prices
- Europe, Grand-Place 36, ☎ 32 69 224 067, fax: 39 69 235 238. 8-room hotel in the heart of Tournai.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- Lille it is only 30km away and worthy of a trip.
- Spiennes it is reasonably close and is home to the Neolithic flint mines on the UNESCO World Heritage List
- Kortrijk (Courtrai) is only a 30-35 minute train ride away Flanders Dutch-speaking.
Useful information
- 5 Tourism Office (Office du Tourisme), Place Paul-Emile Janson 1, ☎ 3269222045. The only tourist office in the city.
