Living in the Corbeille, in the centre of Namur

The neighbourhood where the most students live in Namur, between the station and the confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse: the university, several colleges, the shops and the nights out fit in a historic centre you can cross on foot. The pedestrian zone is growing, and so are the building sites.

The neighbourhood

The Corbeille is the historic core of Namur: a compact centre, squeezed between the station to the north, the Sambre and the Meuse to the south, and the boulevards that replaced the old fortifications. At the tip, the Grognon, now the Confluence, opens onto the meeting of the two rivers, at the foot of the Citadel. Rue de Fer and rue des Carmes have kept the finest façades.

The pedestrian centre is growing: rue de Bruxelles and rue Saint-Jacques became pedestrian in July 2026, and works continue on rue Godefroid and rue Émile Cuvelier from early 2027, at least until the end of that year. Expect building noise depending on your street, and a more pleasant centre once it is done.

The big market, the Bord de l'Eau market, sets up on Saturday mornings on boulevard Frère Orban, along the Sambre.

Getting around

• On foot, almost everything is within reach: most of the university's buildings are less than ten minutes from the station.
• The electric shuttle, free, links the station to the Confluence about every fifteen minutes on weekdays, from 9 am to 7 pm from Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm.
• The train links Namur to Brussels, Luxembourg, Liège and Charleroi, twice an hour on weekdays.
• TEC buses concentrate on the Rogier-Brabant axis and around the station, towards all the neighbourhoods. The last buses leave around 10 pm, and there is no night bus network: here, you walk home.
• By bike, Li Bia Vélo stations cover the centre, and towpaths follow the Sambre and the Meuse.
• For the Citadel, a cable car leaves from place Maurice Servais, and bus 3 climbs from the station.
• By car, avoid it: since January 2026, the whole Corbeille has been a red zone, three hours maximum, paid from Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm. A resident's card requires being domiciled in the street. Without domiciliation, you are left with the student subscription at the Namur Expo P+R or the Confluence car park. Parking is free after 5 pm.

Schools nearby

The University of Namur occupies the neighbourhood, from rue de Bruxelles to the Rempart de la Vierge (law), via rue Grandgagnage (computer science) and place du Palais de Justice (medicine). In the same streets, Henallux has its social department on rue de l'Arsenal, HEAJ its Business and Communication campus on place Saint-Aubain, and the Conservatoire has moved to the Grand Manège, on rue Rogier.

The other campuses are about twenty minutes away, or less: IESN in Bomel, HEPN and Henallux's paramedical section in Salzinnes.

Everyday life

The Célestine, a new public library opened in 2024 on rue du Premier Lanciers, is a fine place to revise. The university's main library is being renovated, with a reopening planned for 2027: in the meantime, a temporary space welcomes students on rue de Bruxelles. For sport, the university's sports service is on rue Godefroid. For going out, the Caméo cinema, on rue des Carmes, the Delta, on avenue Golenvaux, and the Grand Manège share the evenings, and cafés are everywhere around them.

Housing

This is where the supply is concentrated: about one listing in two in Namur. Kots are clearly in the majority, followed by studios. Flatshares are rare, the room remains the norm. Many homes are old, in divided houses. A few hundred metres from the station and the university, the Ernest Mélot residence offers rooms.

For whom?

A good choice if you have classes at the university, at Henallux Social or at HEAJ, if you want to do everything on foot, or if you often go home by train.

Less suited if you have a car to park, if you cope badly with building works and nightlife noise, or if you are looking for a flatshare.

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