Laid-back Namur in Meuse Valley has plenty to tickle a sweet tooth

Jan 12, 2010, 9:32 GMT

Namur, Belgium - The snail is the symbol of Namur, the Walloon capital, and its historic centre indeed presents itself to visitors as cosy and unhurried.

'We're not really slow in Namur, of course,' asserted Lea Libert-Zuckerman, a city guide, during a walking tour past small boutiques, delicatessens, brasseries, cafes and chocolate shops. Namur's inhabitants, especially its senior citizens, are said to speak French very slowly, which is why they also have the reputation of moving at a snail's pace.

The main square, the Place d'Armes, even has a monument to slowness, as it were: Life-size bronze figures of D'Joseph and Francwes, a Belgian version of Laurel and Hardy, stand over two bronze snails tied to a cage so that they cannot crawl away.

Boasting some 300 small shops in all, Namur is a popular destination for gourmets as well as shoppers. Among the many culinary attractions is La Maison des Desserts, a lively cafe in the Rue Haute Marcelle. Its name says it all. The delicious creations inside include chocolate cupcakes and many kinds of tarts that are worth cheating on your diet for.

The speciality of the proprietor - chocolatier and master confectioner Etienne de Hucorne - is Bietrumes: caramels made by hand according to a family recipe.

A short walk away, in the Rue des Frippiers, is one of Jean Galler's shops. A magnet for lovers of pralines and chocolates, it beckons with creations such as curry-flavoured pralines and honey-cake pralines. The varieties are seemingly endless.

Galler's grandfather founded the family-owned business, which is a Royal Warrant Holder of the Court of Belgium. 'My ancestors were originally bakers, but since 1976 we've concentrated wholly on pralines and fine chocolates,' Galler said.

Having indulged one's sweet tooth, a brisk walk up to Namur's citadel is a good thing to do next. Completed in the 17th century on a rocky outcrop 200 metres above the town, it was once one of the ten mightiest strongholds in Europe. Its fortified towers, labyrinthine tunnels and bastions stretch over 65 hectares.

Today the citadel grounds and various bulwarks are used for peaceful purposes, including a children's playground, an open-air theatre and even a registry office.

Guy Delforge housed his perfumery in one of the citadel's old casements. There he creates a wide range of women's fragrances, some heavy and seductive, others light and vernal. Visitors can get a guided tour of the workshop and descend many metres underground into Delforge's storeroom, where the constant cool temperatures preserve the properties of his essential oils.

Visitors staying in Namur longer than a weekend can take day trips to nearby places on either side of the Meuse River, which flows through the city. A favourite destination is Maredsous Abbey, where the dark beer and spicy cheese made by the abbey's Benedictine monks are especially popular with tourists.

And upstream, past the city of Dinant, which is also overlooked by a citadel, lie the Baroque gardens of Freyr Castle.