4 Best Sights in Mons, Western Wallonia

Ste. Waudru (Waltrude) is the patron saint of the city, and was known for her kindness to the poor. Her pageant is a key moment in the yearly Ducasse of Mons, where a lavish procession wheeling the Car d'Or, a gilded chariot carrying the reliquary of her remains, is pushed from the church into the town center and back. The rest of the year, the chariot and relics lie in this magnificent 15th-century Brabant-Gothic church, founded by the canonesses of Mons. Inside, it now has 29 chapels filled with artworks as well as a magnificent organ made in 1694.

Around 12 km (7½ miles) east of Mons, the Borinage yields one of its grandest visions. Many of the industrialists of the late-18th and 19th centuries built accommodation for their workers. These were typically squalid, pragmatic affairs, but the Grand-Hornu was different. It was the dream child of the French industrialist Henri de Gorge (1774–1832), who created a vast neoclassical hub for his workers in 1810. Its 450 homes were spacious, had hot water, and the facilities were plentiful. Workers had access to a school, clinic, dance hall, and library. In 1829, some 2,500 people lived here, but by 1954, the local mines had closed and the site was abandoned. It has since been restored and is now home to an acclaimed contemporary art museum, yet it's worth visiting just to see the grounds, encircled by redbrick arches like some industrial colosseum. This remains a curious anachronism, out of step with what was mostly a dehumanizing era for workers, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012.

This superb museum, set in an old water pumping station, views the history of Mons through the lens of the many battles fought over the city. You can't miss the M4 Sherman tank parked outside, with the words "In the mood" scrawled across its hull. It commemorates the day Allied forces rolled into town in 1944, when Mons became the first Belgium city to be liberated from German occupation in World War II. Certainly, for the past 500 years, Europe has been very much "in the mood" to fight over Mons. The museum chronicles this in dramatic detail, though the most engaging displays come from the 20th-century conflicts, where weapons, uniforms, memorabilia, and even VR experiences (there is a thrilling 360-degree re-creation of liberation day) immerse you in one of the darkest times in European history. 

This UNESCO-recognized endeavor tells a little-known story. At the dawn of the 20th century, a pair of human-rights lawyers, Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine (Belgium's only Nobel Peace Prize winner), had the idea for a paper database of all knowledge. They called it the Mundaneum. By 1972 it held 12 million bibliographic records (index cards). The building is now a fascinating museum.