WESTERN WALLONIA 189Mons y
18 km (11 miles) W of La Louvière.
Road Map C3. * 91,000. £ @
n Grand Place 22; (065) 335580.
http://www.mons.be
Despite its location in the heart
of the Borinage mining district,
Mons, the vibrant capital of
the Province of Hainaut, has
considerable charm. On the
contours of the hill for which
it is named are cobbled
streets with 17th- and 18th-
century merchant’s houses.
The city’s patron saint, Ste
Waudru, built a convent here
in AD 650; and the main
church, the Brabant Gothic
Collégiale Ste-Waudru that
was built between 1449 and
1686, is dedicated to her. It
houses the splendid Car d’Or
(Chariot of Gold), built in
1781, which is used to carry
the saint’s relics in the parade
during the annual Ducasse, or
Doudou, festivities (see p33).
Mons is particularly proud
of its unusual, free-standing,
Baroque belfry. Built over
1661–9 and rising to a height
of 87 m (285 ft), it contains a
carillon of 49 bells. The Gothic
Hôtel de Ville in the Grand
Place dates from 1458, but its
distinctive copper-clad, pepper-
pot tower was added in 1718.
Stroking the head of the little
cast-iron monkey by the front
entrance, the Singe du Grand-
Garde, is said to bring good
Brabant Gothic exterior of
Collégiale Ste-Waudru, Monsluck. There are three museums
close to the Grand Place. The
Musée du Folklore et de la Vie
Montoise, housed in the
Maison Jean Lescarts, evokes
past lifestyles of the people of
Mons. The Musée des Arts
Décoratifs François Duesberg
contains an extraordinary col-
lection of elaborate clocks
made in Paris in Louis XIV
and Empire styles between
1795 and 1815. There are also
exquisite decorative arts from
the same era. The art museum
Beaux-Arts Mons focusses on
hosting temporary exhibitions.
South of the city centre is
the Maison de van Gogh, a
tiny brick house that was once
owned by a miner’s family.
The artist Vincent van Gogh
stayed here while training to
be a mission ary among the
Borinage miners.
Around Mons are a number
of cemeteries and monuments
that serve as reminders that
this region was the scene of
fierce battles during both
World War I and World War II.Grand Hornu u
R Ste-Louise 82, Hornu; 10 km
(6 miles) SW of Mons. Road Map B3.
Tel (065) 652121. # Tue–Sun. &
9 - http://www.grand-hornu.beThe remains of the large and
stylish Neo-Classical buildings
of Grand Hornu are the ves-
tiges of a great industrial enter-
prise. This idealistic colliery
complex, built around an oval
courtyard with engineering
workshops, forges and 440
workers’ houses, was created
between 1810 and 1830 by
French industrialist Henri de
Gorge. In 1971, it was made
a centre for industrial arts and
design. In 2002, new buildings
meshing with the old became
the home of the Musée des
Arts Contemporaine de la
Communauté Française – a
suitable setting for its exhibi-
tions of contemporary art.lift about 2 km (1 mile) to the
northeast of the old lift at
Thieu. Built from 1982 to 2002,
the Ascenseur Funiculaire de
Strépy-Thieu is a marvel of
modern engineering. Raising
and lowering boats in two
water-filled tanks, it is 110-m
(361-ft) high and has fine
views from its visitor centre.
The four old boat lifts on
the original branch are now
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
They still function, but are
used only for pleasure crafts.
There are 2-hour boat trips
between La Cantine des
Italiens and Bracquegnies.
E Ascenseur Funiculaire
de Strépy-Thieu
Tel (064) 671200. # Feb–Nov:
daily. http://www.strepy-thieu.beEnvirons
About 7 km (4 miles) to the
southwest is Parc d’Attractions
Scientifiques, a family-oriented,
interactive museum demon-
strating the concepts of
science and technology. At
Spiennes, 3 km (2 miles) to
the southeast, an extensive
Neolithic flint mine is now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.E Musée du Folklore et
de la Vie Montoise
Rue Neuve 8. Tel (065) 314357.
# Tue–Sun. &
E Maison de Van Gogh
Rue du Pavillon 3, Cuesmes.
Tel (065) 355611. # Tue–Sun. &
E Parc d’Attractions
Scientifiques
Tel (070) 222252. # Thu–Tue.
¢ part of Sep. & http://www.pass.beArches in a curved wing around Grand Hornu’s large oval courtyard