Located in Belgium’s Walloon Region near the French border, Dinant is a small and charming Belgian town. The town is characterized by its dramatic cliffs, a perfect back drop for the beautiful Gothic style church and colorful buildings in front. And most famously, Dinant is well-known for being the birthplace of the saxophone!
If you’re traveling throughout Belgium, it’s easy to stop and spend one day in Dinant. Here’s how…
One Day in Dinant, Belgium
The Best Time to Visit Dinant
I recommend visiting Dinant in the warmer months from June-September. While it will be more touristy, I visited in December and a lot of things were closed due to it being “off-season”. The Dinant Christmas market is also underwhelming and I don’t suggest visiting to see it. (If you are looking for Christmas markets, I highly suggesting visiting Bruges instead!).
Where to Stay in Dinant
While you don’t necessarily need to spend the night in Dinant, if you do choose to, I recommend staying near the Notre Dame de Dinant as that’s where most things are located. However, Dinant is small and walkable meaning anywhere you stay is probably an okay area.
I stayed in this Airbnb (Le Patenier) and highly recommend it!
Spending the Morning in Dinant
Spend the morning in Dinant by getting pastries and coffee from Solbrun, before heading out to see the city. Make your first two stops Notre Dame de Dinant, a beautiful and old Gothic style church in the city. I also recommend visiting Maison Adolphe Sax’s home, the inventor of the saxophone. Both of these attractions are free to enter and don’t take much time.
Spending the Afternoon in Dinant
Once the afternoon hits, head for lunch at Le Confessionnal – a bit off the beaten path, but well worth it! I highly recommend making reservations here ahead of time.
After lunch, I suggest exploring the underground cave, Grotte de Dinant La Merveilleuse – a cave that was discovered in 1904. This is a self-guided tour and the cave is only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Once you’re done at the cave, head back to town and stop for waffles at MaMaMia!
Before night falls, make sure to head up the funicular to the Citadel of Dinant. (You can also walk the 405 stairs up to the top… but yikes!). The fort that stands today was built in 1815 and has quite an interesting history that you’ll learn about at the top. Not only is the museum great, but the views from the top of the Citadel are pretty incredible too.
Spending the Evening in Dinant
Once the evening arrives, head down to the river and get beers at La Capsule before heading to dinner. I suggest making dinner reservations at Les Amourettes, a tacky (but delicious) dinner restaurant.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Dinant, but you certainly don’t need to visit for long. One day is plenty of time to see and do everything in the city! I also highly recommend Bruges and Ghent over Dinant if you don’t have time for all three.
For a more recommendations and a visual look at Dinant, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel and search “#ppinbelgium” or look for the “Belgium” highlight.
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Kylee is a Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) nurse passionate about making travel affordable and accessible to nurses. Inspiring nurses to travel both near and far, Kylee began Passports and Preemies in 2017 while volunteering in Skopje, North Macedonia as a way to reach nurses and advocate for the prevention of nurse burnout by traveling. Kylee is the original creator of the “8 Day Vacay” – a vacation geared towards nurses who aim to take advantage of the potentially 8 days off between work weeks with no need to use PTO.
