Seniors Voyage En Belgique

Oui, aujourd’hui on va en Belgique pour visiter MONS. Senior visitors learn that Mons is a Belgian city and municipality, and the capital of the province of Hainaut. It was recently selected as one of the “hots spots” for visitors in Europe.

Mons will be the European Capital of Culture in 2015. Mons will probably evoke WWI for most British readers. It has however been witness to many more battles than that, and if it remembers the presence of British and German troops in 1914, it is also proud of vestiges dating back to the Romans.

Mons is a town of tradition and its celebrations of “Lumeçon” and “Le Car d’Or” highlight these traditions. Van Gogh was in Mons for some time before moving on to Provence and senior travelers can visit the house he lived in. Mons also has some unique attractions in the nearby vicinity which are well worth visiting.

Senior Military Buffs Attracted To Mons

Read all about the early history of Mons as well as specifics on the city via Wikipedia.  Mons (Bergen in Dutch, pop. 92,000) is a university town. The name of the city derives from Latin “Montes”, meaning “Mount”, from the geographical feature where it stands, although it is really just a hill.

Despite the lack of extraordinary monuments, Mons is without contest one of the most beautiful and pleasant of cities in Belgium, thanks to its architectural homogeneity, its clean streets and its warm atmosphere.

Located 35 miles south of the capital city of Brussels, military buffs will find a rich history in Mons. British and German troops occupied Mons in 1914 during World War I, yet the city also has ruins dating back to the ancient Romans.

Seniors Find Beauty and Historical Richness In Mons

Must-sees in Mons, include its Gothic style town hall; the Belfry, a World Heritage UNESCO site; the Collegiate Church of Sainte-Waudru, and the Decorative Arts Museum François Duesberg with its unique and prestigious clock collection.

Mons has expanded over the centuries, outgrowing its fortified walls more than once, and engulfing surrounding communities. The central core of the town is not large, and runs in a number of rings.

TripAdvisor says the St Symphorien Military Cemetery is rated a #1 attraction in the city. Mons was originally a place of pilgrimage, and most of the historic buildings are churches, chapels, convents or abbeys. But the beauty of Mons lies in its narrow paved streets and its traditional houses.

Set your compass on Mons, the city that offers all the splendors and historical richness that so typifies most of the cities in Belgium. -jeb