Université de Namur

City short information

Namur is the capital of Wallonia (the French speaking Region of Belgium). It is the host of the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia, and its administration.

Namur is proud to be a ‘Smart City’. It is the first Walloon city to have joined this network of cities recognised by UNESCO, which places creativity and cultural industries at the heart of urban development plans for safe, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The tourist office website is full of ideas for original things to do in Namur.

Activities

• A city full of art and history, Namur is a treasure trove of culture, from archaeological and historical sites, museums and exhibitions to theatres, cinemas, and festivals. You will find here some ideas for activities linked to culture or folklore.
• Namur stands at the confluence of the rivers Sambre and Meuse, offering magnificent views of the rivers, valleys, and monuments. A whole range of waterside activities are on offer, but simply walking along the quays is one of the best ways to visit the city.
• Beyond its historic center, Namur is also a green setting which does not lack creativity to showcase its natural heritage. Discover here its parks, theme gardens, nature reserves, areas of biological interest and other eco-tourist assets.
• For lovers of good food or shopping, the campus is surrounded by several restaurants or sandwich bars, as well as markets and all kinds of shops. More information is available here.

Some points of interest

• The Citadelle of Namur is a world renown, majestic and historical monument. It is classified as an exceptional real estate heritage of the Walloon Region.
• 65 km South from Namur, the Euro Space Center is the only space-themed park in Europe. The Center aims to educate people about space science through a range of activities. It offers you to live the experiences of astronauts through different activities: space hub, space tour, mars village, space flight unit, space rotor, planetarium, moonwalk XP/marswalk XP, free fall slide, outdoor tour, cosmic valley…
• The astronomical observatory Antoine Thomas of the University of Namur (Astrocampus) enables the public, and young people in particular, to discover the stars with their own eyes and to learn about the sciences and techniques (optics, mechanics, physics, mathematics, etc.) involved in observing them. The observatory is specially equipped for discovering astronomy in the city, with several telescopes, high-performance cameras, and special filters. They organise stargazing sessions, educational trips, lectures, and conferences.
• The Pavillon is an exhibition space dedicated to digital cultures. It is now Wallonia's new digital reference point. Perched on the Citadelle, the Pavillon is an exhibition, experimentation and innovation center that blurs the boundaries between disciplines and simultaneously encompasses the arts, science, and technology. It hosts temporary exhibitions, conferences, workshops, courses, and performances.
• The Delta is a cultural center in Namur offering 6,000 m² dedicated to art and culture. Recently renovated, the Delta features concerts, theatre, dance, exhibitions, festivals, trainings, workshops, conferences, as well as various activities on current social issues.
• In Namur, the TRAKK is a place dedicated to cultural and creative industries, and to digital technology. It's a meeting place for businesses, entrepreneurs and people who want to develop their ideas.
• The NID - an acronym for "Namur Intelligente et Durable" (Intelligent and Sustainable Namur) - is a place of education and co-construction that puts citizens at the heart of the debate on the future of their city, and questions the role of cities in meeting current and future challenges.

Getting around town

The multimodal station of Namur is located a few steps from the heart of the city and offers several urban mobility solutions. You can easily get around Namur on foot, by bus, by bike, or by scooter (rental via independent operators).

The pedestrian area located in the old Namur district offers very pleasant walks over a total length of more than 2.5 km. It is also very pleasant to use the different footbridges, galleries, or passages of the city. In Namur, nothing is far away.

Campus Services

Situated at the heart of the city of Namur, the University campus is ideally located and offers plenty of opportunities for a vibrant and fulfilling experience. To find your way around the campus, click here.

• The Bibliothèque Universitaire Moretus Plantin (BUMP) is the University Library. Open to all students, it offers an ideal setting for studying, silence, computers, free WiFi, librarians, and of course, a lot of books and electronic resources.
• The University Community Life Service (VéCU) welcomes, informs, and assists students to help them integrate and develop during their stay at the University. Its Entertainment Service ensures that the activities organised on the University campus run smoothly.
• The University Sport Service offers many sports activities, most of them organised in its multipurpose Sports Center, which houses a large sport hall, a dojo for the practice of martial arts and a weight room. Affiliation to the University Sport Service costs 35 € per month. Other facilities (swimming pools, sports halls) and sports clubs are available in town. Click here for more information.
• Quai 22 is the cultural space of the University of Namur. It offers a varied socio-cultural programming, organized in close collaboration with the student community but also the different faculties and the cultural sector of Namur.  The programme of the activities is available on Facebook.

Medical Services

In Belgium, doctors have different opening times, and an appointment is usually made online, or by telephone. Make sure they speak your language or English.

The Medical-Psychological Unit is available to students or future students at the University who are experiencing difficulties due to a disability, disabling illness, or learning disability. It informs students, specifies the needs and reasonable adjustments required, and supports the implementation of the individualised support plan. Click here for further information.

In case of a life-threatening emergency, please call:

Police: 112

Firefighters: 112

Ambulance: 112

Academic Calendar

The academic calendar and exact dates of university holidays may vary and change yearly.
The approximate dates in a typical year are:

• Fall Term: September 15 - January 31
• Spring Term: February 1 - June 30

Please click here for further details.

Registration

Information about the application procedure can be found here.

***Disclaimer: Our alliance is working towards the creation of one strong inter-university campus. Future UNIVERSEH students, staff & researchers will join a united yet diverse, multilingual, and interdisciplinary campus. The aim is to build a harmonised curriculum and effective support services for our entire crew. Therefore, the alliance is working on a multilateral agreement to build the foundations for mobility among all five partner universities.

More information will be provided here once the process has been completed.

Accommodation

On-campus housing:

If you would like to book a room on campus, the staff of the International Relations Office will be happy to help you with the procedures. The University of Namur offers a (limited) number of rooms to international students, either in the “International House” or in the "kot-à-projets" (KAP).

The International House is a self-catered 5-floor residence managed by the University Housing Service. Each floor is equipped with individual rooms, a shared kitchen, bathroom facilities, and a sitting room. If you want more information about the Team of students in charge of the International House Project, please have a look at their webpage.

A KAP is a ‘project-related’ shared flat, where 6-12 students live together (individual rooms, shared kitchen, and bathroom facilities) and commit to develop and complete collective projects of their choice. The projects may concern different subjects, such as music, photography, sports, environmental issues, international humanitarian rights, support for local producers, etc. Here is an overview of the current project-related flats.

The different types of accommodation on offer are presented here.
The housing service can provide you with all the information you need: logement-etudiants@unamur.be.

Private accommodation:

If you look for private accommodation, we recommend you to have a look here.

Insurance & Health

Inside the EU, the health insurance you benefit from your home EU country is generally valid in all other EU countries. However, please make sure to contact your health insurer to verify and get the free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before your departure. EU students must bring their European Health Insurance Card with them.

Several health insurance providers operate in French-speaking Belgium. One can choose freely among them, but we advise you to consider if they have an agency in Namur or not. Click here for more information.

Cost of living

This price list may help you to calculate your estimated monthly expenses in Namur:

• Meal at university restaurant: 4-6 €
• Bread (800g): 3 €
• Still water (500ml): 0,60 €
• Coffee to go: 2,50 €
• Beer (330ml): 2-4 €
• Red wine (200ml): 8 €
• Bike rental: 22 € daily

Gym membership: 35 € monthly

Getting there

Namur is the capital city of Wallonia (the French speaking Region of Belgium). It is situated at the intersection of numerous rail and motorway routes. It is also easily accessible by train and located close to three international airports: Brussels-National (60 km), Charleroi-Brussels South (30 km) and Liège-Bierset (40 km).

➜ By plane

From Brussels National Airport, you can reach Namur by train in 80 mins. The railway station is located just under the airport. From Charleroi Airport, a bus takes you to Charleroi-South Railway Station (20 mins), where you can reach Namur by train in 30 mins. For train timetables, click here.

➜ By train

The University campus is a ten-minute walk from the station. Namur is linked to the major European capitals and airports (Paris, London, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, etc.) via high-speed train networks. You can get to Namur in a two- to -three-hour train journey from any of these cities.

➜ By car

Namur is a few minutes from the intersection of the E411 (Luxembourg-Brussels) and E42 (Mons-Liège) motorways.