In front of Mons town hall, a small wrought-iron monkey holds its head out to passers-by. Tradition says that stroking it with your left hand brings a year of happiness. The gesture, repeated for generations, has polished the metal until it shines — and it sums up the spirit of this Hainaut city well: here, history isn't viewed behind glass, it is touched.

From the Grand Large to the Historic Heart

Boats travelling the Walloon canals stop at the Grand Large basin, a recreational body of water connected to the Canal du Centre, on the outskirts of the city. The centre can be reached in a few minutes by taxi or bus, or on foot for good walkers. The climb to the main square is gentle, along cobbled streets that set the tone: Mons is built on a hill, and every turn reveals a bell tower or a gable.

The Grand-Place and the Belfry

Cafés and façades from the 15th to the 18th centuries frame the Grand-Place, where the Gothic town hall — and its famous monkey — holds pride of place. Climbing farther, you reach the top of the hill, where the belfry rises 87 metres, the only Baroque belfry in Belgium and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its carillon marks the rhythm of the day for the people of Mons, and the garden surrounding it opens onto a panorama over slate roofs and the Borinage countryside.

Sainte-Waudru and the Doudou

A few streets below, the Collegiate Church of Sainte-Waudru impresses with its scale: a 15th-century Gothic nave, luminous stained glass and sculptures by Jacques Du Broeucq. It houses the Car d'Or, the golden carriage that carries the saint's relics every year on Trinity Sunday during the Ducasse — the Doudou, a festival recognized by UNESCO in which Saint George battles the dragon before a jubilant crowd. Even outside the festivities, the church treasury is worth the detour.

Van Gogh and the Boat Lifts

Depending on the time available, two excursions extend your discovery. In Cuesmes, a small brick house recalls that Vincent van Gogh lived in the region in 1879 and 1880, preaching to the miners of the Borinage; it was here that he decided to become a painter. In the other direction, the Canal du Centre lines up its four 19th-century hydraulic boat lifts, listed by UNESCO, and their giant successor at Strépy-Thieu, which raises barges 73 metres in a single movement. Several river itineraries pass through it on board: the spectacular crossing takes just a few minutes.

Museums and Curiosities

The city also cherishes its collections. The BAM, the fine arts museum on Rue Neuve, alternates major exhibitions with more intimate displays. Two streets away, the Mundaneum preserves the astonishing project of two early-20th-century visionaries who dreamed of classifying all the world's knowledge on paper index cards — millions of cards, still there, lined up in their drawer cabinets. The place is sometimes nicknamed "the paper Google," and the description is well deserved. These stops fit easily between the collegiate church and the belfry, all within a very small area.

Port Essentials

Heading Back Down to the Water

As you leave the hill, you take a last look at the belfry rising above the rooftops. Mons will have shown its two faces: the stone city that cherishes its dragon and its golden carriage, and the land of water and coal that saw the birth of a painter and of extraordinary machines. The monkey, for its part, is already waiting for the next left hand.