UK Edition
36 Hours in... Tournai
The charming Belgian town, which this year celebrates its connections with Britain, offers culture – and a wide variety of traditional beers, finds Mark Skipworth.
Why go now?
Here’s a tourist board slogan I’m happy to offer: “Tournai – Belgium’s best-kept secret”. If Bruges is the Venice of “le plat pays”, then Tournai is its Siena. Yet the charms of this prosperous town, on the ley lines of European history, are largely undiscovered. Romans, Franks, Spanish, French and even Austrians have all left their mark in a fusion of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, acknowledged in not one, but two remarkable Unesco World Heritage Sites (Notre-Dame cathedral and the Belfry).
The town’s peculiarly English connections are a cause for celebration in 2013, namely, the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s occupation of what was once one of the richest bishoprics in northern Europe. Vestiges of five years of Tudor rule are everywhere – from the mini-fortress “Tour Henri VIII” to the so-called “English chapel” initiated by Thomas Wolsey, himself a bishop of Tournai. From next month, the town is planning special exhibitions and guided tours. Spring is a magical time to go, when morning mists linger and your senses are awakened by the chimes of the Belfry’s carillon. A chill in the night air makes the homely restaurants and cafés of the glorious Grand Place seem all the more inviting.
The charms of this prosperous town are largely undiscovered
AP
Getting there
Take the Eurostar to Lille, walk to Lille Flandres station (five minutes). It’s a 20-minute hop across the border. See raileurope.co.uk or eurostar.com. It is less than two and a half hours from London.
Where to stay
As you might expect in such a compact, relatively unvisited town, accommodation is limited.
Mid-range:
The D’Alcantara (1) (0032 (0) 6921 2648; hotelalcantara.be) is among the 16th- and 17th-century houses, tucked away down pretty cobbled streets that have been restored following a direct hit from a German air raid in 1940. A pretty walled courtyard leads to a modern boutique hotel. Doubles from €99/£86 including a first-class continental breakfast.
The Hotel Cathedrale (2) (0032 (0) 6925 0000; hotelcathedrale.be) is, as its name suggests, a stone’s throw from the cathedral and the Grand Place. It is larger than the D’Alcantara with 59 standard and 12 luxury rooms, and has a bright courtyard and decent restaurant. Doubles from €85/£73.
Hotel Cathedrale is a stone's throw away from the Grand Place
First day
On arrival
Head to the old town, over the canalised River Scheldt (3) (French: Escaut), marvelling at the skill of the barge captains as they ply the narrow waterways from Antwerp to Paris. Then start a tour of the town from the Grand Place, a hugely impressive triangular “square”. At one end towers the 70-metre Belfry, which dates back to 1217. Fifty-five bells make up its beautiful chimes, which have come to symbolise the town’s freedom.
3.30pm
Move on to Notre-Dame cathedral (4), a true wonder. Its five fairytale bell towers bisect a Romanesque nave and Gothic choir, and it’s this unique visible transition in styles across the 12th and 13th centuries that won it World Heritage status. Among the treasures are priceless gold and silver reliquaries used to this day in the Great Procession of Tournai, which takes place every autumn and is a repeat of a religious procession of 1092 to thank Our Lady for delivering the town from plague.
The real jaw-dropper, though, is the clothing worn by Thomas Becket, nigh on 900 years old and perfectly preserved, displayed in a fascinating collection of ancient church vestments. Becket stayed in Tournai on his return “date with destiny” from France to England. His manteau, strangely embroidered with Indian-style swastikas of peace, is exquisite.
5.30pm
Take a stroll through the eerily quiet residential “castle quarter”, where Henry VIII’s tower can be found, an imposing circular fortress with 21ft-thick stone and gravel walls. Make sure you double back via Place de Crombez (5) and the excellent Patisserie Quesnoy. Here you’ll find Gâteau Clovis, named after the early Frankish king who conquered France.
7pm
Savour the complexities of Belgium’s traditional beers. This is a world away from Britain’s lager culture, more akin to wine tasting. I can’t think of a cosier, more convivial way to spend an evening than sitting in a faded Art Nouveau Belgian bar (knitted sweaters and Breton caps optional). In a Grand Place bar we plumped for Bush from the Dubuisson brewery (founded in 1769), said to be the country’s strongest beer at 12 per cent proof.
Also on the square is Si Jamais (sijamais.be; mains from €18, or £15), a restaurant that would not look out of place in fashionable parts of London or Brussels. Start with a gueuze, a refreshing aperitif beer famed for its sour, unfermented taste. The restaurant excels at classic dishes, often with a Mediterranean twist. Steak tartare came on a bed of olives and pine nuts; veal was accompanied with broccoli mash and “chips de lard”. Wines were also impressive.
The bell towers of the Notre Dame cathedral
AP
Day two
11am
Explore the renovated quays that lead to Tournai’s third landmark – the Pont des Trous (6). Built into the town’s (now largely ruined) medieval walls, the bridge is a genuine “watergate”, where tolls were collected. Cross over to the right bank: walk beyond the Pont, then look behind for the perfect panorama of bridge, cathedral, bell tower and many beautiful spires.
1pm
Lunch at le Pinacle, next to the cathedral. Its croque madame (a croque monsieur with a fried egg on top) is gargantuan and comes with salad. Try it with a glass of Tournay blonde, another strong local brew .
2.30pm
The Musée des Beaux Arts (7) (entrance €2.50) is the only museum created by Victor Horta, the design genius of Art Nouveau, and what an inspiring building it is. The museum has two major works by Manet but also boasts paintings and drawings by Ensor, van Gogh and Rogier van der Weyden, a Tournaisian by birth. Two colossal scenes by the 19th-century artist Gallait will stop you in your tracks – one depicting the dramatic abdication of Charles V (who once ruled the town), the other capturing the outpouring of faith in the plague procession of 1092.
7.30pm
Return to the spectacularly lit Grand Place and Le Beffroi (brasserielebeffroi.be), an atmospheric and lively “local” restaurant, with unpretentious dishes such as mussels in white wine and venison steaks. For drinks, we opted for the St Feuillien blonde, a personal favourite.
The Grand Place
9.30pm
End your 36 hours at La Vie est Belge (lavieestbelge.be), a waterside “retro” bar on the pretty Quai des Poissons, with another excellent selection of beers. “Le plat pays est notre pays”, declares a sign in giant lettering on one wall, while another displays scores of photos of internationally renowned Belgians. Memorise them all and you’re guaranteed to win the next game of “Name five famous Belgians” at your local pub.
Checklist
Travelling by Eurostar, it is an hour quicker to change at Lille, rather than Brussels.
Look out for brass scallop shells, symbol of St James, embedded in pavements. Tournai is on the north European route of the Santiago di Compostela trail, and the shells will take you to the town’s foremost pilgrimage church — Saint-Jacques. See openchurches.eu.
More information on the town’s attractions can be found at tournai.be.
For full guides to more than 70 top destinations, visit telegraph.co.uk/destinations