Charles de Gaulle bridge, a tribute to the saxophone
It will be the first thing you see in Dinant: the Charles de Gaulle Bridge, the same that crosses the river Meuse and gives access to the main square of the city, at the foot of the church of Notre Dame and the Citadel.
Whether you arrive to Dinant by car, as if you do it by train, your first steps will be over the bridge that inevitably you will have to cross if you want to visit the city. And with that first vision of Dinant, the most typical photo of Dinant, with the facade of the church in the foreground, and the Citadel guarding it, your eyes will stop astonished at the 28 multicolored saxophones adorning the bridge.
History of Charles de Gaulle bridge
So surprising is this image that has now become a symbol of the city, a photo that, as I said before, all tourists are seeking and make when they are acrossing the bridge. But the really curious thing is that this picture can only have been made by those tourists who visited Dinant from the year 2010
It was in that year, 2010, when these saxophones were set out along the bridge the placement in a tribute to the countries of the European Union. It was in that year when it was celebrated here the Europe Sax and when it was decided that each saxophone would represent to a European country. That is why it has now become a game for many people to try to identify the country that represents each one of these saxs.
It was combined in this way the tribute to Europe with a part of the history of Dinant, so because this one is linked to the history of music. We must not forget that it was here where Adolph Sax was born, the inventor of the saxophone in the year 1841, as we also should not forget that it is in Dinant where is one of the most important museums of saxophones in the world.
Charles de Gaulle Bridge in Dinant
But apart from this curious detail of the saxophones, the Charles de Gaulle Bridge, named in honor of the old President of the French Republic, wounded in Dinant in the course of the first world war, when it was still a lieutenant in the French army and not so well known, is the arterial knot of the city and by its location is the perfect place to take some panoramic views of both the city and the green environment that surrounds it.
Take it easy and enjoy this place open and cheerful. A bit of fresh air for the lungs.
Other places to visit in the surroundings