BE
Dinant
An onion-domed church below a clifftop citadel on the Meuse, birthplace of the saxophone
An onion-domed church below a clifftop citadel on the Meuse, birthplace of the saxophone
The Gothic church, with its bulbous onion dome and lantern, sits right at the foot of the cliff. Inside, look for the large stained-glass window.
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0
Reach the citadel by cable car or by climbing 408 steps cut into the rock. It has a museum on its military history and the best views over the town and the Meuse.
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0
This tall rock needle beside the road south of the centre is linked to the legend of the horse Bayard, said to have split it with its hoof.
Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Colourful giant saxophones line the bridge over the Meuse in honour of Adolphe Sax. The Maison de Monsieur Sax, on the street where he was born, tells his story. Boat trips run on the river in season.
Photo: Superbass, CC BY-SA 4.0
The abbey of Notre-Dame de Leffe gave its name to the famous beer. A museum in town explains the history of Leffe.
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0
Try couques de Dinant, very hard honey biscuits pressed into decorative moulds (bite carefully, or let them soften in your mouth), and pair a meal of Ardennes ham, trout or game with a Leffe or other Belgian beer.
Restaurants and terraces line the riverbank, especially popular on summer evenings.
Trains from Brussels take about one and a half hours, usually changing at Namur. By car, Dinant is around 1 hour 15 minutes from Brussels.
The town is walkable. For kayaking on the Lesse, operators run buses to the start point and you paddle back towards Anseremme.
Belgium uses the euro.
The steps to the citadel and the riverside are free.
One day covers the town; a second allows kayaking on the Lesse.
Visit the Collegiate Church, climb or ride up to the citadel, see the saxophone bridge and Maison de Monsieur Sax, then Rocher Bayard.
Paddle down the Lesse through the Ardennes woods.
Book in advance in summer.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Belgium is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Look for the giant saxophones on the bridge.
Hard biscuits; bite carefully.
Easy from Brussels or Namur.
Lesse trips run from spring to autumn.
Quick answers for planning time in Dinant.
By train in about one and a half hours, usually changing at Namur.
408 steps, or you can take the cable car.
Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone.
Yes, it takes its name from Notre-Dame de Leffe Abbey in Dinant.
Yes, for its dramatic river setting, citadel and history.
Planning a wider trip? Our Belgium travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.