Belgique - Louvain-la-Neuve - Gare - Quai - Belgian beers - 02

Chimay (, wa, Chimai) is a city and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...

located in the

province of Hainaut Hainaut (, also , , ; nl, Henegouwen ; wa, Hinnot; pcd, Hénau), historically also known as Heynowes in English, is a province of Wallonia and Belgium. To its south lies the French department of Nord, while within Belgium it borders (clock ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. In 2006, Chimay had a population of 9,774. The area is 197.10 km² which gives a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 50 inhabitants per km². It is the source of the

Oise River The Oise ( ; ) is a river of Belgium and France, flowing for from its source in the Belgian province of Hainaut, south of Chimay. It crosses the border with France after about . It flows into the Seine at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a north-wester ...

. In the administrative district of

Thuin Thuin ( or ; wa, Twin) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Biercée, Biesme-sous-Thuin, Donstiennes, Gozée, Leers-et-Fosteau, Ragnies, ...

, the municipality was created with a merger of 14 communes in 1977. The

Trappist The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...

monastery of

Scourmont Abbey Scourmont Abbey (''Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont'') is a Trappist monastery on the Scourmont plateau, in the village of Forges which is part of Chimay in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. The abbey is famous for its spiritual life and for runnin ...

in the town is famous for the

Chimay Brewery Chimay Brewery (''Brasserie de Chimay'') is a brewery at Scourmont Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Chimay, Hainaut (province), Hainaut, Belgium, one of the thirteen breweries worldwide that produce Trappist beer. They make four ales: Chimay Rouge, ...

Toponymy

The etymology of the name is ultimately, via

Vulgar Latin Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal Register (sociolinguistics), registers of Latin spoken from the Crisis of the Roman Republic, Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve ...

, from the

Proto-Celtic Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly Linguistic reconstruction, reconstructed through the compar ...

word ''koimos'' meaning "pretty, pleasant".

Subdivisions

The Walloon names of the place names are in brackets and italics. * Baileux (''Balieu'') * Bailièvre (''Bailleve'') * Bourlers (''Bourlé'') *Chimay (''Chimai'') * Forges (''Foidjes'') *L'Escaillère (''L'Ecayire'') *

Lompret Lompret () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord ...

(''Lompré'') * Rièzes (''Rieze'') * Robechies (''Robchiye'') * Saint-Remy (''Sint-Rmey'') * Salles (''Sale'') * Vaulx (''Vå'') * Villers-la-Tour (''Vilé-al-Tour'') * Virelles (''Virele'')

Demographics

Attractions

* Chimay Castle, the

château A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions. Nowaday ...

of the princes of Chimay *

Lake Virelles Lake Virelles is an artificial lake in Wallonia near the city of Chimay in Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Net ...

*The source of the

Oise Oise ( ; ; pcd, Oése) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 ...

Chimay has traditionally hosted an annual

motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...

event, run on a

street circuit A street circuit is a motorsport racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor races. Airport runways and taxiways are also sometimes part of street circuits. Facilities such as the p ...

formed from local public roads. From the 1920s to 1960s the event was run for contemporary

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

and

sportscar A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...

categories, and included the famous

Grand Prix des Frontières The Grand Prix des Frontières was a motor race held at a street circuit in Chimay, Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered ...

. In recent times, while the event has persisted it has been run for historic race series. The track briefly lost its licence in 2006 related to safety fears, but has since had it reinstated. Image:Château Chimay 2.JPG, Chimay Castle Image:Chimay Belgium town square.jpg, The central town square, Chimay Image:Chimay CH1aJPG.jpg, Chimay Castle Chimay Trappist beers and

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

s are produced in the town by the Chimay Brewery, run by the Trappist monks of

, and are internationally renowned.

Notable people

Daniel van Buyten Daniel Van Buyten (; born 7 February 1978) is a Belgian former footballer who played as a centre back. Nicknamed "Big Dan", Van Buyten was known for his uncompromising style of play, exploiting both his physical strength and aerial ability. Begi ...

(b. 1978), football player *

Émile Coulonvaux Émile Maurice Léon Coulonvaux (26 February 1892 – 10 March 1966) was a Belgian liberal lawyer and politician. Coulonvaux was doctor in law and a lawyer. He became an alderman (1927–1928) in Dinant and was also liberal senator (1939–1946 ...

(1892–1966), politician *

François Duval François Duval (born 18 November 1980) is a Belgian rally driver. Career 1999–2004 Francois Duval is the son of former rally driver Rene Duval. With victories in four events Duval won the Belgian Citroën Saxo Challenge title in 1999. He b ...

(b. 1980), rally car driver *

Jean Froissart Jean Froissart ( Old and Middle French: '' Jehan'', – ) (also John Froissart) was a French-speaking medieval author and court historian from the Low Countries who wrote several works, including ''Chronicles'' and ''Meliador'', a long Arthuria ...

(c.1337-c.1405), medieval historian *

Georges Hostelet Georges Hostelet (1875–1960) was a Belgian chemist, sociologist, mathematician, and philosopher. He was born in the municipality of Chimay in 1875. He attended the Royal Military Academy, and reached the rank of lieutenant. In 1897, he left the ...

(1875–1960), mathematician, philosopher, and sociologist *

François-Joseph-Philippe de Riquet François-Joseph-Philippe de Riquet (21 September 1771 - 2 March 1843), comte de Caraman was the 16th Prince de Chimay from 24 July 1804 to 1843. Early life François-Joseph-Philippe was born in Paris on 21 September 1771. He was a son of Victor M ...

(1771–1843), Prince of Chimay, and his wife

Thérésa Tallien Thérésa Cabarrus, Madame Tallien (31 July 1773 – 15 January 1835), was a Spanish-born French noble, salon holder and social figure during the Revolution. Later she became Princess of Chimay. Life Early life She was born Juana María ...

(1773–1835), French social figure

Twin cities/towns

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine Conflans-Sainte-Honorine () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris. The commune was originally named for its ge ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

References

External links

Official website

Chimay
at the Union of Cities and Municipalities of Wallonia
chimay.be

atheneeroyaldechimay.free.fr
{{Authority control Cities in Wallonia Municipalities of Hainaut (province)