The combat de l'échasse d'or: a folkloric fight on stilts in Namur

Two guilds have been confronting each other since 1411: Les Mélans, with their black and yellow stilts, represent the historical centre of Namur, while Les Avresses, on red and white stilts, come from outside the old town walls.

The fight

The two teams, each disguised as giants, first stand in line. At the sound of the drums, they start moving and fighting, the aim being to make the opponent fall from their stilts. The last one standing wins the grail, the golden stilts...

UNESCO, in 2021, added  this amazing tradition to its list of intanglible cultural heritage of humanity.