Just a few weeks ago we showed you the things to see in Mons, a city situated in the Wallonia Region of Belgium. But we haven’t told you anything about the secrets of Mons, and the main square, the Grande Place hides not just one of them.
Mons in Flemish means mountain, so it’s not surprising to find out that this little romantic town is situated on top of a hill. In the heart of the city, we found the spectacular Grande Place de Mons, which is a square that astonishes you as soon as you arrive there. It’s not only a wonderful square, where you can sit down in one of the bars for a nice Belgian beer, enjoying the view, but this place hides two of the well kept secrets of Mons.
The first secret of Mons is the little monkey
It’s not so easy to find the little monkey of Mons, it’s found to the left from the main entrance of the town hall. Compared with the impressive façade of the building, it is so small that it makes not so easy finding it.
There are several legends about how this monkey made of iron arrived here and what it represents. There are numerous theories: it’s a sculpture of a master, it’s the place where the criminals were taken to be publicly humiliated or it was a sign of an old tavern. Whatever the reason is for this monkey being here, it is very popular and the locals in Mons think it brings luck to them.
You have to caress the head of the monkey with your left hand, and the little monkey will bring you prosperity and good luck. The legend even says that if you are a girl who wants to get married and have babies, you can count on the magic power of the little monkey of Mons.
Nevertheless, the monkey is not the only secret of Mons hidden by the Grande Place. In a place of tranquility in the heart of Mons, which is not frequented by most of the tourists either, you can find the gardens of the town hall. You just have to go through a large gate, which leads to a patio. Here you can see several important buildings, such as the BAM de Mons (The Fineart Museum of Mons) which exhibits paintings of Van Gogh who lived in the Borinage, an industrial area near Mons. The garden is an ideal place to sit down and enjoy its peaceful ambience.
Here you can find another secret of Mons, the fountain Ropieur, made by Gobert in 1937, in which a “Naughty Boy” splash water at everyone passing by.
The small city of Mons hides so many secrets and mysteries. Do you still doubt that is worth exploring the secrets of Mons?
Discovering these sweet and “secret” details and traditions is such a fun part of traveling, particularly in off-the-beaten-path destinations. I didn’t realize Van Gogh lived in the area. What a fun stop this would be.
I agree with you, it’s great when a destination can surprise you. Mons is a destination like this, we can really assure you!
Love the story behind the statue!
Thanks for your comment!
Awesome post! I am actually temporarily living in Antwerp at the moment and I am looking into more cities to visit in the south of Belgium. I’ll definitely be eyeing Mons and this monkey 😛
Great! I have never been to Antwerp, I would love to explore the Flemish cities of Belgium! I hope you will have a nice time in Mons!
Love the architectural features of Mons! The monuments in themselves are worth a visit. I would definitely consider adding it to my itinerary! 😀
Mons is full of surprises, I can really recommend you to visit!
I only wish I Knew about Mons a month ago that I was in Belgium! It seems like a great city. Maybe that is a reason to come back!
Belgium, such a small country with so many lovely cities there. I am sure that all the other places you visited were awesome too, but now that you know about Mons, it’s a good reason to go back!
I like hearing of “off-the-beaten-path” destinations, and I hadn’t heard of Mons before. It seems like a cute town with character and some very interesting statues that could give the Manikin Pis a run for its money.
I also love these not so known destinations like Mons, where you feel really surprised seeing the quantity of beauties hidden there.
I would go!! 🙂
Great to hear that!
what a very chill town. I’m pretty sure there’s more to that monkey than what was told! 🙂
Haha, you might be right about the monkey:)
Lovely photos. We love finding off the beaten track cities and towns to explore where you are never really sure of what you might come across… and that is the adventure!
I absolutely agree! Thanks for commenting!
Wow this looks like a fun historic place to visit, definitely keeping it in mind.
Yes it is, I hope you can visit one day!
This looks so cool and Gothic almost! Super cute post! 🙂
Thanks Alli for commenting!
Its always nice to find little things in our wanders. I need to visit that monkey for luck 🙂
I agree it’s nice to find these little details. I hope the monkey will really bring you luck!
Interesting facts, thanks for sharing it!
Thanks for commenting!
Love those monkeys! So cute!
I love the story of the little monkey!!!