How to get to the Citadelle de Namur
The address is Route Merveilleuse 64, 5000 Namur, and the Route Merveilleuse is also the road that curls up the back of the hill to get you there. There are three ways up: drive it and park free, walk up on foot, or take the cable car from the town below.
Driving up, and which car park to pick
The four free areas are not interchangeable. The Esplanade puts you on top of the hill with the walls immediately around you, which is what you want if somebody in the car would rather not walk far. Terra Nova puts you at the visitor centre end, which is what you want if you have bought or intend to buy the audio-guided visit. The spaces along the Route Merveilleuse itself and the ones in front of the Guy Delforge perfumery suit an arrival from the town side.
All four are free, which is unusual enough at a landmark of this size that people assume there must be a catch and drive around looking for a barrier. There is no barrier. The wider argument about what does and does not cost money here is on what costs nothing here.
Walking up from the town
The climb is a proper one and the ramps are cobbled between high walls, so allow more time than the map suggests and wear something with a sole. In wet weather the cobbles are slick. I do this walk most weeks in whatever the Belgian sky is doing, and it is the version of the approach I would recommend to anyone whose knees are cooperating, because you arrive at the walls from underneath them.
Walk up and ride down. A one-way cable-car ticket costs less than a return, stays valid for thirty days, and hands the descent to whoever in your group has had enough of gradients.
By cable car, and arriving without a car
The téléphérique runs from the town up to the fortress between ten in the morning and half past six, on its own ticket, from a company that is not the citadel. Fares and the pass question are on the cable car page, and the operator’s own site, linked in the footer, is the place to confirm the lower station and the timetable on the day.
For public transport into Namur itself, this page prints no times I have not checked this season. What I can tell you is that the fortress is above the town rather than outside it, so once you are in Namur the hill is a walk or a short ride away rather than an expedition. If you would rather have somebody else drive and talk, two of the twelve listings on every tour we list reach the Citadelle itself.
Photo shootNamur: Photo shoot with a professional photographer
Namur includedFrom Brussels: Dinant and Namur Private Day Trip
Frequently asked questions
What is the address of the Citadelle de Namur?
Route Merveilleuse 64, 5000 Namur, in Wallonia. The Route Merveilleuse is the road that climbs the back of the hill, so the address is also the way in. There is no entry gate: the citadel is a public park, as explained on what costs nothing here.
Is there free parking at the Citadelle?
Yes, at four areas the operator names: in front of the Guy Delforge perfumery, along the Route Merveilleuse, at the Terra Nova Visitor’s Centre and on the Esplanade of the Citadel. The Esplanade is the one that leaves the least walking. If you are planning around the ticket desk, check opening hours first.
Can you walk up to the Citadelle from Namur?
Yes, and it costs nothing. The ramps climb from the town between high stone walls, cobbled and slippery when wet, and the walk is steady rather than technical. If the climb is the problem rather than the distance, the cable car solves it for the price of a separate ticket.