16/22.- Wallonia: Binche

Binche is a fortified town most of whose city walls and towers still exist. The 16th-century town hall is flanked by a belfry with a bulb-shaped steeple. Binche is famous for its carnival, which reaches its climax at Mardi Gras. A Museum of carnival and masks retraces the history of carnival and mask-making throughout the world. The most typical and world-famous manifestation of the Binche carnival is the Gilles (pronounced zheel) with his characteristic costume.

[Next »]