Mons is the same distance from Calais as Waterloo, but is accessible via Lille on a series of motorways and it is just 2.5 hours drive from the Eurotunnel exit.
It is ideal for 2 night breaks, or longer stays, perhaps combining two centres with Spa or Marche en Famenne in the Ardennes. Mons is very close to Charleroi airport and about 1 hour south of Brussels.
Mention Mons to most people and they'll remember the First World War battle in which British forces inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing Germans. But the city has much more than a military past. It's a picturesque tourist attraction with a rich industrial heritage as the centre of the former coal-mining district of Borinage. There's also a cultural tradition: Van Gogh stayed here before moving to Provence and the visitor will find a number of impressive museums featuring everything from clocks to contemporary art.
From a golfer's point of view you have the superb course at Royal Golf Club de Hainaut, which was designed by Tom Simpson in the 1930s, 27 holes of lovely parkland golf in rich forest. Whilst the classy lay out of Mont Garni has a memorable mix of holes through mature oaks and 5 holes out of the woods in a more stadium type style. The Chateau clubhouse has a warm ambience. The Mons region is very close to the golf courses of Hulencourt, Pierpont and Chateau de la Tournette, which give more golfing options.
At the heart of the town is the bustling Grand Place, a wide cobbled square flanked by terrace cafes and overlooked by the imposing town hall. The tiny cast-iron monkey on the front of the building is supposed to bring good luck to all those who stroke him with their left hand. Opposite the church is the Francois Duesberg Museum with its unique collection of exotic clocks dating from 1795-1815. It also has exceptional gilded bronzes, porcelain gold and silverware.
The Museum of Military History has fascinating exhibitions about the Battle of Mons in August 1914, the liberation of the city by Canadian troops in 1918 and the role of Mons in the Second World War.
In the suburb of Cuesmes, visit the Van Gogh House Museum. The house has been preserved as it was when artist lived here between 1879 and 1880.
Fifteen minutes by car from Mons is the famous wildlife sanctuary, Parc Paradiso. One of the top attractions of Wallonia, it features 4,000 birds and animals in the grounds of an ancient Cistercian abbey. The aviary is 100 metres tall making it the largest in Europe.
Beloeil Castle has been the home of the Princes of Ligne for six centuries and contains an impressive art collection and a library with more than 20,000 books.