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The third leg of our European tour took us to Profondeville. Situated on the western bank of the River Muese, this was a quiet, friendly village in French-speaking Belgium. The old part alongside the river was characterised by narrow streets, with the church standing at the village centre. From Profondeville we explored Namur to the north, and Dinant to the south.
Namur is a bustling town sitting at the confluence of the Meuse with the River Sambre. It is overlooked by a citadel fort that has it origins in the Middle Ages. It was free to walk the grounds with Hamish, but dogs were not allowed into the museum. Even so, we could appreciate its past strategic importance; and we had some great views over the city.
It was a Sunday when we visited Namur so there was very little open other than bars and restaurants. These were busy, with people spilling out into the main squares that were a feature of the old town.
We visited Dinant twice. The first was on a beautiful sunning evening to find something to eat and enjoy the cafe culture along the riverside. Indeed, Dinant’s eastern side is characterised by cafés, bars and restaurants overlooking the Meuse.
We paid a second visit later in the week, but this time walked over the Charles de Gaulle bridge to take in the views. Adourned with giant saxophones as a tribute to it inventor and citizen of Dinant, Adolph Sax, the bridge itself is so-named because de Gaulle was injured in Dinant during the First World War. From the bridge we had an excellent view of the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame de Dinant.
During our stay in Profondeville, we also visited the Jardins D”Eau D’Annevoie. These gardens, as the name suggests, feature a large number of water features, including a lake and several fountains. It was a very relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
The whole area along the Meuse is attractive, not too crowded, and certainly not spoilt by streams of British tourists. As a result, you need to have some French.