Summary
Until 1963, this city in Hainaut was part of West Flanders but transitioned to Wallonia due to its substantial francophone population.
It is certainly accurate to state that Mouscron occupies a pivotal juncture, being in close proximity to the French border and Belgium’s internal boundary.
The city’s central square, a venue for the Spring Fair in March, has been transformed into a modern esplanade, while the 15th-century Château des Comtes houses a museum dedicated to the renowned local illustrator Marcel Marlier.
Mouscron’s strategic position along a border has facilitated the development of a new commercial park and Famiflora, an extensive garden centre.
The nearby French cities of Tourcoing and Roubaix offer exceptional cultural attractions such as Villa Cavrois and La Piscine Museum.
1. Château des Comtes
The only secular edifice in Mouscron predating the 1800s is this 15th-century moated castle, which has been the residence of the lords and counts of Mouscron for centuries.
This exquisite Renaissance structure features five bays and two storeys, constructed with limestone sourced from Tournai for its window detailing and quoins.
From the same epoch, there is a small tower with a conical roof to the north, accompanied by a kitchen and well on the south-east side.
As of early 2020, the castle’s keep was not open to the public; however, there was an informative walking route around the moat.
2. Centre Marcel Marlier
Located in the outbuildings of Château des Comtes, this interpretation centre celebrates the illustrious artist and illustrator Marcel Marlier (1930-2011), who was born in nearby Herseaux.
Marlier is predominantly recognized for illustrating the beloved children’s series Martine, initiated in 1954 and authored by Gilbert Delahaye.
This attraction allows visitors to engage with Martine and discover Marlier’s talent, creative process, and character through sketches, films, animations, and a wealth of rare unpublished documents.
The exhibition promotes interaction, enabling visitors to play, touch, and fully utilize multimedia displays.
Particularly noteworthy on the ground floor are videos that delve into Marlier’s illustration techniques, while upstairs visitors can explore themes cherished by the artist, including nature, animals, home life, and leisure activities.
3. Grand-Place
Between 2018 and 2019, Mouscron’s main square underwent several phases of renovation to enhance its conviviality, improve pedestrian accessibility, and stimulate local businesses.
The previous cobblestones and expansive parking lot have been replaced by a smooth esplanade, providing outdoor seating for nearby restaurants and bars.
At the south-west corner stands the neo-Gothic Hôtel de Ville (1888), designed by Bruges architect René Buyck, drawing inspiration from traditional Flemish styles.
An audio guide published by the local tourist office is available for those wishing to explore the site.
Grand-Place serves as the venue for Mouscron’s Christmas market, alongside the Spring Fair (Foire du Printemps) lasting for ten days in the latter half of March.
4. Église Saint-Barthélémy
The neo-Gothic tower of Église Saint-Barthélémy rises on the north-east side of Grand-Place.
While the tower is relatively modern, built in 1837, the majority of the Gothic structure dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries.
There are numerous points of interest inside.
To the right of the entrance, an inscription details the challenges faced by the church in 1794 during the French Revolution, when its clergy refused to take the mandated oath outlined by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, resulting in the building being ransacked.
The church remained closed from 1797 to 1802. Within it are funerary monuments from the 15th and 16th centuries commemorating the counts and lords of Mouscron, an 18th-century organ, and valuable liturgical items from the 17th and 18th centuries, including a monstrance and chalices.
5. Parc Communal de Mouscron
Mouscron’s primary green space in the south-western part of the city is spacious, meticulously maintained, and equipped with numerous facilities.
At the heart of the park lies a pair of winding ponds, flanked by specimen trees, shrubs, flowerbeds, and a bandstand.
The remainder of Parc Communal consists mainly of open grass areas, with accessible paved paths along the western side of Rue du Roi Chevalier, as well as sports facilities and a children’s playground complete with a sandpit on the eastern side.
Amidst the greenery surrounding the ponds, visitors will find a pleasant café and terrace named Central Parc.
Mouscron’s Belgian National Day celebrations occur in the park on July 21, featuring a concert and fireworks display.
6. Famiflora
The largest garden centre in Belgium is located near Mouscron, just off junction 2 of the E403. The expansive Famiflora is challenging to describe, offering a wide range of products including plants, gardening tools, outdoor furniture, and decorations, along with home decor, cut flowers, candles, arts and crafts supplies, Christmas decorations, and an entire department dedicated to pet products.
Additionally, there are local-style shops such as a grocery store, bakery, confectionery, butcher, and tobacconist.
Famiflora is organized along an Ikea-style one-way path, necessitating a few hours to thoroughly explore the entire establishment.
Children will surely appreciate the pet department, featuring rabbits, birds, fish, chickens, reptiles, and hamsters.
A large self-service restaurant is conveniently located by the entrance, ideal for a break after navigating this vast store.
7. Maison Picarde
Established in 1892, the worker cooperative “La Fraternelle” expanded significantly even during the First World War, necessitating larger premises.
The Maison du Peuple and the Boulangerie de la Coopérative were constructed at the present site of La Fraternelle on Rue de Tourcoing, followed in the 1920s by the Palais des fêtes, a performance venue and cinema for Mouscron’s working class.
The Palais des Fêtes is the sole remnant from this era and is now known as Maison Picarde.
This building is renowned for its exquisite faience murals adorning the hall on the first floor.
These murals illustrate idealized construction scenes, conveying socialist values such as work, knowledge, family, and emancipation, created by a workshop of students from Jules Pierre van Bisbroeck.
Guided tours are available through Mouscron’s tourism office to explore the interior.
8. Musée de Folklore Mouscron
Situated at the intersection of Belgium and France, as well as Flanders and Wallonia, Mouscron possesses a social history worthy of exploration.
At the Musée de Folklore, an assemblage of artifacts collected between 1850 and 1950 is displayed within a series of meticulously arranged rooms.
These exhibits capture various facets of life throughout this century, portraying shop and tavern interiors, agricultural practices, games, festive traditions, and crafts such as weaving and clog-making.
Additionally, the exhibition addresses less savory activities like tobacco and alcohol bootlegging.
9. Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste
A brief journey to Bellegem will lead you to a family-operated brewery renowned for crafting beers based on traditional recipes while employing modern techniques.
Omer Vander Ghinste was established in 1892 and has operated through five generations, producing approximately 42,000 hectolitres annually.
The flagship brew is Omer (traditional blond), with the name Omer being passed down from father to son for each generation.
The brewery is also celebrated for its VanderGhinste Roodbruin, a brown beer combined with lambic aged for at least 18 months in oak barrels, and the intricate dark beer, LeFort.
The two-and-a-half-hour tour offers excellent value, presenting the rich history of Vander Ghinste and guiding visitors through the brewing process step-by-step.
Participants will have the opportunity to sample the brewery’s offerings and receive a gift bag to take home.
10. Tourcoing
In slightly over ten minutes, you can cross the border and arrive in the French city of Tourcoing, which features several points of interest within its pedestrian-friendly center.
Foremost among these is the Église Saint-Christophe, with origins tracing back to the 11th century, though it exhibits a 19th-century neo-Gothic style.
Inside, be sure to examine the intricately carved confessionals dating from the 1730s and the substantial organ installed in 1751. The grand Hôtel de Ville was constructed between 1866 and 1885, showcasing an eclectic design popular during Napoleon III’s reign.
MUba Eugène-Leroy, the fine arts museum, houses works by Jan Brueghel the Elder, Frans Francken the Younger, and the Tourcoing-born 20th-century painter Eugène Leroy.
The museum’s collection of prints, etchings, and drawings includes notable pieces by Rembrandt, Goya, Canaletto, and Dürer.
A stroll through the city can be enhanced by visiting the century-old municipal botanical garden, which boasts greenhouses and themed gardens including a formal French garden, an English garden, a North American garden, and a stately cherry tree avenue.
11. La Piscine Museum
Continue your exploration across the border at this remarkable museum housed in a former Art Deco swimming pool, which opened in 1932. The pool ceased operations in 1985 due to structural issues with its barrel vault and was eventually repurposed as a museum, opening its doors in 2000. The museum’s collections can be traced back to the 1830s, featuring an archive of fabric samples from the numerous local textile factories.
Over the years, this focus expanded to include applied arts, science, industrial design, fashion, literature, and fine arts.
Previously, the collection was exhibited by the National High School of Arts and Textile Industry (ENSAIT), but following the closure of their museum at the onset of WWII, it found a permanent home at La Piscine Museum.
The fine arts collection can be experienced through chronological and thematic trails within the museum’s various wings.
The main hall, illuminated by a stunning stained glass window depicting a rising sun, prominently features the applied arts inventory, with former shower stalls converted into display cases.
After a brief closure, the museum reopened in 2018, introducing a new wing dedicated to contemporary sculpture, art from Roubaix, a chronological timeline of the city’s history, and temporary exhibitions.
12. Villa Cavrois
The final entry in a trio of essential French sites easily accessible from Mouscron is a modernist mansion commissioned by textile industrialist Paul Cavrois and designed by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens.
Characterized by its clean lines and incorporation of modern amenities such as electricity, a radio loudspeaker, an internal phone system, and softened water, Villa Cavrois (1932) was unprecedented in this region of France.
Focusing on aspects of light, hygiene, and comfort, Mallet-Stevens was granted complete authority to create a Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art), designing the furniture and fittings and selecting all materials, including the landscaping of the garden.
Following the passing of Paul’s daughter-in-law, Lucie, in 1985, Villa Cavrois fell into disrepair and was briefly occupied by squatters until it received status as a historic monument in 1990, and was subsequently acquired by the French state in 2001. After an extensive restoration to restore the building’s 1930s glory, this architectural marvel opened to the public for the first time in 2015.
13. Cinema Forver
Cinephiles have a delightful destination in the heart of Mouscron at this intimate cinema on Rue de la Marlièr.
The first aspect to note about Cinema Forver is its affordability, with an adult ticket priced at €8.25, reduced to €6 throughout the day on Mondays and for any matinee showings.
Moreover, Cinema Forver is a family-run establishment, featuring seven newly renovated auditoriums, all appointed with comfortable leather seats.
On weekend evenings, a chic little bar is open for patrons before or after film screenings.
A potential drawback for those less proficient in French is that films are typically dubbed for Walloon audiences.
14. Piscine “Les Dauphins”
A more conventional swimming pool is situated in the eastern part of Mouscron, near the expansive Parc Commercial les Dauphins.
This pool is distinguished by its considerable size: The main pool at Piscine “Les Dauphins” measures 50 meters (Olympic size) and is complemented by a learning pool and a paddling pool for infants and toddlers, heated to 34°C.
Additionally, the complex features a 25-meter outdoor pool surrounded by sun loungers and equipped with two slides.
During July and August, the outdoor area also includes a bar, food kiosk, sandpit, and various family-friendly attractions, while the main cafeteria inside remains open year-round.
15. Parc Commercial les Dauphins
The adjacent commercial park debuted in 2013, featuring numerous stores and restaurants situated within galleries around a central parking area.
Common staples of European malls and shopping streets include HEMA, Yves Rocher, H&M, and Hunkemöller, complemented by a Delhaize supermarket.
Regarding dining options, there is a variety of choices such as Pizza Hut, Le Petit Monde (serving international cuisine), and Au Bonne App’ (sandwiches and salads).
