Dinant Belgium Travel Guide
Explore this beautiful city on a day trip from Brussels.
Dinant is one of those picture perfect town in Belgium. Located in the Walloon Region of Belgium it is only a 1 hour drive from Brussels. This makes Dinant the perfect day trip to take when visiting Belgium. Dinant has a magnificent citadel, is located by the river of Meuse and has some amazing castles to sight when visiting.
How to get there?
Belgium has a large railway system which makes it easy to travel to the larger cities by train. If you do not want to worry about finding a parking spot or enjoy a few drinks I highly suggest taking the train for your visit to Dinant.
Average Time by Train from:
Antwerp to Dinant: 2h30min
Charleroi to Dinant: 2hours
Brussels to Dinant: 1h45min
Namur to Dinant: 30min
PRO TIP: If you want to visit more of Belgium by train I highly suggest looking into a Rail Pass (+26y) / Go Pass (-26y). This allows you to take 10 (1-way) journeys to anywhere in Belgium for a lot less.
Another option is by driving to Dinant. This option would allow you to visit some of the other hidden gems in the area a lot easier than taking the local busses. However, finding a place to park can be a challenge especially if you don't want to break the bank. There are a few free parking spots in Dinant but on a sunny day these are quick to fill up so make sure to leave early on your trip to get one of those spots and park for free.
The Highlights of Dinant
There are a few spots when visiting Dinant that you just cannot miss out on. In general the city is very walkable and you can access all of these places by foot. I would suggest going to some of the paid activities first as the waiting lines can get quite long in the afternoon.
La Citadelle de Dinant
The Citadel of Dinant is located on the top of a rock and has some of the most magnificent views of the city. In order to get to the top you can take the cable car to the top. Once arrived you can take a step back and explore the history of the citadel. If you are visiting with kids, there is a playground on the top as well a cafeteria called Les Canons where you can enjoy a beverage or some belgian frites.
If you are interested you can buy a ticket up front or at the desk.
Adult ticket: 11 EUR
Kids (4-12y): 9 EUR
PRO TIP: If you are wanting to visit both the citadel & cable car and enjoy a river cruise you can book a 3 in 1 ticket for 17EUR.
Notre Dame de Dinant
This 13th century church is by far the biggest showstopper of the town. It is located right next to the river Meuse and has a beautiful backdrop of the big rock on which the citadel is located. This area is probably the most instagrammed spot of Dinant and for good reasons the views are amazing.
Saxophones
Did you know that the saxophone was invented in Dinant Belgium? Adolphe Sax started inventing the instrument at age 24 and filed for a patent in 1846. In honor of this you will find multiple saxophones on one of the bridges of the Meuse right in the city center. You can also visit the museum Maison de Monsieur Sax to learn more about Adolphe's life and how he invented the saxophone.
ardennesweb.eu
River Cruise on the Meuse
As mentioned earlier one of the highlights of Dinant is the river cruise on the Meuse. There are 2 options to book a river cruise, either you buy the combination ticket with the citadel or you can book through another 3rd party. I highly suggest going on one of these river cruises as they take you past some of the most incredible sights of the region (including some of the castles). Which is great if you are visiting by train as these are a bit further away from the city.
@Maison du Tourisme Vallee de la Meuse
Castle of Freÿr
This renaissance castle is a must see on your trip to Dinant. I highly suggest visiting the gardens of the castle. It is located about 6km out of the city center so I would recommend driving there if possible. The castle was build in the 16th century and later in the 17th century they added 3 extra wings. The gardens have orangeries, vegetable gardens and some statues as well.
Ticket: 8,5 EUR PP
Abbey of Leffe & Maison Leffe
If you are looking to enjoy a nice Belgian Beer make sure to visit the Abbey of Leffe. Home of one of the most famous beers of Belgium. This beer was first produced at the Abbey back in 1240. The location of the Abbey and Maison Leffe alone are worth visiting. The visit is an interactive tour with a tasting at the end.
Castle of Walzin
Next to the Castle of Freÿr, there is a second castle which I highly recommend you visit: Castle of Walzin. This castle is located near the river the Lesse and was build back in the 13th century. It's unique location near a cliff makes it stand out from others. If you are looking to visit the castle and add a little bit of adventure to your day trip make sure to rent some kayaks and go explore the river Lesse.
Other posts you might like:
The Best Castles of Belgium (coming soon)
PIN THIS POST
