Planning a Trip

Getting There -- Mons is an easy day trip from Brussels, with trains departing to Mons twice hourly; the ride takes about 50 minutes. Mons station is on place Léopold, a short walk west from the center of town. To get to Mons by car from Brussels, take E19.

Visitor Information -- The Office du Tourisme is at Grand-Place 22, 7000 Mons (tel. 065/33-55-80; fax 065/35-63-36; www.paysdemons.be). The office is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm (5:30pm in winter), and Sunday from 1 to 6pm (5:30pm in winter).

Getting Around -- Walking is the best way to get around in the Old Town, but you don't even have to walk. Free Mons Intra Muros "midibuses" run on three routes -- circuit A, circuit B, and circuit C -- between the station and the Grand-Place every 6 minutes daily from 7am to 9pm.

Special Events -- Each year on Trinity Sunday -- the eighth Sunday after Easter -- Mons erupts in a burst of color, mock drama, and revelry, when it celebrates the Ducasse de la Trinité Festival [S]. This begins with the Procession of the Golden Coach, when that vehicle from 1780 is drawn through the streets by a team of white horses, followed by richly dressed girls, and clerics bearing a gilded copper reliquary that holds the skull of St. Waudru. There follows a mock battle, the Lumeçon, between St. George and the Dragon. The evening performance of the Pageant of Mons by 2,000 musicians, singers, and actors brings the day to a close.