184 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION

A ring of boulevards encircles the centre of Tournai,

with the River Escaut slicing through the middle,

pas sing beneath the triple arches of the 13th-century

bridge, Pont de Trous. The boulevards follow

the path of the 14th-century city walls. The street

plan of the centre has remained almost unchanged

since the walls were built. From 1187 onwards,

Tournai was often under French control; in 1513,

it fell to the English, whose 5-year rule is com-

memorated in the Henry VIII Tower. This is

a pleasant place to wander, with the muse-

ums clustered to the west of the cathedral.

P Belfry
Vieux Marché aux Poteries.
Tel (069) 222045. # Tue–Sat.
& http://www.tournai.be
The city’s famous belfry rises
to a height of 72 m (236 ft).
In 1187, the Tournaisiens
wrangled freedom from the
count of Flanders and placed
themselves under the protec-
tion of the king of France.
However, they retained a
good degree of autonomy –
the belfry was a symbol of
this, serving as a watchtower,
clocktower, place of public
announcements, prison and
stronghold for town charters.
The belfry was revamped
after a fire in 1391, and the
spires date from between the
16th and 19th centuries. A
multimedia show recounts the
city’s 2,000 years of history.

E Musée d’Histoire

et d’Archéologie

Rue des Carmes 8. Tel (069)

221672. 
        

        Wed–Mon.

        
        

        ¢ Sun afternoons. &
        Archaeological remains from
        Tournai’s prehistoric, Gallo-
        Roman and Frankish past are
        exhibited here. Many of the
        finds come from recent exca-
        vations of graveyards in the
        city centre, and include sar-
        cophagi, glassware, pottery,
        weapons and jewellery.

        
        

E Musée du Folklore
Réduit des Sions. Tel (069) 224069.

Wed–Mon. ¢ Sun mornings.

& 7
Set out in two 17th-century
step-gabled houses called La
Maison Tournaisienne, this
extensive folklore collection
is spread over a series of

Exploring Tournai

E Musée d’Histoire et

des Arts Décoratifs

Rue St Martin 50b. Tel (069)

332353. 
        

        Wed–Mon. ¢ Sun

        
        

        afternoons. &
        The focus of this collection
        is the porcelain of Tournai,
        which is noted for the delicacy
        of its floral decoration. During
        the 18th and 19th centuries, it
        was a rival to porcelain from
        the French town of Sèvres. The
        museum also displays locally
        produced wares of gold, silver
        and pewter, as well as the
        products of Tournai’s mint,
        which produced coins for
        France and Spain from the
        12th to the 17th century.

        
        

23 rooms and reconstructions

depicting daily life in the

past – school and home, the

pub, workshops of printers,

clog-makers, weavers and

coopers, as well as the worlds

of the priests, doctors, sol-

diers, women and children.

E Musée de la Tapisserie

Place Reine Astrid. Tel (069) 842073.

# Wed–Mon. ¢ Sun afternoons.

&

Occupying a grand old

Neo-Classical mansion, this

museum focusses on the cele-

brated quality of Tournai’s

tapestry, notably of the 15th–

17th centuries. It has a small

but fine collection of historic

tapestries, and it is also an

active workshop where tapes-

tries are restored and made.

E Musée des Beaux-Arts

Enclos St-Martin. Tel (069) 332431.

# Wed–Mon. ¢ Sun mornings.

& 7

Often referred to as Musée

Horta, this art museum was

designed by the great Art

Nouveau architect Victor

Horta (see p80) in his later,

more sober, Classical style. It

opened in 1928. In galleries

fanning out from a central

polygonal sculpture hall, its

impressive collection covers

work from the 15th century

onwards and includes art by

many of the greatest Belgian

painters and sculptors. Among

them are Rogier van der

Weyden, Rubens, Constantin

Meunier and James Ensor.

International artists such

as Watteau, Manet, Monet,

Toulouse-Lautrec and van

Gogh are also represented.

Exhibit at
the Museum
of Archeology

Lavish display of gold and lace furnishings at the Musée du Folklore

Detail from a tapestry at the

Musée de la Tapisserie

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp268–9 and pp294–5