Dinant Travel Guide

The Dinant Citadel perches on a cliff more than 100 metres above the River Meuse, towering over the town that gave the world Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone. First built in the 11th century and largely rebuilt in the 19th, the fortress now houses a museum of weapons and uniforms and recalls the 1914 massacre of Dininat in the First World War. Climb the 408 steps or take the cable car up for the classic panorama of the Meuse winding through the valley, with the town's collegiate church spire below — one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the Belgian Ardennes.

The Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame de Dinant stands beneath the cliffs on the bank of the Meuse. Built from the 13th century, its defining feature is the unique pear-shaped tower: the original spire was toppled by lightning, and the 1924 restoration by architect Jules Van Ysendyck clad the bulbous lantern in copper tiles, unmistakable when viewed across the river beneath the citadel — Dinant's classic postcard. Inside are precious copper reliquaries and liturgical objects, and stained glass that glows in afternoon light. Dinant is also the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone; his statue graces the bridge in front of the church, where music and faith shape the town's character.

The Maison du Patrimoine Médiéval Mosan (MPMM) is a museum in Bouvignes, near Dinant in Belgium, housed in a historic building known as the Maison Espagnole. Dedicated to the medieval art and architecture of the Meuse valley, it uses models, multimedia and archaeological finds to tell the story of the valley's castles, churches and town life in the Middle Ages.