The capital of Hainaut, the region’s cultural capital located less than an hour’s drive from Brussels, Charleroi, Namur, Lille and 75 minutes by train from Paris, Mons has become more and more the city of students, with around 15,000 in higher education and university establishments.Mons is also the scene for major popular festivals, the most prestigious of which is the “Doudou”. It takes place every year on Trinity Sunday. Its highlights are "the Procession of the Car d'Or" (golden carriage, Louis XVI style, which transports the Reliquary of St-Waudru all around the city) and the combat known as "Lumeçon" (legendary combat between St. George and the dragon) - http://ducassedemons.info/ (site of the Assemblée des Acteurs and portal of the Procession of the Car d'Or). In short, Mons is a place for the good things in life thanks to its population and its many activities.City of Mons official website
“Breaking barriers”, allows new students to familiarise themselves with their new study and living environment. Students spend three days familiarising themselves with a city, a university and people. One day in particular is reserved for discovering the city of Mons.
Charleroi benefits from a favoured location, 60 kilometres south of Brussels, the capital of Europe, around a hundred kilometres east of the Lille metropolis.The Carolos (inhabitants of Charleroi) are well known for their enthusiasm, generosity, friendliness and joie de vivre... To them, a friendly welcome and hospitality really mean something. With its pedestrian areas, squares, parks, main streets and shopping malls as well as its tourist and leisure infrastructures, Charleroi is a comfortable city perfectly suited for walking and shopping. Every Sunday, the weekly market attracts thousands of people, some of them from far away. Its warm and picturesque atmosphere should not be missed on any account.City of Charleroi official website .