Tournai: ‘Belgium’s best-kept secret’

If Bruges is the Venice of the north, then Tournai is its Siena, writes the Daily Telegraph’s Mark Skipworth. Yet the charms of this prosperous town, on the ley lines of European history, are largely undiscovered. Romans, Franks, Spanish, French and Austrians have all left their mark in a fusion of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, acknowledged in not one but two remarkable Unesco World Heritage Sites (Notre-Dame cathedral and the Belfry). The town’s peculiarly English connections are a cause for celebration this year, namely, the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s occupation of what was once one of the richest bishoprics in northern Europe. Vestiges of five years of Tudor rule are everywhere – from the mini-fortress Tour Henri VIII to the so-called English chapel initiated by Thomas Wolsey, himself a bishop of Tournai. From next month, the town is planning special exhibitions and guided tours. Spring is a magical time to go, when morning mists linger and your senses are awakened by the chimes of the Belfry’s carillon. A chill in the night air makes the homely restaurants and cafes of the Grand Place seem all the more inviting.