Wallonia at a Glance
The southern, French-speaking part of Belgium,
Wallonia gets its name from a Romanized Celtic tribe
known as the Wala, whose people spoke a French-
related language, Walloon. There are five provinces
in this region: Hainaut forms Western Wallonia; the
provinces of Namur and Brabant Wallon lie in Central
Wallonia; and the provinces of Liège and Luxembourg
(not to be confused with the independent Grand
Duchy of Luxembourg) make up Eastern Wallonia.
The largest cities lie in the old industrial heartland that
stretches across the north from Charleroi to Liège.
Further south, the landscape rises into the Ardennes,
with its forested hills and riverside towns and hamlets.172 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION
0 km0 miles2525Namur (see pp202–3),
capital of the Province
of Namur, lies on the
confluence of the
rivers Sambre and
Meuse. Dominating
this busy city is the
massive Citadelle, a
stronghold reinforced
over 2,000 years of
military use, which
finally ended in 1977.Mons (see p189) is
the capital of Hainaut.
Once a year, during the
Ducasse festival, crowds
gather in the Grand Place
to watch the celebrated
Lumeçon battle between St
George and the dragon.CENTRAL
WALLONIA
(see pp192–211)WESTERN WALLONIA
(see pp176–91)Leuze-en-Hainaut is home to
the fascinating Mahymobiles
motor museum (see p185).Rural atmosphere characteristic of villages in the undulating Ardennes"%,')5-7!,,/.)!,58