Off the beaten path in Belgium is the capital city of the Hainaut region – Mons. Probably best known for a battle during World War I, now known about only by military history buffs, the city is a short train ride from Brussels.
Known as Bergen in Belgium’s “other” language (Flemish), the city has the usual tourist attractions such as an art museum, a cathedral and even a few parks. By all means stop by the tourist office located in the main square but before you jump back on the train to Brussels do consider the following five recommendations while there.
First of all you should come at the right time of the year, Trinity Sunday weekend, so that you can attend the Ducasse. Known as the “Doudou” by the locals, it’s a festival dating back to the 14th century with the highlight of the whole beer drinking weekend being St. George battling the dragon right there in the main square.
The other highlight is actually the procession of the Car d’Or, or Golden Carriage, which is quite a bizarre but religious carriage decked out with little angels and lots of gold. It’s an interesting looking lump of white and gold on four wheels that carries the relics of the town’s patron Saint Waudru.
To be quite honest with you, you most likely will not be able to see the carriage on the day of the event due to the thousands of drunk and several sober locals and tourists tripping through the town. So for number two on your list should be to go and see this contraption up at Collegiate Church of Saint Waudru. It is parked right inside this cathedral sized church the other 364 days of the year.
Your third mission is to rub the head of the little monkey! Yes, Mons has a little monkey and he is located on the left side of the entrance to the Mons town hall. Brussels has a little boy peeing and Mons has a little brass monkey as it’s mascot. Rubbing the little brass head with your left hand is said to bring good luck. It’s worth a try!
Number four would be to visit the Mundaneum. There is nothing mundane about this place which is on the rue de Nimy, just about 20 yards from the main square. You can actually say that the Mundaneum is a forerunner to the internet. The project was the brain child of a pair of Belgian lawyers who wanted to gather all of the world’s knowledge and have it accessible in one place. Actually the dream of Paul Otlet, one of the lawyers, was that one day all this information could be accessed by everybody from the comfort of their own homes. The project began back in 1910; so the man was truly a visionary. The building also hosts exhibitions and the one currently running is all about Shanghai, China.
And last but by no means least, since you’re in Belgium, you must get yourself a giant portion of the Belgian nations dish – pommes frites, a.ka., French fries. There is an excellent friterie (where frites are sold) right there in the main square adjacent to McDonald’s. Yes, there is a McDonalds in this sleepy city but look the other way and order the frites instead. Of course they wouldn’t taste right without a blob of mayonnaise thrown on them and washed down by a can of Belgian beer.
Sure, Mons is not exactly a tourist hub, but it’s worth the short trip from the capital city. You might even fall in love with the place.
