Tournai
Travel Guide & Travel Information
In the southwestern part of Belgium lies the city of Tournai, whose medieval old town is now a tourist highlight of the region. The history of Tournai, one of the oldest cities in Belgium, dates back to the 5th century AD. It is therefore not surprising that in the heart of the city stands the oldest belfry in Belgium, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The history of the local cathedral Notre-Dame de Tournai, which was built in the architectural style of the so-called Scheldt Gothic, dates back to the 12th century. Another architectural highlight of the Walloon city is the Halle aux Draps, originally built in the 13th century, which is now available for exhibitions and events in Tournai.
About 70,000 inhabitants live today in Tournai, which is situated about 90 kilometers south of Brussels. Historically, the city was an important center of the textile trade, as the local Museum of Tapestry and Textile Art reminds us. Tournai also boasts the Musée des Beaux-Arts, an important art museum in Belgium, which exhibits works by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet and Georges Seurat.
