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 ...

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—al ...

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 (cloc ...

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 ...

. 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 RosenberPopu ...

of 50 inhabitants per km². It is the source of the Oise River. 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 monastery of Scourmont Abbey in the town is famous for the Chimay Brewery.

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 registers of Latin spoken from the Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve into numerous Romance languages. Its literary counterpa ...

, 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 reconstructed through the comparative method. Proto-Celt ...

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 (''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 Chimay Castle (french: Château de Chimay) is a château in Chimay, Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The castle has been owned by the Prince of Chimay and his ancestors for centuries, and it is open to the public for tours during part of the year. A ...

, 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. No ...

of the princes of Chimay *

Lake Virelles Lake Virelles is an artificial lake in Wallonia near the city of Chimay Chimay (, wa, Chimai) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. In 2006, Chimay had a population of 9,774. The area is 197.10&nb ...

*The source of the Oise 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 t ...

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 ...

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 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 Chimay (, wa, Chimai) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. In 2006, Chimay had a population of 9,774. The area is ...

. 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,

Image:Chimay Belgium town square.jpg, The central town square, Chimay Image:Chimay CH1aJPG.jpg,

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 productio ...

s are produced in the town by the Chimay Brewery, run by the Trappist monks of Scourmont Abbey, and are internationally renowned.

Notable people

* Daniel van Buyten (b. 1978), football player * Émile Coulonvaux (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. 1980), rally car driver * Jean Froissart (c.1337-c.1405), medieval historian * Georges Hostelet (1875–1960), mathematician, philosopher, and sociologist * François-Joseph-Philippe de Riquet (1771–1843), Prince of Chimay, and his wife Thérésa Tallien (1773–1835), French social figure

Twin cities/towns

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of 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 the Census, there was a populati ...

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 ...

* Conflans-Sainte-Honorine,

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)