Things to do in Dinant
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Dinant
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
best months: kayaking, cruises, terraces, manageable crowds
warmest and busiest; book kayaks and restaurants ahead
very quiet; some restaurants close midweek
What's on
- Dinant Jazz Nights late July
open-air jazz on the riverfront; the town's biggest summer weekend
- International Adolphe Sax Competition
held every four years in Dinant; check dates
Best things to do in Dinant
Dinant Citadel
Cliff-top fortress with the cable car up and big Meuse views.
Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame
The onion-domed church against the cliff; the postcard view.
Charles de Gaulle Bridge
Giant painted saxophones honouring Adolphe Sax; best late afternoon.
Maison de Monsieur Sax
Adolphe Sax's birthplace museum; makes the bridge mean something.
Maison Leffe
Leffe brewery visitor centre with a tasting at the end.
Rocher Bayard
The split rock of legend on the road south; ten minutes.
La Merveilleuse Cave
Show cave with stalactites; bring a layer, it is cool inside.
Meuse River Cruise
One-hour cruise past cliffs and castles; the right length.
Where to stay in Dinant
Riverside centre
first-timers who want everything on foot
South bank / Anseremme
kayakers and drivers
Namur as the alternative base
longer Ardennes trips
Think twice about
- N95/N97 junction strip
fast food and fuel stations north of town; nothing to walk to
- Cliff road above the cable-car station
steep, no pavements; you will drive everywhere anyway
Best restaurants in Dinant
Le Confessionnal
Seasonal French cooking in an old house; the town's best dinner.
Restaurant La Citadelle
Local seasonal dishes at the foot of the cable car.
Le Café Ardennais
Classic brasserie: moules, Leffe on tap, river terrace.
Layali Lobnan
Lebanese charcoal grill; the best non-Belgian dinner in town.
La Vita è Bella
Sandwiches and good coffee with a sunny terrace.
Outdoor things to do in Dinant
Lesse River
The classic Ardennes kayak descent through wooded gorges.
Freyr
Climbing crags over the Meuse and the castle gardens below.
Dinant Aventure
High ropes, via ferrata and zip lines over the Meuse.
RAVeL Meuse
Flat car-free cycling along the river toward Namur.
Château de Walzin
Fairytale castle on its crag; the famous Lesse-valley view.
Fonds de Leffe
Waymarked woodland trails behind the town; the quiet alternative.
Best hotels in Dinant
ibis Dinant Centre
Reliable mid-range base on the Meuse by the old town.
Les Jardins de la Molignée
Calm countryside base with restaurant and pool.
Is Dinant expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €60 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €120 a person |
| Splurge | €220 a person |
| No limits | €450 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Maison Leffe: a few days ahead
- Lesse River: a few days ahead
- Dinant Aventure: a few days ahead
- Le Confessionnal: a few days ahead
- ibis Dinant Centre: a few days ahead
- Les Jardins de la Molignée: a few days ahead
- Le Confessionnal dinner: book ahead, especially weekends
- Lesse kayaking: book ahead on summer weekends
- Maison Leffe tastings: book the slot ahead in July-August
Is Dinant safe?
- quiet, low-crime town; keep bags zipped on busy summer weekends
- do not swim in the Meuse; the current is strong
- emergency: 112
Dinant travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- three-hour boat cruises repeat themselves; the one-hour cruise is enough
- giant decorative couques are for the wall, not for eating
- old-town parking is tight in summer; use the south-bank car parks
Getting around Dinant: public transport and more
- old town is entirely walkable; church to bridge is 15 minutes
- Citadel is cable car or 408 steps
- trains to Namur take 25 minutes; station is a 10-minute walk from the centre
- a car helps for Freyr, Walzin and the Lesse; kayak outfitters run shuttles
Who Dinant suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Dinant your trip
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