Namur's central position make it easily accesible by car or train. Namur is at the junction of the North-South axis of the E411 and N4 motorways from Luxembourg to Brussels and the E42 from Lille (France) and Charleroi to Liege and Aachen (Germany).

By train, the city is about 50min from Brussels or Liege and about 2 hours from Luxembourg. The Thalys bullet-train links Namur to Paris in 2 hours 30 minutes (two trains per day, both around 7:30am).
 

Floreffe

About 10km/6miles west of Namur lies the village of Floreffe where on a hill stands the great former Premonstratensian abbey, one of the best preserved examples of this order in Belgium. The abbey was founded in 1121 by St Norbert and extended in the 17th and 18th C. to its present size. The French Revolution put a stop to monastic life, but it is continued today in the form of a little seminary. Of the 90m/295ft abbey church only the transepts and sacristy still remain from the initial phase; the interior was restored at the end of the 18th C. by Dewez. Of particular interest are the choirstalls by Peter Enderlin. There are 74 seats richly carved including some with effigies of the founders of the order.

Corroy-le-Chateau

Corroy-le-Château 6km/4mi southwest of Gembloux owes its name to the 13th C. castle, one of the best preserved medieval castles in Belgium. This moated fortification with its massive gate building, drawbridge and seven massive round towers was commissioned by Philipp of Vianden and was part of a defensive ring around Brabant. The 18th C conversions have not had a major effect on the overall appearance.

Musee de Croix

Going south from Saint-Aubain in the direction of the Sambre we come to the Musée de Croix. It is housed in the imposing town palace of the Groesbeck-Croix family which was built in the 18th C. in Louis XV style. In the interior the rooms are decorated in the fashion of the time, including hand-painted wallpaper, and contain magnificent objets d'art such as Chinese porcelain, paintings and sculptures. The kitchen, which has a huge chimney, is full of old household implements.

Church of Saint-Loup

On one side of the Rue du Bruxelles the Rue d'Angle and the Rue de Fer continue. From here there is a turn to the right to the Baroque Church of Saint-Loup, architecturally the most interesting church in Namur because of its stucco facade with 12 Doric pillars. Peter Huyssens designed the plans for the church which was built in 1621-1645; the College of Jesuits which now serves as a grammar school is richly furnished.

Franc-Waret

Near Franc-Waret, 13km/8mi northeast of Namur, stands the imposing castle of the same name dating from the 17th C. but which was considerably extended in the 18th C. in the style of Louis XV. The buildings are grouped around an inner courtyard reached across a drawbridge. During the guided tour visitors see the valuably furnished rooms with beautiful Brussels tapestries, a porcelain collection and Dutch-Flemish paintings. Around the castle extend a 17th C. French garden and an 18th C. English garden.

September - December

December - February -> 0(°C) - Spring
June - August -> 20(°C) - Summer

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