Ath
Ath is a French-speaking village located in the center of western Hainaut, mid-way between Brussels and Lille, France. It is well known for its Ducasse festival on the fourth Sunday in August.
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[dead link] Tourism Office of Ath, Rue de Pintamont, 18, 7800-Ath (opposite the church of Saint-Julien), ☏ +32 68 26-51-70, fax: +32 68 26-51-79, office.de.tourisme@ath.be. Tuesday-Friday: 10 AM to 5 PM (open till 6 PM from 1st June-30th September); Weekends and holiday: 2-6 PM.
Ath, also called the City of Giants, affirms its medieval past loud and proud. As a city of art and history, Ath has several cultural treasures that testify to its past:
- [dead link] Burbant Tower, Rue du Gouvernement (Near the Grand-Place), ☏ +32 68 26-51-70, office.de.tourisme@ath.be. Guided tour every 3rd Sunday of the month at 3 PM, from April to the end of September. The Burbant Tower is an imposing Anglo-Normand dungeon, built around 1166 by the Count of Hainaut, Baudouin IV, called "The Builder." It also served as a base for defending the northern frontier of Hainaut against Flanders and for surveying his realm. 3 €.
- Saint Julien Church: The church was constructed starting in 1394 and consecrated in 1415. The left-hand tower was finished in 1462 and crowned with a high steeple in 1465. The church was hit by lightning and burned in 1817. The apse of the choir, the tower, and the western portal escaped destruction. The carillon has 41 bells with a range of 3 octaves.