Five towers. That is what everyone remembers about Tournai's cathedral, and when you first see them rising above the rooftops of this old city on the Scheldt, they seem almost too many for one building. The cathedral of Notre-Dame is one of the great churches of Europe, with a massive Romanesque nave and transept from the twelfth century and a later Gothic choir, tall and light, built in the following century. The combination is a lesson in medieval architecture, and it earned the building a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It has been under long restoration after a storm in 1999 damaged the structure, so parts may be covered in scaffolding when you visit.
Tournai is one of the oldest cities in Belgium. It was a Roman settlement and later an early capital of the Franks; in 1653 workers digging near the church of Saint-Brice found the tomb of King Childeric, father of Clovis, with treasures including golden bees that Napoleon later adopted as a symbol. The city's belfry, the oldest in the country, is also listed, and the Pont des Trous, a medieval gateway bridge over the Scheldt, is a striking sight, though it was rebuilt in recent years to let larger barges pass.
The old town rewards a walk: the Grand-Place with its terraces, the narrow streets around the cathedral, the river quays. Tournai has a long tradition of tapestry weaving and stone carving, and there is a museum devoted to tapestry.
Riding into Tournai, expect city traffic, cobblestones in the centre and one-way streets. Park outside the core if you can and walk. Around the city, the land is mostly flat to gently rolling, with farmland and small villages. To the south and east, the Mont-Saint-Aubert rises above the plain, a modest hill with a road to the top and a view over the city. Heading west into France or north into Flanders, the roads are straight and fast, with roundabouts and towns.
Tournai has everything you need, including fuel, cafés and restaurants. Try a local beer at a café on the Grand-Place, with the five towers looming overhead. Flemish skies being what they are, keep the waterproofs on top of the luggage.