The Bishop's Palace and the Brewers' Quarters

 

 

Over the course of the Sambre, two remarkable quarters rich in history and heritage follow one another.

Upstream, the Bishop's Palace quarter housing the Saint-Aubain Cathedral with a dome that reaches 73 metres; the ancient Episcopalian palace and Namur's Notre-Dame Seminary, founded in 1656.

Downstream of the Pont de l’Evêché bridge, the brewers' quarter has been witness to Namur's history since the 18th C. Profiting from the proximity of water, a number of brewers set-up shop in this lively neighbourhood of artisans and traders. There were up to 18 brewers and also mills and a corn exchange, all directly linked to the brewing industry.

In the 19th C. the channelling of the Sambre and the construction of a towpath initiated a decline and one by one the breweries closed. Already in decline, the quarter suffered from a cholera outbreak in 1866.

The 1970s marked the start of a renaissance: the town gradually reinvested in and renovated the houses. The beautiful façades can now be admired during a stroll along the embankment or from on board the Namourette - a small retro boat which sails between the Sambre and the Meuse during peak season.