CENTRAL WALLONIA 205

ADOLPHE SAX

Dinant was the birthplace of one of the

most successful and innovative inven-

tors of musical instruments of all time,

Adolphe Sax (1814–94). He followed

his father’s profession as an instrument

maker and musician, moving perma-

nently to Paris in 1841. He is said to

have been working on a kind

of keyed bugle called the

ophicleide when he hit upon

the idea of combining this with the

single-reed mouthpiece of a clarinet. The saxophone

was born, and in 1846, it was patented in seven regis-

ters, from contrabass to sopranino. With its conical

metal bore and set of keys to operate the valves,

it could produce just the kind of volume and

expression demanded by opera orchestras, mili-

tary bands and music halls. It later turned out

to be a perfect instrument for jazz. Adolphe

Sax did not stop there – he also invented

the saxhorn (a family of valved bugles)

and a number of other, less successful,

instruments, including the saxtuba

and saxotromba, and a trombone

with seven tubes and bells.

pinnacle of rock, which

marks the most westerly point

reached by German troops in

the Ardennes Offensive (see

p231). The name, however,

comes from the legend of the

rock’s creation, supposedly by

the hoof of the mighty steed

Bayard (see p139).

Dinant is famous for its hard,

sculptured honey-based bis-

cuits called couques de Dinant,

which are used as much for

decoration as eating. The town

is also the home of the famous

abbey beer Leffe. Opposite

the old Abbaye de Leffe is its

brewery museum, called the

Musée de la Leffe.

Quays beside the Avenue

Winston Churchill are the

departure point for cruises on

Dinant e

23 km (14 miles) S of Namur. Road
Map D3. * 13,000. £ @ 4
n Avenue Cadoux, 8; (082)

222870. http://www.dinant-tourisme.be

The small town of Dinant has
one of the most beguiling and
distinctive settings in Belgium.
Standing on the east bank of
the River Meuse, it clusters
around the black onion dome
of a Gothic church and under
the shadow of a fortress on an
escarpment above. Dinant was
occupied by the Romans and
valued for its commanding
position on the navigable River
Meuse. It became prosperous
in the Middle Ages as a centre
for metal-working, earning
an international reputation for
ornately decorated copper-
ware and brassware known
as dinanderie.
Dominating the town is the
church Collégiale Notre-Dame
whose interior contains two
paintings by the Dinant-born,
macabre-Romantic painter
Antoine Wiertz (1806–65).
The Place Reine Astrid, just
to the south of the church, is
the departure station for the
téléphérique (cable car) to the
Citadelle, which is also acces-
sible to walkers via 408 steps.
In 1466, Charles the Bold,
Duke of Burgundy, sacked the
town, after which the Citadelle
was rebuilt and reinforced in
an effort to prevent such
invasions. More changes were
made over the centuries and
the Citadelle is now primarily
19th-century, and offers
glorious views over the Meuse.
Its military museum recalls the
conflicts that took a heavy toll
on Dinant, notably in the two
World Wars. About 1 km (half
a mile) to the south of the
town is the Rocher Bayard, a

Adolphe Sax, famed

Belgian innovator

Triple Moine, Saison Régal
and the wheat beer Blanche
de Namur. Guided tours show
visitors the old copper brew-
ing vessels and the various
stages of production, and
end with a tasting. Nearby,
Spontin, also in the Bocq val-
ley, is famous for its mineral
water as well as a fairytale
medieval château, but this is
no longer open to the public.

the River Meuse. On its west

bank, 500 m (547 yards) west

of the bridge, is the Grotte la

Merveilleuse, one of Belgium’s

best caves for stalactites.

P Citadelle

Place Reine Astrid 3-5 (cable car

and ticket office). Tel (082) 223670.

# Apr–Oct: daily; Nov–Dec and

Feb–Mar: Sat–Thu; Jan: Sat and Sun.

& 8 summer only. - http://www.

citadellededinant.be

E Musée de la Leffe

R du Moulin 18. Tel (082) 647583.

# Jul–Aug: Fri–Sun; Apr–Jun and

Sep–Oct: Sat and Sun. & =

http://www.breweryvisits.com

T Grotte la Merveilleuse

Route de Philippeville 142. Tel (082)

222210. 
        

        Apr–Oct daily; Nov–

        
        

        Mar: school holidays. & 8

        
        

A river cruise boat passing beneath a bridge on the River Meuse at Dinant

The saxophone, Sax’s

best-known creation