This is your destination guide for Belgium.
This is your destination guide for Belgian Ardennes – Durbuy & Dinant
📍 Part of BelgiumA citadel town on the Meuse, the self-styled smallest town in the world on the Ourthe, and two rivers you paddle down.
The reality: You come out of Dinant station, cross the bridge, and the whole town is right there in one picture: a church with an onion-shaped spire jammed against a grey cliff, a fortress on top, and the Meuse sliding past. Then you notice the bridge is lined with giant painted saxophones. That's Dinant, and it takes itself a little less seriously than its fortress suggests.
An hour east, Durbuy is the other half of the trip. A tiny walled-in knot of stone lanes on the Ourthe, with city rights since 1331 and a straight-faced claim to be the smallest town in the world. Between the two: forest, castles on rocks, caves, Trappist abbeys and two rivers — the Lesse and the Ourthe — that you can kayak down.
None of this is a secret to Belgians or the Dutch, who come here every weekend. Most visitors from further away stick to Bruges and Brussels. Come midweek, bring walking shoes, and plan on at least two nights — one in each.
Dinant is squeezed into a narrow strip between the river and a limestone cliff. Everything worth seeing is either on the water, on the cliff, or stuck to the cliff.
Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame — the church in every photo of Dinant, wedged between the cliff and the Meuse at the foot of the citadel. Its bulb-shaped spire was added in 1556.
The Citadel — the first fortress here dates from 1051; what you see today was built during the Dutch period, between 1818 and 1821. The way up is a staircase of 408 steps that starts next to the church. The cable car is out of service while it waits for a major renovation — the citadel itself stays open.
Maison de Monsieur Sax — Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Dinant in 1814. A small, free interpretive centre at 37 Rue Sax stands on the spot where he was born.
The saxophone bridge — the Charles de Gaulle bridge carries 28 painted saxophones, one for each EU country, each in front of its flag. Silly, yes. You'll still photograph all of them.
Rocher Bayard — a 35-metre rock needle on the Meuse between Dinant and Anseremme. Legend says the horse Bayard, fleeing with the four Aymon brothers, split it from the cliff with one last kick. The road squeezes through the gap.
Château de Freÿr — a few kilometres upriver, a château with 18th-century French-style terraced gardens on the riverbank. Across the water, the Rochers de Freÿr have more than 600 climbing routes.
23 August 1914 — German troops killed 674 civilians in Dinant. The memorials in town are worth five quiet minutes.
Durbuy is less a town than a few cobbled lanes on a bend of the Ourthe. You can walk all of it in twenty minutes. The trick is to still be there after the day-trippers leave.
The old town — John I, Count of Luxembourg, granted Durbuy city rights in 1331, which is how a village this size gets to call itself the smallest town in the world. Grey stone, slate roofs, flower boxes, and restaurants in almost every second house.
The castle — the château of the Counts d'Ursel rises over the river. It isn't open to the public; the best view is from the opposite bank near the bridge.
La Falize — a wall of limestone folded into an arch, an anticline, around 300 million years old. A geology lesson you can understand without reading the sign.
Parc des Topiaires — more than 250 box trees clipped into animals, people and odd shapes. It sounds twee and it is. It's also funnier than you'd expect.
Wéris — a short drive from Durbuy, a village surrounded by two covered-alley dolmens and five menhir sites. The Maison des Mégalithes in the village is a small museum, tourist office and café in one. Rent a bike and connect the stones.
The Coucke question — businessman Marc Coucke has bought adventure businesses, restaurants, buildings and campsites in and around Durbuy. Supporters point to the jobs; critics talk about a theme park. Ask a local and you'll get an opinion.
For people who like moving without turning a holiday into a training camp.
The Ardennes isn't high, but it's steep where the rivers have cut through it. That gives you paddling, climbing, caves and forest walks within a short drive of both towns.
Ardennes food is forest food: ham, game, cheese and beer from abbeys. It's built for people who just paddled 21 kilometres.
Jambon d'Ardenne — Ardennes ham, protected by an EU geographical indication since 1996. Eat it sliced thin with bread and a beer.
Game in autumn — when the hunting season starts, local inns cook game from the forest. This is the time to come hungry.
Couque de Dinant — a biscuit of only honey and wheat flour, pressed into carved wooden moulds. It's hard. Break off a piece and let it soften in your mouth; don't bite.
Leffe — the name comes from the abbey of Leffe in Dinant, founded as a priory in 1152. A museum there tells the abbey's story. The beer itself is produced by AB InBev these days — drink it anyway, with the view.
Rochefort — Trappist beer brewed at the Abbey of Saint-Rémy in Rochefort, next door to Han-sur-Lesse. The abbey is closed to visitors; the beer is in every café.
May to September — the best time. The kayak season is on, the evenings are long, and the river terraces are open.
July and August — school holidays. Kayaks, adventure parks and Durbuy's restaurants fill up, especially at weekends. Book ahead.
October — forest colours and game on the menu. The Lesse kayaks run until the end of the month.
November to March — quiet, grey and cheaper. Fine for a cosy weekend in Durbuy; not the time for the rivers.
By train to Dinant — there's a direct train from Brussels that takes about 1 h 25. From Namur it's about 30 minutes, with trains all day. Dinant itself is walkable.
Durbuy — the nearest station is Barvaux, also part of Durbuy municipality, on the line between Liège and Marloie. From there you need a taxi, a bike or a kayak.
A car makes it easy — Dinant to Durbuy is about 45 km, under an hour on country roads. The castles, caves, megaliths and kayak starts are all spread out, and buses between them are thin. Brussels to Dinant is a little over an hour by car.
Compare rental cars →Split the trip: one or two nights in each place. They're close enough to day-trip, but the best hours in Durbuy are the evening ones.
Dinant — for the train, the citadel and the Lesse kayaks. Hotels along the Meuse; ask for a river view.
Anseremme — just upriver, where the Lesse meets the Meuse. Quieter, and the kayak descent ends at your door.
Durbuy old town — small hotels above restaurants. Book early for weekends.
Around Durbuy — holiday homes and glamping in the villages and valleys around town, best with a car.
Belgium isn't cheap, and Durbuy charges a little extra for being pretty. Dinant is easier on the wallet.
Approximate prices in euros, based on Numbeo's averages for Belgium. Tourist spots in Durbuy and on the Dinant riverfront can charge more.
Go if you want Belgium with a river under you — a fortress, a kayak, abbey beer and a tiny stone town after the crowds leave. Skip if you need sunshine on order, big mountains, or a quiet Saturday in July.
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