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Mons, founded in the 7th century, is the fourth-largest city in Wallonia, with a population of around 96,000 (260,000 including its surroundings).
The town has been under Spanish, Austrian, French and Dutch dominance over the years. It is now the capital of the Province of Hainaut.

Within its city centre walls, which are rooted in a long history, the historic city boasts some of Wallonia’s most important heritage buildings, including the cathedral-like collegiate church of Sainte-Waudru, a Gothic town hall dating back to the golden age of the Dukes of Burgundy, and an 87-metre high Baroque belfry, the only one of its kind in Belgium and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Numerous other buildings, the oldest dating from the 11th century, illustrate its civil, religious and military architecture.

A large number of museums, including the Fine Arts Museum and the Decorative Arts Museum, complete the city’s extensive cultural offeri.
The Mons Polytechnic Faculty, founded in 1836 as the École des Mines, is the city’s oldest university institution. In 2009, it merged with the University of Mons, founded in 1889. The University hosts around 10,000 students, a quarter of whom are international students of 75 different nationalities.
Mons has been home to SHAPE, NATO’s headquarters, since 1967.

In 2015, the city was named European Capital of Culture. Five new museums were inaugurated to celebrate the occasion!