Mons, the hidden jewel of Wallonia

It is nine o'clock, Saturday morning and you are in the train to Ostende. You barely can walk, all the seats are taken; the train is full of tourists that will get out in Brugges. Once you arrive, you and many others will walk from the train station to central Brugges; some people might walk fast to avoid the cues others will take a low pace, trying to enjoy the city. This scene repeats almost every weekend in Belgium. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you have already been to Brugges and Ghent, I propose you to take an alternative path and discover a quaint small town in Wallonia: Mons. 

It takes 51 minutes to arrive to Mons from Bruxelles Central almost at the same distance from Brugges (one hour) but both cities are very different. Mons does not have the channels of Brugges but if you are looking for something different and special, Mons is a good choice. It has a Belfry (in the picture) classified as a World Heritage Site; a couple of good museums (decorative and painting), a charming mini "Grand Place" one magnificent church and nearby a mining facility also classified as a world heritage by the UNESCO. 

In my opinion, the main attraction of Mons is the Sainte-Waudru church. It is a Gothic masterpiece with many treasures inside. I have two favorite objects inside the church. One of them is a beautiful golden carriage that apparently is used once in a year for a procession. In addition to the altarpieces, statues, stained glasses and liturgical objects there is this weird painting; extremely modern and it looks like a "Gorillaz" work of art. This picture is hidden in one of the Chapels so you better pay attention!

This strange picture is inside the church, very surrealist representation of the crucifixion of Christ, eh? 

If you do not have a car and want a little adventure I recommend to visit by bus "Le Grand Hornu" a former mining complex near Mons. You can take the bus 7 from the train station to this complex but you need first to confirm the bus schedule at Infotec. It is a Unesco World Heritage because "Le Grand Hornu" was a site where new ideas for mining were tested and workers lived in conditions that were considered luxuries by the time the mining facility was built. Today, le Grand Hornu has the contemporary art collection of the French speaking community of Belgium. The area is beautiful and surprisingly empty. (I was alone most of the time). When I visited the museum, they had a temporary exhibition about Alver Aalto Lamps and retrospective of the best  contemporary art exhibited by this institution. The complex has also a nice restaurant.

Mons is a hidden gem to be discovered. The city has many restaurants to choose from and the traditional Belgian specialties are as always delicious (good beer, gauffres, frites etc.) Mons is a fun and different daytrip from Bruxelles which you can enjoy calmly without the frenzy of other destinations.