During a spring month, we went to Dinant for a long weekend. The size of the city, the distance from the Netherlands and the various activities in the area make a stay in or near Dinant for a long weekend (4 days) ideal. We ourselves stayed in Custinne, about 20 kilometers from Dinant.
The city
Dinant is located on the Meuse and in the Belgian Ardennes. Both elements, together with the fact that Dinant has a rich history, makes the city more than worth a visit.
Places of interest in Dinant are the Citadel of Dinant, which can be reached on foot or via a funicular, the Collégiale Notre-Dame de Dinant and the Rock Bayard. The Citadel is €10 for adults and €8 for children. A combination ticket with the cable car is possible for €17 per adult and €13 per child. The church (Notre-Dame) and the rock are free. The world famous Leffebeer is also brewed in Dinant.
Don’t forget the restaurants and bars that are located on the waterfront of the Maas, along the colorful houses.
Due to the location of Dinant, there are many outdoor activities to do. During our visit to Dinant we combined this with hiking, survival and the caves of Rochefort.
Hiking
There are several places for a lovely walk in the Dinant area. We visited two places: near the castle of Vêves (free) and the park Furfooz(€5 for adults, €1 for children).
We visited two places: near the castle of Vêves (free) and the park Furfooz (5 EUR for adults, 1 EUR for children). The area is hilly and has caves and caves, from which you now and then have a beautiful and surprising view of the surroundings.
Survival
You can survive well a few kilometers from Dinant. We did this at Dinant Adventure. Although this sounds very cool and survival is also prevalent, this course starts with a 100 meter underground tunnel with all kinds of obstacles. We didn’t need this and felt like filling up our time to us. Not exciting or exciting and takes too much time. The rest of the course certainly makes it a lot more interesting: rope bridges, sky course and finally finish by abseiling.
All in all, well worth it and €25 per person is not a price to pass up on this activity. Keep an eye on the Dinant Adventure website for more information.
Caves of Rochefort
South-east of Dinant, about 40 kilometers away, are the caves of Rochefort. These caves are located just outside the center of the town of Rochefort.
These caves are located just outside the center of the town of Rochefort. The size of the caves is larger than you would estimate from the outside. The price (€9.50 for adults, €6 for children) to visit the caves is certainly acceptable.
Please note that the caves are currently closed due to the Covid pandemic. So keep an eye on the website of Grotte de Lorette – Rochefort for current information.
From & to the center
Many streets in Dinant are one-way streets. In addition, it can be crowded in the center on warmer days. Keep this in mind when you go to Dinant, for example by finding out in advance where you want to park the car. Accept that you may have to walk a bit.