Ath Tourist Attractions
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The little town of Ath (Flemish Aat) situated at the confluence of the two rivers Dender (East and West), boasts some modest industry, mainly furniture manufacture and silk processing. In addition it serves as a market town for the surrounding villages. Ath's Parade of Giants - with the Wedding of Goliath one of the highlights - is among the oldest manifestations of this folk tradition in Belgium.The town was founded in the 12th C. when Baldwin IV, Count of Hainaut, purchased the title to the area. Because of its strategic importance he fortified it by building several castles, including one at Ath. War has principally shaped Ath's history ever since. Following capture by Louis XIV in 1667 it became the site of one of Vauban's earliest exercises in military engineering. Ironically enough it was the French who also later razed Vauban's fortifications during the War of Austrian Succession.The humanist scholar Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) was brought up in Ath.
Burbant Tower
The 23m/75ft high Tour de Burbant (Burbant Tower) is a relic of Baldwin IV's original stronghold, built in 1168. Walls up to 3.7m/12ft thick leave little room actually inside the tower.The rest of the castle was demolished in the 16th C., to be replaced by another in the 17th C.
Grand' Place
In addition to the 17th C. town hall, built between 1614 and 1624 by Wenceslas Cobergher, a number of fine 18th C. houses line Ath's central Grand' Place. These include the Maison Espagnole, a reconstruction of an earlier house dating from 1564.
Saint-Julien
Reached via the main thoroughfare running through the market-place, the 12th C. church of Saint-Julien had to be substantially rebuilt after a fire. Standing out from the rest of the church today the sturdy tower (1462) with its four turrets and carillon of bells was one part of the building to survive.
Musée du Cercle Royal d'Histoire et d'Archéologie
The Musée du cercle royal d'histoire et d'archéologie in the Rue Bouchain is dedicated to the history of the region. Well worth seeing are two paintings from the 14th and 16th C. respectively, both showing scenes of the Entombment.
Gallo Roman Museum
Belgium's Gallo-Roman roots are showcased in this museum through artifacts and interactive exhibits.
Giants Festival
This annual weekend festival takes in late August to celebrate the wedding of Gouyasse (Goliath). Events include a reenactment of the battle between David and Goliath, as well as processions of stilted giants and other traditional festivities.
Ath Public Festival
The Ath Public Festival celebrates the wedding of Goliath the Giant with a procession.
Surroundings
Château d'Attre
Built in the 18th C. for the Comte de Gomegnies, replacing a medieval castle, the Louis XV style Château d'Attre, situated 5km/3mi southeast of Ath, was a favorite with Maria Christina, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and Governor of the South (Austrian) Netherlands. The château's interior furnishings are almost entirely original, providing a unique glimpse into the life of the aristocracy in the 18th C. The fine parquet floors are by Dewez and the stucco work in the great salon by the Italian Ferrari. The paintings include works by Snyders, Hubert Robert and Watteau ("Les plaisirs d'été"). The wall-coverings are a particularly noteworthy feature of the house. They exemplify the many different materials in vogue at the time, from rice-paper and Chinese silk to the painted wallpaper (1760) of the Archduke's salon, the first such paper to be used in Belgium.
Château d'Attre Park
The château overlooks a park laid out in the English manner, through which flows the river Dender. In addition to ruins and a dovecot and bathing pavilions in the style of the period, there is also a curious 24m/80ft high artificial hillock complete with grottoes and caves. This seems to have been intended partly as a vantage point for the Archduchess Maria Christina when out hunting.
Chievres
Chièvres, another small town, 6km/4mi southeast of Ath, began as a Roman settlement, later being a possession of, among others, the Counts of Gavre, Egmont and Croy. In the Middle Ages Chièvres grew to some importance on account of its manufacturing but subsequently proved unable to compete with Ath.
Hôtel de Croy
The Hôtel de Croy or "Maison Espagnole" (1560) in the Grand' Place, the residence at one time of Count Lamoraal van Egmont, dates back to Chièvres' period of prosperity.
Gothic Church
The late Gothic church beside the Tour de Gavre dates from Chièvres' period of prosperity.
St Martin's Church
The tombs of the Gavre, Croy and Egmont families can be seen in Saint-Martin's church, built in the 14th C. and renovated in the 16th C.
La Ladrerie
Not far outside Chièvres, on a farm estate in the valley of the Hunnelle, stands the Romanesque chapel of La Ladrerie. In the 12th C. it belonged to a hospice for lepers.
Stone Museum, Maffle
An old quarry near Maffle, 3km/2miles southeast of Ath, has been turned into the rather unusual Musée de la Pierre.This museum is dedicated to the local industry as well as activities linked to the work of stone in Belgium and in Europe. You can get to know the different extracting, production and cutting techniques, as well as a glimpse into the life of miners.
Cambron-Casteau
Ruins are all that remain of the 12th C. abbey at Cambron-Casteau, 12km/7.5 mi southeast of Ath. The adjacent land on the banks of the Dender has been turned into a leisure park.
Parc Paradisio
Parc Paradisio is a 3000 sq. meter aviary with more than 2,500 different birds from all corners of the world. The aviary is surround by 55 ha of parkland and gardens.
Enghien
Enghien is situated about 18km/11miles southwest of Halle on the linguistic border. For a long time the town belonged to the Arenberg family, of whose estate only 342ha/845 acres of parkland remain.
Saint Nicholas
This large Gothic church on the Grand-Place has a beautiful front (15th c.) and modern church windows by Max Ingrand.
Eglise des Capucins
The Renaissance tomb of Guillaume de Croy, archbishop of Toledo, was crafted by Jean Mone for the church of the former Capuchin convent. On the main altar is a sculptured group "Worship of the Kings" by Servay de Couls, its 51 figures representing members of the Arenberg family.
Enghien Park
This 15th C. park retains Enghien's the harmony that exists between history and the natural surrounding. Monuments found in the park are some of the most important in Wallonian heritage.
Jonathan House
The Jonathan House has been restored as Cultural Center and Museum where collections of Enghien and Brussels Tapestries can be viewed along with silverware, pewterware and paintings.
Tongre - Notre-Dame
The church at Tongre-Notre-Dame, 6km/4mi south of Ath, owes its status as a pilgrim church to a Romanesque statue of the Virgin, said to have undergone a miraculous transformation in 1081.
