Ath.
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Overview

Ath is a French-speaking town of about 30,000 inhabitants (2024) in the centre of western Hainaut, mid-way between Brussels and Lille in France. Famous for the annual Ducasse festival, this typically Belgian small town with architecture from different eras can make a nice daytrip from Brussels or Lille.

Understand

Geography Ath is at the confluence of the Eastern and Western Dender rivers, where they form the Dender River. Together with the Blaton-Ath canal, the town core is in practice surrounded by water, connected to the peripheral districts by about a dozen bridges. It's in the middle of an agricultural region with low hills, with an altitude of about 50 m. Two natural reserves are nearby: Le pays des collines and Le parc naturel des plaines de l’Escaut.

History Baudoiun IV, Count of Hainaut, had a keep built here in the 1160s to protect his lands – the Burbant tower. A "new town" grew up around it with privileges and a big market, attracting merchants and customers from far away. Tradesmen from tailors to goldsmiths and cabinetmakers settled in Ath, and in the 14th century two fortifications were built to protect the town. The army of Louis XIV conquered Ath in 1667, and he ordered Vauban – the foremost fortification architect of that time – to design a new fortification. It wouldn't stand for a century, after a siege in 1745 during the War of the Austrian Succession it was dismantled.

The industrial revolution in the 19th century brought prosperity to Ath once again. Wood, rock, textile and agricultural industries were established and the town and it became a railway node. Nevertheless, as in much of Europe, industrial activities declined during the 20th century. Industries still remain in the peripheries of Ath, and the town today is a place for commerce, artisans, and "liberal professions". In 2008 Ath was awarded the European Destinations of Excellence award by the European Commission, an award given to lesser known destinations to promote sustainable tourism.

Climate As western Belgium in general, Ath has a temperate oceanic climate, influenced by the wet and mild currents from the Atlantic, occasionally also by continental dry winds bringing warmer weather in the summer and colder in the winter.

Get in

By train There are trains from other Belgian cities including Brussels, Mons, Tournai and Antwerp. Consult the website of the Belgian Railways SNCF for schedules and routes.

By bus Regional buses operated by TEC connect from nearby towns.

By car The nearby motorway A8-E429 between Lille and Brussels passes next to Ath, take exit 30 and drive the N56 to get to Ath.

By boat The Ath-Blaton canal is navigable by small boats, and the Dendre and Scheldt rivers connect to the sea.

By bike Biking route RAVeL 4 follows the Ath-Blaton canal from the south, passes through Ath and continues along the Dendre from the north.

By foot Long distance walking path GR 1218 between Brussels and Boulogne-sur-Mer on the English channel passes through Ath.

Get around

By foot The central part of Ath inside the rivers and canal is small enough to be walked, it's just about 1 km across.

By car The rural part of the municipality is better explored by car. Parking is free at the outskirts of town, payable in the central parts. Even if it's a small town, there are inspectors placing parking tickets on windscreens of vehicles whose parking hasn't been paid for.

By bus As mentioned in the Get in section, local buses go to nearby cities and towns with stops along the roads.

See

Ath, also called the City of Giants, affirms its medieval past loud and proud. As a city of art and history, Ath has several cultural treasures that testify to its past:

Burbant Tower. The Burbant Tower is an imposing Anglo-Normand dungeon, built around 1166 by the Count of Hainaut, Baudouin IV, called "The Builder." It also served as a base for defending the northern frontier of Hainaut against Flanders and for surveying his realm.

Church of Saint-Julien. The church was constructed starting in 1394 and consecrated in 1415. The left-hand tower was finished in 1462 and crowned with a high steeple in 1465. The church was hit by lightning and burned in 1817. The apse of the choir, the tower, and the western portal escaped destruction. The carillon has 41 bells with a range of 3 octaves.

Church of Saint Martin. Built in 1585 and consecrated in 1603 as a replacement of an old parish church that was destroyed in 1578. On the outside you can see a 16th century oak calvary. On the inside is a 16th century Gothic and Renaissance stone tomb.

La Grand-Place. The main square is surrounded by buildings from many eras and architectonical styles. The oldest is the Maison espagnole, dating from 1564 that has been restored (however clumsily) and is used by a bank. There are many 18th century houses built during French rule in different styles, and they host different businesses. At the corner of the square and rue aux Gades is the Grand-garde, a butcher's hall that was built by the Dutch in 1821 to replace an older hall. Le Palace, also known as salle des fêtes is a beautiful Art Nouveau building from 1919.

City hall. Built between 1614 and 1624 in Baroque style, the city hall was modified several times over the centuries before being completely restored between 1980 and 1983.

Old abbey refuges reveal the former wealth of the city; once many religious communities set up abbeys here. On Place Ernest Cambier there's the Saint-Martin abbey, built around 1780 in the style of Louis XVI. On Rue Haute there's the Gothic abbey of Ghislenghien, though it was damaged during WWII. The Liessies abbey on Rue des Récollets now serves as an educational institute, and was visited by Louis XIV several times. He liked it so much that he called Ath "his little Paris". Finally the Notre-Dame abbey is on Rue de Gand.

Espace Gallo-Romain. The highlight of the "Gallo-Roman space" are three restored 2nd century Celtic riverboats excavated from an archaeological site. They are the only ones of their kind on display in Belgium and are encased in a huge display box. The other floors display life during antiquity, from the viewpoint of different professions: fishermen, potters, shoemakers etc.

La Maison des Géants. Opened in 2000, this interpretional centre presents real and fictional giants throughout history.

National real tennis museum. Museum presenting real tennis and related games such as fives and pelota from historical, sociological, ethnographical and economical points of view. It has a great collection of items and documents and a cinema with educational films.

Maffle stone museum. The museum is all about the stone industry, once a large employer in the region. You can learn about mining and extraction as well as transportation and processing of minerals. There are tools and documents, and the daily life of quarry workers is also presented.

Moulbaix windmill. Built in 1747 and still grinding grain by wind power.

Ostiches windmill. A windmill with a movable upper part built in 1789, and renovated in the 2000s. On the first Tuesday in July, the Fête au moulin, the fest of the mill is celebrated. On that day bread is made the traditional way, you can ride a horse-drawn carriage, watch a horse pulling competition and see blacksmiths at work.

Mahy Mobiles. Second site of the Mahy Collection, after Auto World in Brussels. Wide collection of vehicles, some restored some preserved as found. Also sells books, antique parts and models.

Do

Le Palace. Performance hall with performances of theatres (classic and modern), variety shows, operettas.

Municipal Swimming Pool. Indoor swimming pool, here you can swim around the year.

Dynamic Center. Gym with weightlifting and cardiovascular training.

The festival, dating back to the Middle Ages, is the most famous event of Ath. It takes place for 10 days in late August with the main event on the fourth Sunday of the month - in 2024 the Ducasse takes place on 23-26 August. This is a celebration of the victory of David over Goliath, and different statues of giants are paraded through the streets. These giants depict important figures in local history. The festival was inscribed on the UNESCO list of Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity from 2008 to 2022. It was delisted as one of the figures in the parade – a white person with face painted black – was perceived as racist and as such the event was considered inappropriate for the list.

RAVeL 4. Route 4 of the Wallonian light traffic route network passes through Ath, following the Ath-Blaton canal and Dendre river.

Walks There are a few official walking routes in the municipality. They aren't signposted but you can get maps from the tourist office.

Le circuit des lumières. The "circuit of lights" is a night walk of 2 km (45 min) in the central part of town, along the Dendre river which is lined by blue LEDs lighting up the night.

Sur les traces des tailleurs de pierre. A 3.5 km long walk (1 h 30 min), this walk follows the "footsteps of the stonemasons" on the site of the former quarry and the stone museum on Maffle. In addition to these, you can see a Baroque chapel, workers' houses and an old brewery.

La ronde du Blanc Moulin. Starting from the Ostiches windmill, it's a walk of 6.5 km (1h 45 min). It's a circular route around the windmill among hills and valleys, and you can see it from different angles during the walk.

Le circuit des arbres mystérieux. A walk of 2 km (45 min), starting from the Calvaire du Mont de Mainvault. It's a nature walk, part of the long-distance walking trail GR129.

Le circuit des Chapelles. Starting from Place de Meslin-l'Evêque, going towards Brussels for a distance of 11 km (2 h 45 min). On this trip you will see several chapels built in different styles as well as the villages of Meslin-l’Evêque, Isières and Lanquesaint.

Buy

Market. There's a market every Thursday with traditions going back to Medieval times. It takes place at the square in the front of Saint-Julien church.

Eat

L'Apérityf. Friterie kiosk with different types of fast food. Large servings.

La Trattoria. Italian cuisine - pizza and pasta.

Le Jardin d’Italie. Italian restaurant.

Le Café des Délices. BBQ meat, paella, salads, pastas.

Au fil de l'Eau. Belgian and French cuisine. There's outdoor seating. On the menu there's among other things red meat, mussels during season and payelles (tartiflettes in a pan).

Self catering If you want to prepare your own meals, grocery stores are readily available – smaller ones in the city core and larger in the outskirts. The Thursday market is also a good place to pick up fresh produce.

Le Florentin. Italian restaurant with pizzas out of a wood-fired oven as well as steaks.

Les Saveurs orientales. Mainly Chinese but also Malaysian and Thai dishes.

Le Coin Quotidien. French cuisine. On the menu there are dishes with meat, mussels, shrimp, fish.

Aux Mets Encore. Classic cuisine with a modern twist. They use ingredients from local farms, from poultry to foie gras, and the desserts and bread are made in-house.

Zorba. Greek and Mediterranean cuisine; grilled meat and meze.

Drink

Cafés along Grand Place have outdoor seating in the summer and you have a beer with locals; why not try the local brand Gouyasse?

Sleep

Hôtel du Parc. Hotel with 23 rooms, free Wi-Fi. All rooms have private bathroom, tv and minibar.

Hôtel Horizon. Rooms are equipped as one would expect from a mid range hotel. Free Wi-Fi. There's a bar and restaurant.

Gîte du Gravillon : Narcisse. House with two guestrooms, sleeping four and six guests. Kitchen facilities and shared bathrooms.

Chambres d'hôte "La Petite Rosière". Bed and breakfast.

La maison verte. Two four bed rooms and six double rooms. Shared bathrooms and kitchen. Free Wi-Fi.