The Walloons go all out

Apr. 12 2013
by Christophe Cordier / TÊTU

Belgium is not only about the canals of Bruges, theAtomium of Brussels or the outings to La Démence. Little known, Wallonia deserves to be discovered for its contrasting landscapes, from the vast forests of the Ardennes to the industrial scenery of cities in full redeployment. A land of immigration, Wallonia is a welcoming region, open to the world.

In this small country, Brussels is never far away, and gay life has developed timidly. Except in Liège, the most French of Belgian cities (it celebrates the 14th of July every year), which is also very Latin. The Carré, a vast pedestrian zone, is full of places to party. The terraces of the Place du Marché are an essential meeting place.

The main gay establishments of the city are located in this area. Frédéric and Vincent have been running the Open Bar for five years. "The people of Liège like to party in their city. They don't look much to Brussels," they explain. This is not really necessary: the places to go out are varied, and the community is numerous.

The capital of Wallonia, Namur is much quieter, but not lacking in attractions. At the foot of the citadel, which offers a magnificent view of this city at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, it is full of places steeped in history and it is very pleasant to stroll through its pedestrian center. Rather bourgeois, Namur lives at night in the student district, close to the university.

A gay life is slowly developing and the gay and lesbian association center Tels Quels is now well established. A bar, the Baby Boy Bar, opened last year, filling a void in this city where gays are starting to come out of the closet.

With 200,000 inhabitants, Charleroi is the most populated city in Wallonia. Gregory opened Pickles Bar, with the desire to bring renewal to the local gay scene. "Previously, there was a bar and a club that all belonged to the same owner and closed after he left for another country," he explains. So Gregory wants to fill the gap by offering a place with a trendy look. Otherwise, in Charleroi, visitors will have plenty to occupy themselves as the cultural life is so dense in this city, which is trying to recover from the closure of the coal mines in the 1970s. Charleroi has several Art Nouveau houses, its photography museum is internationally renowned, as well as the contemporary creations of Charleroi-Danses.

Very different, Mons is really worth a visit for its very well preserved city center. It is good to have a drink on the Grand-Place, in front of the city hall and at the foot of the belfry, listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco. But the city does not live in the past. The contemporary art museum, Mac's, is there to prove it, and Mons will be European Capital of Culture in 2015. On the gay side, let's note the opening of a brand new gay bar last January, the BCBG, beautiful asses beautiful faces, a whole program. A few kilometers away from France and theLille gay scene, the mix is permanent. Sometimes people come from Maubeuge or Valenciennes, a welcoming region, as we said...

Namur © François Dorelli