The best city hikes and walks around Tournai

Cathedral on the market square Tournai

The church was built in the last quarter of the 12th century. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Romanesque choir was replaced by a Gothic choir with ribbed vaults. The bell tower was added in the 15th century. It served as a bell tower on the right bank of the river before that part of the city was added to Tournai. When a rectory was built next to the church, a fantastic discovery was made in 1653: the intact tomb of the Merovingian king Childeric I was discovered [2]. Due to its location close to the train station, the church suffered heavily during World War II. The interior, in particular, was irreparably damaged during German air raids. Restoration work lasted until 1954.

The original 13th-century wooden cloth hall was destroyed in a storm in 1606. Between 1610 and 1611, the building was rebuilt in various architectural styles: Gothic pointed arches on the ground floor, a Renaissance first floor, and Baroque gables. The courtyard with galleries from 1616 is Italianate. In 1881, the cloth merchants' building collapsed. It was rebuilt and became a city museum. After the fire bombs in 1940, the building had to be repaired. The facade was renewed during city restoration works in 1998. The building is a meeting centre and event hall.

A footbridge here connects the Tournai districts of Saint-Piat and Saint-Jean, separated by the Scheldt. From this bridge, you look out over the Quai des Poissonsceaux and see the 5 towers of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, a symbol of Tournai, rising above the city.

After the boutique "Le Loft" closed its doors in 2017, the former post office building stood empty for a while, until a restaurant based on a street food concept moved in in 2022... but it only lasted a few months. In May 2024, "Happy Days", a venue for birthday parties for children and young people, opened here. At the end of 2023, the City of Tournai had announced plans to temporarily house the Archaeological Museum (which had to be closed for safety reasons) here, pending the establishment of a specific 'History and Remembrance Centre'," (as can be read on notele.be), but it seems those plans did not go ahead (yet). Source: tournai.be, lavenir.be, dhnet.be

The church is located at the end of the Grote Markt and undoubtedly has its origins in the large Gallo-Roman cemetery that stretched over the site of the Grote Markt and an adjacent district. The nave dates from the end of the 12th century. Two round chapels, one of which houses the tomb of Jacques Castaigne (1327), are housed in the corners formed by the nave and the transept. The transept and the choir, with their ribbed vaults, belong to the transition between the Romanesque and Gothic periods. The central tower also dates from the 13th century. It is decorated inside with a double triforium. The choir, surrounded by a 17th-century marble enclosure, was surrounded in 1464 by an ambulatory and several chapels. At the ends of the nave, you can admire two statues forming the so-called Annunciation group, namely the Virgin and the Archangel Gabriel. The statues were made by Jean Delemer, a sculptor from Tournai. They are made of white stone from Avesnes and the original polychromy is attributed to Robert Campin. The organ with 36 registers was made by Georges Delmotte in 1986. Source: openchurches.eu

The construction of the very first hall dates back to the 13th century. Built of wood, it was blown away by a storm. Four years later, it was rebuilt (1610-1611) in a mixture of styles: Renaissance on the 1st floor, Baroque gables, a frontispiece with Ionic columns,... The facade of this magnificent building was restored during the construction of the new Grand-Place, inaugurated in 1998. Mainly to be viewed from the outside. During certain events, the interior can be visited (e.g. Halle Gourmande, Christmas market,...). source: visitwallonia.be

The belfry of Tournai is the oldest in Belgium (12th century). The building, which is part of UNESCO World Heritage, is 72 meters high and dominates the Grand-Place. During the ascent of the tower with its 257 steps, one discovers various didactic exhibitions, the prison, the carillonneur's room, and finally the bells which ring every Sunday during the summer (around 3:30 PM). The belfry of Tournai, built in 1192, symbolizes municipal freedoms. Its bell (the “Bancloque”) was used to warn the population of trials, executions, invasions, fires, etc. The belfry served as a watchtower, prison, bell tower, and town hall. You have access to the first terrace, which offers a breathtaking view of Tournai and its surroundings. source: visitwapi.be