What do to in Tournai in 2 days? City trip romantic in Belgium.

We begin our city-trip to Tournai by going to the tourist office. A habit we take on each of our stays and travels. It's an opportunity to complete our program with new activity ideas. In Tournai, it's also an opportunity to watch one of the films to learn more about the city. We chose "The crazy stories of Tournai", a short 20-minute film that retraces in a fun way and with a touch of humor the 2000 years of history of the city. Did you know that Tournai was one of the oldest cities in Belgium? Not us, and this film was a great discovery for us.

We continue our journey by pushing open the doors of the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral of Tournai, located in the heart of the city's historical center. It is one of the emblems of Tournai with the Belfry and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, no less! Well, it is also the largest cathedral in Belgium. In short, you'll understand, it's really a must-see during your visit to Tournai. Dating from the medieval era, it is a sweet mix between two styles with its Romanesque nave and its Gothic choir. Under renovation since 2006, the interior is visited quite quickly and does not offer the possibility to fully enjoy the place to our liking.

Another jewel of the city and part of the exceptional heritage of Tournai, the Belfry dominates the main square with its 72 meters high. Like the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Tournai, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also the oldest of the 33 belfries in Belgium that are part of this list. We advise you to climb the 142 steps to the first terrace of the Belfry (and the only one accessible during our visit), in order to enjoy the panoramic view of Tournai and its must-sees. We give you a foretaste of this with our photos below.

The Art Nouveau circuit of Tournai is for us the opportunity to discover the city with a new eye. Indeed, you can find many Art Nouveau style houses, dating from the 1900s, in Tournai. This movement was influenced by the famous Brussels architects Victor Horta and Gustave Strauven. Our favorite? The house at number 5 of the Place Victor Carbonnelle.

We ended our first day in Tournai by strolling along the banks of the Scheldt (and in the shade of the trees). It was a very pleasant walk on this hot day. We took the opportunity to discover the Pont des Trous, a relic of the Belgian medieval period. An opportunity to explore a new facet of the city, away from the hustle and bustle of the historic center.

The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tournai was designed by Victor Horta, and the architecture of the building alone is worth the visit. When we pass through the doors, we immediately come upon the main hall with its glass roof which brings an incredible luminosity. The museum houses the collection of Henri Van Cutsem, a famous Belgian patron. You can also admire paintings by Monet, Manet, Seurat as well as the 2 unique works by Edouard Manet exhibited in Belgium: "Argenteuil" and "Chez le Père Lathuille". The museum is not very large and the visit is quite quick.

To add a little innovation to this historic city, Tournai has decided to surprise by adding 12 modern works in its city center. A free activity and accessible to all to discover the city. We enjoyed this unusual and modern route to discover Tournai in a different way.

Here's our best advice for visiting Tournai on foot: push the door of every church you come across. With a rich religious heritage and the historical importance of the city as a bishopric, you can find over 19 churches in Tournai. Difficult to visit them all, but we were surprised to see what was hidden inside some of them. We really enjoyed the Saint-Brice church, with its three naves and origins dating back to the Middle Ages, as well as the Saint-Jacques church, a pilgrimage stop on the Way of Saint James.

The must-see stop in Tournai for any self-respecting Instagrammer: the giant letters. Obviously, we couldn't resist and took our tourist photo too.