The House of the giants

The House of the Giants (Maison des Géants) is a museum in Ath, a small town in the Hainaut province of Wallonia, Belgium, dedicated to the town's tradition of processional giants and its local history. It occupies an imposing 18th-century Louis XV-style mansion known as the Cambier house, making the building itself part of the visiting experience.

Who are the giants of Ath?

At the heart of the museum are seven giants — large, ornately dressed processional figures — that embody the town's most famous festival, the Ducasse d'Ath, held every year on the fourth Sunday of August. This annual parade of giants and dragons belongs to a wider cross-border folk tradition shared by Belgium and northern France, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. The museum explains where these figures came from and why they still matter so deeply to the people of Ath today.

What is inside the museum?

The exhibition goes well beyond the carnival tradition itself: each giant serves as an entry point into a different chapter of local history. Visitors learn about the town's growth over the centuries, its textile craftsmanship, its goldsmithing trade, its 19th-century timber industry, and its painting tradition. The museum also holds several objects recognized as heritage treasures by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, including a 15th-century Entombment scene from Mainvault, a portrait of Philip the Good from around 1500, a set of 19th-century giant heads once used in the processions, and an 18th-century embroidered ceremonial cope attributed to Dormal.

A renewed museum since 2024

The institution underwent a significant renovation that broadened its scope, weaving the town's full history more closely together with the story of the Ducasse d'Ath and its giants. As a result, a visit today combines folklore with a wider look at the community's past, rather than focusing on the festival alone.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the House of the Giants located? In the town centre of Ath, in the Hainaut province of Wallonia, Belgium.

What are the giants shown in the museum? Seven large traditional processional figures tied to the Ducasse d'Ath festival, celebrated every fourth Sunday of August.

Is there more to see than the giants themselves? Yes — the exhibition also covers the town's history and crafts (textile, goldsmithing, timber), along with valuable historic artefacts such as religious art and an embroidered ceremonial cope.

When does the Ducasse d'Ath take place? Every year, on the fourth Sunday of August — the town's main festival, centred on the giants' procession.

Is the museum building itself historically significant? Yes, it is housed in an 18th-century Louis XV-style mansion known as the Cambier house, itself a notable example of period architecture.