Tournai is one of the oldest cities in Belgium with numerous very old buildings in Romanesque and Gothic styles. Here are some of the oldest private houses in Europe which were built in 1175 and 1200 in Romanesque style.If Bruges is the Venice of “le plat pays”, then Tournai is its Siena. Yet the charms of this prosperous town, on the ley lines of European history, are largely undiscovered. Romans, Franks, Spanish, French and even Austrians have all left their mark in a fusion of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, acknowledged in not one, but two remarkable Unesco World Heritage Sites (Notre-Dame cathedral and the Belfry).
The town’s peculiarly English connections are a cause for celebration in 2013, namely, the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s occupation of what was once one of the richest bishoprics in northern Europe. Spring is a magical time to go, when morning mists linger and your senses are awakened by the chimes of the Belfry’s carillon.
