🇧🇪Belgium · Places to discover
What to see in Mons?
24 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Mons makes more sense once you know its history: a former capital of Hainaut, recently a university town, it still bears traces of its mining past without turning itself into a museum. The Grand-Place, compact and alive, sets the tone of a human-scaled city where residents know one another. The BAM, the fine arts museum, confirms that Mons has chosen culture as its lever for reinvention, and with genuine conviction.
Spring remains the best period, notably for the Ducasse with its Golden Chariot procession-an event rooted in local life rather than tourist folklore. A weekend is plenty. From Brussels, the train takes forty minutes and remains the sensible choice. Don't concentrate your visit on the historic centre alone: the districts around rue de la Coupe reveal a city far more living than guidebooks suggest.
Landmarks & heritage
5 places
1Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Grand Place of Mons
Vibrant heart of the city surrounded by guild houses and the 15th-century Town Hall. The fountain of the Lucky Monkey of the Grand Garde is an unmissable local ritual.
2Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Belfry of Mons
Belgium's only Baroque belfry, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The climb to the summit offers an exceptional panoramic view over the entire city and the Borinage region.
3Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Town Hall of Mons
Gothic building from the 15th century with a Renaissance façade, one of the finest in Wallonia. The Council Chamber preserves exceptional Flemish tapestries.
4Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0Landmark
Monkey of the Grand Garde
A small bronze statue from the 15th century on a pillar of the Town Hall, whose head is rubbed for good luck. An unmissable ritual that every Montois visitor experiences.
- 5
Landmark
Landmark
Van Gogh House in Cuesmes
Working-class house where Vincent van Gogh lived from 1879 to 1880 as an evangelist in the Borinage, a turning point in his life before becoming a painter. A moving and little-visited place.
Museums
5 places
6Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0Museum
Musée François Duesberg
A discreet museum housing an exceptional collection of clocks, timepieces and art objects from the 18th and 19th centuries. One of Belgium's most surprising museums, often underrated.
7Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Museum
Mons Memorial Museum
Museum retracing Mons' crucial role during both world wars, from the first battle of 1914 to the liberation of 1918. Immersive and moving scenography.
8Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Museum
Museum of Fine Arts in Mons (BAM)
Modern museum with bold design bringing together permanent Flemish collections and high-quality temporary exhibitions. One of the most dynamic museums in Wallonia.
9Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5Museum
Musée du Chanoine Puissant
Museum housed in a 16th-century townhouse, presenting a diverse collection of art objects, pottery and regional furniture. A journey into the bourgeois daily life of Mons in earlier times.
- 10
Museum
Museum
Doudou Museum
Immersive museum dedicated to the Ducasse of Mons, a UNESCO-listed folk festival. It traces the history of the legendary combat of Saint George against the dragon Lumeçon.
Religious sites
2 places
11Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Religious site
Saint-Calixte Chapel
Mons' oldest chapel, dating from the 11th century, nestled in the gardens of the Château des Comtes. A haven of peace, little known even to locals.
12Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0Religious site
Collegiate Church of Sainte-Waudru
Masterpiece of Brabantine Gothic from the 15th century, housing the Golden Car used during the Ducasse procession. Its treasury contains extremely rare relics and works of art.
Castles & fortresses
1 place
13Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0Castle
Château de Havré
Romantic ruins of a 14th-century medieval castle surrounded by moats and a classified wooded park. A timeless atmosphere just 5 km from Mons city centre.
Nature
3 places
14Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Nature
Trouille Path Trail at Obourg
Hiking path following the Trouille river between Mons and Obourg, crossing preserved wetland meadows and riverside woodland. An 8 km return route popular with amateur birdwatchers.
- 15
Nature
Nature
Grand Large Pond
Large artificial lake in Nimy, ideal for cycling along the banks and water sports. Peaceful view over the water with the Canal du Centre in the background.
- 16
Nature
Nature
Bois du Gard
Suburban forest of several hundred hectares on the outskirts of Mons, crisscrossed with marked trails and mountain bike tracks. Green lung where locals come to run at weekends.
Parks & gardens
4 places
- 17
Park
Park
Cuesmes Park
A quiet natural park in Cuesmes, in the neighbourhood where Van Gogh lived, dotted with century-old trees and peaceful pathways. Locals come here to escape the bustle of the town centre.
- 18
Park
Park
Dodaine Park
A large municipal park with a pond, play areas and wooded spaces, very popular with families from Mons. Natural setting accessible on foot from the historic centre.
- 19
Park
Park
Beffroi Park
Terraced park arranged around the belfry, offering clear views over the rooftops of Mons. A daily walking spot for locals, away from the bustle of tourism.
- 20
Park
Park
Mayor's Garden
Secret garden behind the Town Hall, overlooked by most visitors. A verdant setting ideal for taking a breath after exploring the historic centre.
Viewpoints
1 place
- 21
Viewpoint
Viewpoint
View from Mons Citadel
Former fortified site at height offering one of the finest panoramas over Mons and the Borinage plain. At sunset, the view over the Collegiate Church of Sainte-Waudru is striking.
More to discover
3 places
22Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Place
Passage de la Halle
Covered gallery from the 19th century linking the Grand-Place to the shopping streets, with display windows of craftspeople and second-hand booksellers. A pedestrian passage full of history that few visitors notice.
- 23
Place
Place
Brasserie de la Lesse – Mons branch
A craft beer cellar offering a refined selection from independent Walloon and Belgian breweries. The address for enthusiasts seeking something beyond the major brands.
- 24
Place
Place
Mons Saturday Morning Market
A large weekly market filling the Grand Place and adjacent streets, where local producers rub shoulders with antique dealers. The authentic heart and soul of Mons.
Also 🇧🇪 in Belgium
