Beaumont, Belgium Attractions

In Montignies-Saint-Christophe, 5km/3mi to the northwest, the Hantes is spanned by a 25m/82ft bridge with 13 arches. Lying as it does on the route of the Roman road to Trèves, the bridge is often referred to as a "pont romaine" (Roman bridge) but in fact almost certainly dates from the 15th C.

The area around Rance, a small town 12km/7.5miles south of Beaumont, is noted for its red marble, Rance itself being the location of the Musée National du Marbre (National Marble Museum, Place Albert I).

Despite the dust and the appearance of chaos, the museum is unique and utterly fascinating, demonstrating the techniques of marble extraction and processing. The museum also maintains a collection of all the different kinds of marble found anywhere in the world.

The Tour Salamandre (Salamander Tower) on the southern edge of the hill is the main survival from the old ramparts. Built in the 16th C. it is now a museum, its five floors given over to documents and other items of local history as well as a display of regional arts and crafts. The former include memorabilia of Napoleon I (who made a stop here en route to Waterloo).

The top of the tower affords a lovely view of the Hainaut countryside.

Sivry's natural history and toy museum boasts a collection of more than 5,000 animal specimens.

An old observatory that includes a planetarium, medicinal plants and a weather center.

Some 10km/6mi northwest of Beaumont, just off the road to Merbes-le-Château (which bypasses the village), the moated château at Solre-sur-Sambre is one of the less well-preserved of Hainaut's feudal castles. It is entered through the 13th-14th C. keep on either side of which high walls extend in a square with two round corner towers. The right-hand tower and knights' hall, the latter with a magnificent fireplace, are open to visitors.