Easy hikes and walks around Mons

The collegiate church of Saint Waltrudis in Mons is a church built in the Brabantine Gothic style, dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Waltrudis. The first stone of the church, originally designed by the architect Jan Spijkens, was laid in the year 1450 by order of the chapter of Saint Waltrudis. From 1457, the management of the work that had just begun was entrusted to Matthijs de Layens, who was inspired by the Saint Peter's Church in Leuven. Work continued until 1686, but the stylistic unity of the building did not suffer. With its 16th-century stained glass windows and the famous Car d'or, a richly decorated, gilded ceremonial carriage from 1780, containing the reliquary of Saint Waltrudis, which is driven through the city in procession every year during the Doudou, the interior of the church is particularly remarkable. In the 16th century, the church gained a remarkable work of art: an alabaster rood screen decorated with Renaissance sculptures by the local artist Jacques Dubrœucq. The screen itself was destroyed during the French Revolution in 1797, but some statues and bas-reliefs were recovered and are displayed here and there in the choir, the transept, and the side chapels.

The Church of Our Lady of Messines: a place of devotion and history The Church of Our Lady of Messines, in the heart of the city, is a place rich in history and traditions. Originally dedicated to Saint Nicholas, it became an important place of pilgrimage in the 17th century thanks to the growing devotion to the Virgin Mary. Discover the evolution of this church through the centuries, from its medieval foundation to its central role in the festivities of the ducasse of Messines. The Church of Our Lady of Messines was originally known as the church of Saint Nicholas in Bertaimont. First dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of merchants, the church was later named Our Lady of Messines due to the growing devotion to the Holy Virgin since the beginning of the 17th century. The real beginning of the church's history lies in the placement of a painting of the Holy Virgin in the cemetery around the building. This place quickly became an important place of pilgrimage, where many believers came because miracles were attributed to the site. In 1622, the painting was moved to the main altar. However, the history of the church and the parish of Our Lady of Messines dates back to the 12th century, when a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas was founded on what is today the rue du Trieu. In the 13th century, the parish of Saint Nicholas in Bertaimont was first established outside the city walls, and later within the city walls. The current church, the former church of the Recollects, is located on the rue de Bertaimont. Every year, the ducasse of Messines is celebrated on the Sunday closest to March 25th. Originally a pilgrimage festival, it is now one of the most popular patron saint days of the city. Today, this flower festival lasts a whole week and attracts many visitors.

The construction of the new train station in Bergen is a long story with many episodes. The year is 2004: the original plan provides for a refurbishment of the existing station building by the modernist architect René Panis, a footbridge over the railway tracks connecting the city center with a nearby shopping center and providing access to the platforms, a roof over the platforms, and a parking lot for commuters. The NMBS provides a budget of 37 million euros. The railway company launches a competition. The plans for a refurbishment of the station building 'mature' and change gradually. After much discussion between all parties involved, a jury led by Elio Di Rupo (PS), Walloon Minister-President and mayor of Bergen, chooses the design of the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. He is not only an architect, but also an artist. He is also notorious for his projects that are often much more expensive than planned. Delay The target date for the new station is 2015, the year in which Bergen is the European Capital of Culture. There is therefore some prestige involved in the project. The plans for the new train station are being redrawn. The footbridge over the railway tracks has become a brand-new station building above the tracks, the new design provides multimodal transfer options between the train and city and regional transport, and the parking lot has become a covered parking garage. The modernist station building from the 1950s is being demolished, despite protests. Work on the new building is delayed. Thanks to the bankruptcy of one of the contractors and conflicts with subcontractors. The construction site is regularly at a standstill and the target date of 2015 turns out not to be possible. Meanwhile, the bill is rising: in 2011 to 222 million euros, in 2021 to 289 million, and today to 480 million. That figure is, by the way, not yet final.

possibility of eating or having a drink on the terraces of the pool restaurant

Brasserie open on weekends.

Baroque bell tower from 1672 UNESCO heritage

https://www.mons.be/fr/ma-commune/mons-et-son-histoire/patrimoine-exceptionnel/patrimoine-civil/beffroi

Some other impressive testimonies to the artistic work of Jaume PLENSA (born 1955) can be found in the following places and are also documented here in the komoot system as hiking highlights: => “Laurelle” in Bonn (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/6685486 => “Seele?” in Erkrath (Mettmann district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/4183261 => “Love” in Leeuwarden (Friesland, Netherlands) see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/3906357 => “Lou” in Caen (Normandy, France) see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/5933145 => “Sanna” in Bordeaux (New Aquitaine, France) see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/5784432 => “Julia” in Madrid (Spain) see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/6131314 The following two groups of figures by the artist offer a different perspective: => “Air-Earth” in Bamberg (Bavaria, Germany) see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/2559580 => “Seven Poets” in Andorra la Vella (Andorra) see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/4741064