A Guide to the Best Things to do in Dinant, Belgium

Last Updated on 29th February 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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Thanks to a juxtaposition of pastel hued houses and an iconic Gothic church topped with an onion dome set against the backdrop of a sheer rock face crowned with a citadel, Dinant is often said to be the most picturesque town in Belgium. Easy to visit as a day trip from Luxembourg, Brussels or Namur, here’s your guide to the best things to do in Dinant, as well as what to know before you go.

Dinant has been on my Europe bucket list for the longest time, and for good reason. The charming town is home to countless amazing perspectives, some pretty interesting history, and is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of big city life.

What is Dinant known for?

Dinant is located a short ride away from Namur, the capital of Wallonia, which is the French speaking portion of Belgium. Belgium is divided into two distinctive parts; Flanders which speaks Flemish (a dialect of Dutch) and Wallonia which speaks French.

The town of Dinant itself is located not far from the border with Luxembourg and is most famous for being the birthplace of the saxophone. After all, it was here in Dinant where Adolphe Sax developed the instrument in the 19th-century and today there are reminders of this all over the town.

As well as saxophone statues, there are saxophone inspired beers, chocolates, and even a museum dedicated to the musical instrument so you can even pick up Saxophone-inspired souvenirs to bring home as a memory of your trip.

Dinant is also famous thanks to how picturesque it is! Each year, thousands of visitors descend on the town in order to snap photos of the bulb-shaped dome of the church and learn about the complex history of the citadel which is perched precariously on the rocky outcrop overshadowing the town below it.

Things to do in Dinant

Charles de Gaulle statue

Just down the road from the Dinant tourist office and just before the saxophone bridge, you’ll find a life sized statue of Charles de Gaulle. This has actually been erected close to the place where de Gaulle was wounded in World War One.

Dinant Citadel

One of the main attractions in Dinant is hard to miss thanks to the fact that it is perched high above the rest of the town. Dinant Citadel is easily accessible from the city centre thanks to a cable car which takes visitors from the centre of the town (right next to the Collegiate church) all the way to the top of the mountain.

I’m a bit scared of heights but found that the journey was over before we even knew we had departed as it literally takes less than a minute. There are a few things to do at the Citadel itself.

As well as admiring the view (be sure to bring a camera as it is really picturesque), you can see various exhibitions detailing the history of Dinant during WWI, experience what it’s like to be in a bombed out WWI bunker, and various other exhibits about the history of the town and its surroundings.

There are 408 steps to reach the citadel if you don’t decide to take the cable car. Rather confusingly, it costs exactly the same price whether you opt to take the cable car or walk.

Therefore, we opted to get the cable car up and climb the stairs back down as it was certainly less work that way- plus the views were pretty incredible!

Collegiate church of Dinant

The main church of Dinant is an imposing masterpiece topped with an onion shaped dome. Free to visit, the church dates back to the 13th-century and is dedicated to Our Lady.

The church was built on the site of a former 10th-century place of worship which unfortunately collapsed in 1228, leaving nothing but the north door.

Wander inside today and you’ll find a whole treasure trove of stained glass windows, magnificent altar pieces, and ornate stone carvings. Of particular note about the church is the pear-shaped bell tower, which is best seen from the citadel above.

Saxophone Museum

There’s a small museum in the town which presents information about the history of the saxophone. It’s a small museum comprising of just a few rooms and so you won’t need too much time to visit! Directly outside of the museum, there’s a bench where you can take a photo together with a life-sized statue of Adolphe Sax.

Saxophone sculptures

Thanks to its status as the birthplace of the saxophone, there’s no shortage of saxophone sculptures all around the town. One of the key spots to enjoy gigantic saxophone sculptures is on the Charles de Gaulle bridge (it’s on the main way to the town centre from the train station and so pretty much impossible to miss).

Another spot you can head to is a larger than life sized replica of a saxophone at Rue Saint-Jacques 13, 5500 Dinant, Belgium. This sculpture is meant to honour the life of Adolphe Sax and is located just a couple of minutes walk from the museum.

Stroll around the town

Truth be told, as with many medieval towns in Europe, one of the greatest joys of a visit to Dinant is simply strolling around the town and allowing Dinant to reveal itself to you.

It’s pretty much impossible to get lost as there’s only a couple of streets in town. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes as cobblestones are abundant and, if you want to walk down from the citadel, you’ll be thankful to be in shoes which have a good grip!

Discover Maison Leffe

Set against the backdrop of a former monastery, Maison Leffe is located around a fifteen minute walk from the centre of Dinant. As there is an optional beer tasting involved, I recommend doing this stop of the day last!

There are a few different parts to the museum, as well as a few ticket types. As well as the simple ticket, which is just to visit the museum and taste one of the Leffe beers, there’s a slightly more expensive ticket which gives you a Leffe souvenir glass and an extra beer at the end of your visit.

Go on a boat ride along the river Meuse

If you’re looking for one of the most relaxing things to do in Dinant, this is it. For a couple of euros extra on top of your citadel ticket, you can opt to go on a boat cruise. Boat cruises glide along the Meuse and last for around 45 minutes, allowing you to discover Dinant and the wider area from a new perspective.

Getting to Dinant

The easiest way to get to Dinant is by train. Unfortunately, there are no trains directly from Brussels. As such, you’ll have to take a train to Namur (the capital of Wallonia and a good place to base yourself if you want to discover the region by car- check out our comparison of Dinant and Namur here) and then a further train to Dinant.

The train takes around half an hour between Namur and Dinant and trains run every half an hour or so between the two cities throughout the day. As you can see it was a bit under construction during our visit but was easy to navigate nonetheless.

Alternatively, you can rent a car to explore Belgium and almost every smaller town and city (with the exception of Bruges, Brussels, and Antwerp) have plenty of parking. Check car rental comparison prices here.

How long do you need in Dinant?

Thanks to its compact size and the fact that you can easily get around the town on foot (so be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes), it’s quite possible to get around Dinant in the course of three or four hours. I personally spent a long afternoon in the town and found that to be sufficient.

Together with a friend, I arrived in Dinant just before lunch. We then explored the church before ascending to the citadel on the cable car. Then we had a quick lunch in a local café before seeing the saxophone museum and strolling along the banks of the river Meuse.

We finished up our day in Dinant by walking to Maison Leffe, which is around a ten minute walk uphill from the centre of town. Ending our time in Dinant by learning about the local beer and sampling some for ourselves while overlooking the city laid out below was the perfect ending to a great day out.

If you’re looking for more Belgium inspiration, be sure to check out our suggested Belgium itinerary, where we recommend spending some time in Dinant. Otherwise check out the best hidden gems of Belgium and our best Belgium travel tips.

Dinant information

The first place you’ll want to head to upon arrival is the tourist office. There’s a Dinant tourist information office on the opposite side of the Meuse to the church where you can pick up free maps and leaflets about the history of the town.

This is also a great spot to purchase local souvenirs. Outside the tourist information office there’s a larger than life Dinant sign that you can snap photos of yourself with the sign or simply just the beautiful backdrop of the town itself.

Where to stay in Dinant

If you have a little more time to spare and wish to stay overnight in Dinant so as to head out to one of the bars without the crowds of the day or simply see the city without the day trippers, then there are a few accommodation options to suit a wide array of needs and budgets. Here are some of the best places to stay in Dinant:

La Merveilleuse by Infiniti Resorts: Set against the backdrop of a 17th-century former convent, this hotel overlooks the river Meuse and boasts amenities such as  an indoor pool with water jets, as well as a sauna and a steam room. Check prices and availability here.

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