3 Michelin star city of Tournai (city guide - city walk)

This walking route aims to visit all sights (90) in the center of Tournai, one of the rare sights in Belgium that receives 3 stars in the Green Michelin Guide. Just to clarify: Michelin rates its restaurants and places with 1 (worth a visit), 2 (worth a detour) or 3 (worth the trip) stars.

Tournai is one of the oldest cities in Belgium and has a history dating back to Roman times : the Via Belgica , an ancient Roman road that was part of the extensive Roman road network in Gaul, connected Boulogne-sur-Mer on the French coast with Cologne in Germany, and Tournai served as a stopover along this route, crossing the Scheldt.

Today, Tournai is on one of the Camino routes that pilgrims choose to travel to Santiago de Compostela .

Tournai was an important city in the County of Flanders in the Middle Ages due to its strategic location in military conflicts and defense. The Belfry, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and its fortifications bear witness to this. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Tournai, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a remarkable Gothic cathedral and one of the oldest in Europe. It is known for its architectural splendor and historical value.

We start at Tournai station. Given the length of the walk, it is an option to divide it into 2 parts and spread it over 2 days : a southern loop from the station to the market and a northern loop from the market to the station.

From the grandiose station of Tournai we walk through the Parc Crombez to the Parc Van Cutsem where an impressive Monument aux morts shows scenes from the wars. In Parc Marvis and Parc St-Jean we clearly see the remains of the second municipal wall from the 13th and 14th centuries.

After walking along the Scheldt for a while we arrive in the old Chaufours district (pointing to the many old lime kilns that can be found along the Scheldt) where the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church is worth a visit. Passing typical Tournai houses, the Seminairie de Choiseul and the Royal Athenaeum , we arrive at the Saint-Brixius Church, one of the first examples of this type of construction, called "hallekerke" , an architectural formula that will be very successful in maritime Flanders.

We arrive again at the Scheldt, which we cross and via the Rue de l'hôpital Notre Dame with the Old Hospital and monastery chapel we arrive at the Place de l'Evêché with, among other things, the Episcopal Palace and a first view of Our Lady. cathedral. Architecturally speaking, this is one of the most important buildings in Belgium and on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. After a visit, a walk around the cathedral is the ideal way to enjoy its grandeur.

We now arrive at the Belfry on the market, the second building in Tournai that is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Via a detour past the Jesuit monastery, the fountain of the missing children (the Dutroux case) and the Palace of Justice , we arrive at the Parc Georges Brassens and Parc Reine Astrid. Some museums and the town hall Tournai are close together here.

We continue past the Musée d'histoire Militaire and the Musée de folklore et des imaginaires and return to the market with its historic buildings and Cloth Hall . We walk around and in the Saint-Quintinus Church, one of the oldest churches in Tournai, known for its stained glass windows, organ and golden reliquaries.

Past Fort Rouge and a detour to the St. Jacques Church, which is included in the exceptional real estate heritage of Wallonia and is located on one of the paths to Saint-Jacques (Santiago) de Compostela, via the Place de Ville we arrive at the imposing Jean Noté school palace on Boulevard Leopold. A little further away is the Jardin de la Reine , which was built on the old city walls.

The Pont des Trous, located further away, is one of the most prestigious remains of medieval military architecture in Belgium and is the only surviving medieval water gate in Europe. Along the beautifully renovated Scheldt quays we arrive at the dismantled Église des Rédemptoristes.

We cross the Scheldt and via the Eglise Saint-Nicolas we arrive at the Henri VIII park with its historic tower of the same name. Passing Parc Bersoniate with monuments to King Albert I and Queen Elizabeth we return to Parc Crombez and the station.

Be sure to consult the information about the sights once you are there . They explain what you will see!

07/2023