After
a visit of the Cathedral of Tournai, one can enjoy the other beauties
from the past of this special city. Standing close to the cathedral is
the BELFRY tower, which is the oldest of its kind in Belgium (72 m
high and built in 1187). In most medieval cities of Belgium a Belfry
tower can be seen. These towers contained treasure rooms in which the
important documents of the city were preserved. They also fulfilled
the function of watchtowers to control the city. Around the
Grand'Place (or Market square) several beautiful facades can be seen
(most of them were renovated after the destruction during the Second
World War. One of these facades belongs to the old CLOTH HALL,
medieval centree of the very important cloth trade.
Tournai
boasts several medieval churches. To name but a few: the SAINT QUENTIN
church, the SAINT-JACQUES church and the SAINTE MARGUERITE church.
Different
museums can be visited here. The most important one is the MUSEUM OF
FINE ARTS (Musée des Beaux Arts) designed by the leading Belgian Art
Nouveau architect Victor Horta at the beginning of the 20th century.
It was built to house the private painting collection of the Brussels
trader Henri Van Cutsem. Especially 19th and 20th century
painting is well represented (amongst others with work from Edouard
Manet). Other important museums are : the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY,
the MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE ARTS and the MUSEUM OF TAPESTRY AND CLOTH ART
(Tournai was, together with Brussels, one of the leading cities for
wall tapestry weaving between the 16th and 18th century).
On
the right bank of the river Scheldt lies the SAINT-BRICE area where
several buildings in Romanesque style, from the beginning of Tournai's
history, can be seen. First of all, the SAINT BRICTIUS church, close
to which the tomb of Childerik, father of Clovis (both Merovingian
kings) was discovered in 1653. A visit to the ROMANESQUE HOUSES
is also a must. These houses rank among the oldest examples of
house-building for the richer citizens in Europe. Close-by is the
famous PONT -DES-TROUS, a bridge which was part of the 13th century
city walls around Tournai. The Bridge spans the river Scheldt.
At the Place Verte a round tower (GROSSE TOUR) remembers the days when
Henry VIII of England occupied the city. It was also a part of the
fortifications around the city and built in the 16th century.
After
a visit of the Cathedral of Tournai, one can enjoy the other beauties
from the past of this special city. Standing close to the cathedral is
the BELFRY tower, which is the oldest of its kind in Belgium (72 m
high and built in 1187). In most medieval cities of Belgium a Belfry
tower can be seen. These towers contained treasure rooms in which the
important documents of the city were preserved. They also fulfilled
the function of watchtowers to control the city. Around the
Grand'Place (or Market square) several beautiful facades can be seen
(most of them were renovated after the destruction during the Second
World War. One of these facades belongs to the old CLOTH HALL,
medieval cent
Different
museums can be visited here. The most important one is the MUSEUM OF
FINE ARTS (Musée des Beaux Arts) designed by the leading Belgian Art
Nouveau architect Victor Horta at the beginning of the 20th century.
It was built to house the private painting collection of the Brussels
trader Henri Van Cutsem. Especially 19th and 20th century
painting is well represented (amongst others with work from Edouard
Manet). Other important museums are : the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY,
the MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE ARTS and the MUSEUM OF TAPESTRY AND CLOTH ART
(Tournai was, together with Brussels, one of the leading cities for
wall tapestry weaving between the 16th and 18th century).
On
the right bank of the river Scheldt lies the SAINT-BRICE area where
several buildings in Romanesque style, from the beginning of Tournai's
history, can be seen. First of all, the SAINT BRICTIUS church, close
to which the tomb of Childerik, father of Clovis (both Merovingian
kings) was discovered in 1653. A visit to the ROMANESQUE 
HOUSES
is also a must. These houses rank among the oldest examples of
house